As a local Labour parish councillor in Stoke Gifford, and member of the Filton & Bradley Stoke constituency Labour Party canvassing team, I’m out on the doorstep several times a week, listening to local people, hearing about the local and national issues affecting them and their families.
We’re doing this on behalf of our Labour Parliamentary candidate Claire Hazelgrove, who comes along with us whenever she can, and is keen to listen to and understand the issues that are important to local people.
Conservative MP Jack Lopresti was out on the doorstep recently, too - although I’ve been struggling to find anyone he actually spoke to.
It seems he and his team were only leafletting, posting his newsletter through letterboxes and walking away, rather than knocking on doors and listening to residents.
Judging by the strength of feeling locally, it’s likely that he and his team are afraid of the reaction they might get - although one lady I spoke to summed things up perfectly.
“He’s not at all interested in listening to us.”
“If he was interested in what we think, he wouldn’t have voted to let water companies continue to dump sewage in our rivers for another 15 years.”
“He wouldn’t have voted against measures to prevent climate change.”
“He wouldn’t have voted for a damaging no-deal Brexit.”
“He wouldn’t have voted for the amendment to protect Owen Paterson when he’d taken bribes to influence policy.”
“He wouldn’t have voted to block the release of school safety reports earlier this year, when they knew about the problems with concrete buildings.”
“He’s not the voice of local people in Parliament - he’s the voice of Westminster, here.”
“… when he is here, that is”.
“That’s why I’ll be voting for Claire Hazelgrove.”
Me too, lady. Me too.