He was young (am I getting that old?), slim and cheery faced. He handed me a flyer.
PRIVATE DEVELOPERS CASH IN - AT OUR EXPENSE!
CAMDEN NEW JOURNAL REVEALS DEVELOPERS MAKING MILLIONS FROM SCANDALOUS TORY/LIB DEM COUNCIL HOUSING SELL OFF (Good ol' CNJ!)
"Hang on a minute," I say to the man and zoom quick as a flash into my living room to get the Tory flyer.
"Look, they say it's Labour's idea. What did they expect? But I like that..."
Half way down the 'article' in bold red, it states:
"Camden Labour will halt the sell offs if we win control of the council from the Tories and Libdems in May."
The man's eyes glisten, in the same way mine used to when I was canvassing for the I Don't Know Party and people would say it was a great idea.
The I Don't Know Party likes Labour's pledge. Not only a proper 'what we will do' but obviously a proper 'what we will do' about something close to my own heart.
There's also a lot more information on this flyer, for example the coalition cutting Camden's UK Online Centres (where I would go if I wasn't fortunate enough to have access at home... bidding is done every week online remember, it's not just the elderly and unemployed who need it) Apparantly, according to this, the coalition cut internet access to community groups in order to pay bonuses to senior council officers. No surprise really, if that's true. (You can tell I skim newspapers...)
Oh loads more info. Aswell as auctioning off stock the coalition has:
Closed children's playschemes and youth clubs (all tomorrow's children and they are worried about the rise in crime now....)
Hiked meals on wheels charges for the elderly by 20%
Slashed funding for advice services for vulnerable people (good old citizen's advice bureau going going...it was so good to me when I needed it regarding tax credit confusion carnage)
Privatising caretaking services on estates, resutling in less frequent cleaning and fewer caretakers (I miss you Good Carpenter, I hope you're well)
Hiked permission to park notices to £33, a rise of nearly 300%
Sure Start Centres for children and families - the Tories will slash funding by £200m, closing 3 Camden Centres (When we were being evicted the last time Sure Start quite honestly, hand on heart, saved my son from my dark, mute, depressive episodes. I experienced the best of it, I think. The next Government must put funding back into it)
In terms of local election flyers Labour is seducing me, I have to say.
Another thing I like about Labour's flyer over the Tory one is that where the Tories ask for my name, address, phone, email, Labour asks for all that and leaves two lines asking: "Please let us know about any problems or issues in your area:
Nice! If I don't get round to sending it in, I'll write a personal letter to Dobbie. The man on the door said he was my MP now. Writing to him would be going back full circle!!
One last thing I like about this flyer that is omitted from the Tory one, is at the bottom of its local survey it says:
At the next General Election, which party do you think you will support?
There is a little box for the four main ones (Green being the fourth) and a box at the end for "undecided".
Oh, if only that box said "Don't Know". Imagine I'd had the resources and the money to launch my I Don't Know Party! Those who still, like me, are undecided, have a box to tick instead of abstaining on polling day.
Ah well, let's hope my boy and I are properly housed by May.
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