Interesting campaign results from Newcastle

I've been doing a bit of work in Newcastle recently to help out the Lib Dems with campaigning. I seem to have used up plenty of shoe leather in Denton and thanks to Ron Beadle, our candidate, who has kindly asked me to deliver another stack of leaflets, I am due back there shortly. I guess now I could walk the streets with my eyes closed there.

Kenton was more interesting however. The tabloid has gone out there and members are getting rather excited at the response. They are getting far more replies than usual and I hear on the grapevine that the before and after phone canvass has produced some very interesting results. The calls were targeted at those undecided between Labour and Lib Dems. As a result of the tabloid, those moving from undecided to Lib Dem has increased. Organisers won't say by how much, but the smiles say it all!

I shared the train back from Birmingham on Sunday with James Hollis who is our candidate for Westgate ward in Newcastle. He is young and enthusiastic so that needs to be factored in to any discussion of what is happening there. Still, what could be happening there is interesting. It should be a safe Labour ward. Interestingly, the existence of Nick Forbes, uber New Labour leader on the city council and councillor for Westgate is a positive factor for, well for Nick Forbes. A high profile seems to do him no harm. But it seems Labour voters will back him personally. Voting Labour in the general election on the same day seems to be getting a definite NO from the same people!

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on how things are going here.

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