Grass Roots Notes

It's been around eighteen months since I joined the Labour Party, and I've finally become active. All I have to do now is keep at it. I signed up after finishing the first year of a PhD thinking I was going to have lots of time. I also signed up to a few clubs at university and in the crazy world approach that is what's most immediate is most important those got my time and not the Party. But yesterday I got out and campaigned.

As part of the National Marginal Seats Campaign Day I stumped up the courage to go doorstepping. I have to admit that I wasn't really sure what we were going to do when I decided to go along, and when I realized we were actually going to talk to people I could have fled. (Up until yesterday I'd made it to a reception hosted by David Lammy and a social event: hardly the stuff of a passionate activist.) But I didn't flee and thanks to some much appreciated help I had an incredible day. The best part of which was beginning to understand politics at the local rather than the national level.

I live in Islington South & Finsbury and to be honest couldn’t have told you much about what mattered at a local level. I knew that Islington was a mixed placed with pockets that were privileged and pockets that were basically impoverished. I also knew that there was a shortage of social housing here, not because I knew anything specific, but just because I knew that applied everywhere. The plan for the marginal seats campaign was to focus on Emily Thornberry’s campaign for 50% of housing built to be affordable , and so as we were getting ready a few facts were presented. To hear that Islington’s got a waiting list of 13,000 families for an affordable home was an eye opener.

Roughly 10% of the constituency living in conditions they were unhappy with. To be on the waiting list you’ve got to want to be rehoused regardless of whether you meet the official requirements for a new home or not. Wanting to be rehoused must mean you’re unhappy with were you live. I have a little idea of what that feels like: six months into the contract on a shared house I’ve realized I seriously dislike my flatmates. But some of the stories we heard on the doorstep put that into perspective. The most common observation was that little kids now had the bedroom and that mum and dad were relegated to sleeping in the lounge or worse; these stories were often augmented with extra flourishes, like rising damp. But that somehow these people still didn’t qualify for a new house. Surely not qualifying for a new home under these conditions can only be because of a shortage of social housing?

The day wasn’t all about negative realizations, however. For one thing, starting to understand the difficulties associated with housing has motivated me to do more with the Party. We also met people on the doorstep who were really happy to talk to us. The highlight was a deaf chap who it was pretty tricky to chat with. Once we explained what we were campaigning for he was keen to sign the petition, and when we passed over a note asking the standard question of which party he supported he proudly tapped his bright red door and wrote, “Labour, always.” There was also the quick trip to the pub once we’d finished. When out with my friends I’m the one who tends to know the most about politics so it was refreshing change to be, relatively, clueless. Everyone had a good laugh and I enjoyed myself even if my off kilter sense of humour lead to accusations of my being a Lib Dem spy.

To finish I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone at the Islington South & Finsbury CLP for making me feel so welcome. And even bigger thank you to Lynn. Without her support I’d still be standing in the street trying to pick up the courage to knock on my first door.