Monday, May 03, 2010



Places, everyone!

Three days of campaigning left and it's all down to the process called 'getting out the vote'.

For several years we have been campaigning for one purpose; to make sure we win the most votes on Thursday. A big part of that process is ensuring the people who are intending to support us, actually do so.

Campaigning takes several forms; Firstly holding events to raise money to campaign with. Then we spend years listening to voters by canvassing on the doorstep, holding open meetings and doing postal and on-line surveys. Then as the election comes onto the horizon we define and refine our message, and deliver it to voters by leaflets and mail whilst also seeking to find as many people as possible who want to vote for us, and support and help us.

The most intense part of the process is the election campaign itself, in this case we started in January; we have been knocking door to door, six days a week since the start of the year seeking support and meeting a record number of electors, all the while building up a huge list of voters committed to back David Cameron as PM and myself as their MP.

Now we have to remind those voters to act on the day itself, and political parties switch into frenzied activity in the final remaining hours before the polls close at 10:00pm Thursday, monitoring who has already voted (to cross them off the list) and then basically nagging the rest into going to the polling station; even driving them there when necessary.

As the final preparations for the big day are completed it is feeling a bit like the build-up for a big wedding; everyone knows their places, what to say and how to say it, their moves choreographed and rehearsed to the finest detail; the stationary is ordered, the cars cleaned and prepared, the refreshments ready. And as the candidate I it does feel a bit like being a groom - with all the frantic preparations going on all around all I have to do make sure I turn up on the day, shoes cleaned and hair brushed.

We enter the last few days of this campaign in better shape that at any election in living memory; with more pledges, more helpers and more goodwill than any of us can remember.

To all of those dedicated people who have helped me campaign for what we believe in, whether for some or all of the eight long years we have been at it, I say a hearty thank-you.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Marcus, not a great idea to say how everyone else is doing all the work while you just sit about and primp ready for tomorrow. Definitely not the sort of MP we need. The undecideds probably still haven't decided, so they need to see YOU out and about doing your bit, right up to the last minute today.

Also not a good idea to have a picture of the current Tory administration at the town hall - they're like a millstone around your neck.

Good luck in any case.

Ali said...

If you knew just how hard Marcus has worked for the last eight years you would never have written that,;you insensitive person. He is incredibly modest and has humour but has led this campaign from the front, every day.

What have you done to try and change your country?

Phoenix said...

Marcus has worked incredibly hard and no-one could say he hasn't done his bit. He believes passionately in what he does and wants the best for Torbay.

Anonymous said...

"Everyone back on the bus. Driver, take me back to Windsor, and don't spare the horses."

Anonymous said...

oh dear

Anonymous said...

Better luck next time, oh, I forgot, there won't be one!

Phoenix said...

Anonymous - if you've stayed up all night just so that you can make gloating comments here, then I think you need to get out more!

Anonymous said...

We are not all one person, more than one of us is devastated by this result it seems! oh dear!

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahhahahahah

Mark Hellyer said...

What can I say Marcus? Them damn lies done for you in the end. Now that it's all over can you tell us where you're from? Or are you pinning your hopes on another election very soon?