Canvassing in Edenderry

Late home from a very full day's campaigning; starting in Lisburn market this morning. I expected to see other parties there, but we were left the sole political representatives. Where are the other parties?

Then an afternoon in the most southern parts of the constituency, followed by an evening in the most northern part; Edenderry at Shaws Bridge. David remembers canvassing here in 1975 when he stood in South Belfast, and it was then part of South Belfast. Again, responses are positive. I heard rumours of DUP leafleting in the Antrim Road area of Lisburn. Posters aside, this is the first indication I have had that any other local party is working on the ground.

Monday 12 April

So today was ‘P&J’ day – the day so many in the DUP said would never come!

It is not uncommon for a person who has responsibility thrust upon him or her to rise to the challenge. So far we have not seen much sign that Mr Ford has what it takes. That is part of the reason why our Assembly team voted against devolution of policing and justice. Let us hope, for the sake of Northern Ireland that Mr Ford has hidden depths; that he will rise to the challenge.

The Conservatives are putting effort plus into the campaign. I had my third shadow ministerial visit of the week – Jim Paice, shadow Minister of Agriculture. All the hard work of earlier weeks is paying dividends, it is becoming clearer by the day that voters are ‘getting’ the message; and there is no sight of any opposition, except on lampposts.

Jim Paice was bemused by the posters. It would be illegal in England to display posters on lampposts. I am not sure when or why the practice started to diverge – in England people display posters in their gardens or windows. I think this divergence predates the troubles; I don’t recall ever seeing houses with posters, even as a child in the sixties.

First Saturday of the campaign

A good start to the day with a meeting at HQ of all our candidates; there is a wealth of talent and experience to draw on there, as well as enormous enthusiasm and appetite for the campaign. It is a very different line up from any previous Ulster Unionist group of candidates.

Then on to Lisburn to meet my campaign team in the centre of Lisburn, where we enjoyed the spring weather, and engaged with shoppers, including a lovely encounter with a lady who had been a babysitter for us when our older children were small, over twenty five years ago.

A quick lunch, and on to do some serious door knocking, ending just as the Grand National was starting. My poster team has been out for the last three evenings, but we will never match the quantities of posters put up by the DUP and TUV. In all other respects, we are seeing nothing of them on the ground. I recall from earlier elections how the Workers’ Party always had more and better posters than everyone else – but they didn’t win elections.

Our Conservative colleagues coming to support us find our postering of lampposts a novel experience: they don’t do it at all, but individuals display posters in their windows or gardens to show their support.

This evening was a night off.

The Ulster Youth Orchestra was having their second concert in the new theatre in Mossley Mill, and we went along to join the Mayor of Newtownabbey and a very good audience. They played even better than in Enniskillen, and the new theatre is a superb amenity.

Campaigning today in Lisburn.

The morning started with a quick trip to Campaign HQ for press interviews along with Dominic Grieve, Shadow SoS for Justice. Dominic is no stranger to Northern Ireland, having come here first as a boy as a guest of T E Uttley when holidaying in Co. Down, and he has visited regularly in recent times in his working capacity. Dominic came with me to Lisburn for a walkabout in Bow Street. The sun shone on us and many shoppers were out and about. We were received very positively, and it was good to meet people whose doors I had already been to.

We called in at Green’s Foodfare, a long established and highly successful food retailer in the city centre. I have no doubt that Conservative policies will grow the economy and keep our town centres vibrant more than anything Gordon Brown has to offer, and people are getting the message that a vote for me is a vote for David Cameron.

This evening is an evening away from politics. I am chair of the Ulster Youth Orchestra, and we have been running an Easter course for a chamber orchestra in Enniskillen, culminating in a concert this evening. It is great that we have managed to raise enough money to secure the future of the UYO for this year. The young people gave of their all and played magnificently. The soloist was Ciaran McCabe, now a professional musician, who first joined the UYO age 14 (or younger) in 1998.

Election under way

And so the starting gun has gone! Gordon really couldn’t put it off any longer. My sense is that Lagan Valley is ready for change. My leaflets have been going through letterboxes, I and my team are knocking doors, and the overwhelming response is that it is time for change.

People are fed up with Gordon’s mishandling of the economy over 13 years as Chancellor and Prime Minister.

People are fed up with local politicians who don’t deliver for the people, fed up with waiting for John Lewis to get planning permission, fed up with no national stadium at the Maze, fed up with a dysfunctional executive, fed up with attempts to destroy our education service.

I want to speak to as many electors as I can before polling day. I want to hear what people say to me. I want to deliver real change for Lagan Valley.

Ex Igne Resurgam

In all the excitement of election preparations I have shamefully neglected my blog – no more.

I am back.

What’s more, I believe we are back!

Lisburn’s motto is so appropriate for Ulster Unionism’s position today. After being down for a number of years, we are poised for a big recovery.

I’ve been spending the last couple of weeks engaging with the electorate.

In the Old Warren estate where I was leafleting, I was well received; I chatted to lots of voters; none were hostile.

What a difference a few years makes. In the old days, when I was fighting David’s election battles in Upper Bann, the DUP were there, following us round, giving noisy accompaniment to our canvassing teams – but I haven’t seen sight nor sign of them in Lagan Valley.

And people want to talk: the other night it took me an hour to canvass an estate of 38 houses. It was great to have the time to engage and listen to people’s concerns. So far there are two big issues on the doorstep – the economy and education. We must not ever underestimate the depth of feeling there is against Katriona Ruane’s attempts to destroy our education system.

And on the economy, people are responding to the opportunity we are giving them to get rid of Gordon Brown.

We have agonised for months, if not years about North Down. Now we have a resolution, and we know where we stand. I can’t predict the outcome of the election in that constituency, but if Sylvia is returned, what will she do? Will she sit with labour? Or with the remnants of the DUP? Or will she cut a lonely figure on her own? And will the overwhelmingly conservative leaning electors of North Down be content with that?