Hundreds of thousands of people across the country are outraged about the way traditional political parties are behaving. One of the best ways to change that, and communicate with thousands of people, is to stand for election. Or actively back someone who is willing and able to stand.
In the last four years, I've stood as a local election candidate three times, won twice and significantly increased the share of votes. I’ve also stood twice for election to Labour’s National Executive Committee and was closely involved in four other elections.
I’ve stood to promote social justice. It’s a bonus to win positions of power. But winning hearts and minds for socialism is just as important. Socialism – caring for the many – is the best antidote to reactionary forces of division and fascism.
In local elections in May 2018, I won 36% of the vote (1,561 voters), up 12% from the year before. It was biggest vote swing in the borough. I was selected to stand in the next local by-election, holding the seat for Labour with 47% of the vote (1,253 voters).
In local elections in May 2021, when Labour lost 345 local council seats across the country, I was re-elected with 61% of the vote (2,248 voters), up 13% and up 650 votes on the previous year.
Here’s what I’ve learned about local elections.
1.Be myself, Play to my strengths, 2. Think afresh about the voters, 3. Find the voters, 4. Communications, 5. Two polling days – postal and polling station, 6. Build a strong team, 8. Raising and spending money
1. Be myself, play to my strengths.
There is no benefit in twisting myself out of shape to become ‘electable’. Voters respect authenticity and don’t trust fakery. I learned from Jeremy Corbyn’s genuine style, track record on social justice, offering socialist alternatives, using culture and no personal attacks.
2. Think afresh about the voters
My best results came when I threw out Labour Party’s cliched platitudes, scripted dialogue and how-to-win-elections mantras.
I thought afresh about what is important to voters and listened to them. Most people in my ward work for a living and appreciate active councillors that take up their concerns. No-one likes to be taken for granted. Actions speak louder than words. What action have I taken that reflect residents concerns? It’s a bonus if there are some achievements and successes too, like saving local facilities.
Voters want to know who I am, where I’m coming from, what I’ve done for our communities and what I stand for. They like candidates with a track record of standing for social justice in their ward. It helps to live in the ward but it's more important to ‘be visible and speak up when others are silent’ as one voter put it.
I’ve lived and worked in Northern Ireland and Israel~Palestine, so my benchmark for what is an important human rights issue is quite high. However, I learned to treat pothole and pavement politics as legitimate health & safety concerns – and gateways to a relationship with the candidate that wins hearts and minds. Everything is connected. Every community is affected by foreign policy and injustices from establishment organisations.
My leaflets amplified the photos, actions and stories that link local ward issues with socialist policies for the many.
3. Find the voters
The local Council’s electoral office supplies councillors, candidates and campaigners with the current (unmarked) ward electoral register on a spreadsheet for free – including name, address, postcode, polling station.
Electoral services will also sell the Marked Register on paper from elections held in the last 12 months, for about £25 per ward, plus a spreadsheet of the Postal Vote marked register spreadsheet for £2. The Marked Registers include if a person voted by post, at a polling station or not at all. Manually inputting the Marked Register takes about one hour for every thousand people on the election register. The work is well worth it.
It was sobering reality check to enter the data of the marked register for urban settled communities I’ve canvassed and worked with. There were whole streets with only a couple of voters. Only 23% to 39% of the electorate actually voted in my local elections. Why? We have to give them a reason to vote. Many people who told me, “Yes, I always vote Labour” or “I’ll vote for you”, but didn’t vote in the local election at all. Of course, some people want to be polite to the door knocker who interrupted them. But does some dishonesty in politics start on the doorstep?
This data work produces rich information to accurately target communications with voters. Limited time and energy on election campaign work can be four times more effective by only talking to actual voters.
4. Communications
We focussed on repeating clear, straightforward messages through all communication channels that reach voters. In three months active campaigning, our team of 20 volunteers:
· Leafleted 7,500 houses, twice
· Rang voters to ask how they are doing or any problems with public services
· Posted about relevant issues on local community facebook groups
· Posted photos and short videos on social media
· Hand delivered personalised 2,000 letters to known voters who indicated they’d vote for me
· Knocked on voters doors
· Spoke with almost 1,000 people likely to vote
5. There are two polling days – Postal Voters and Polling Station
65% of people with a postal vote actually vote. Postal ballot papers arrive two weeks before ‘polling day’. In my elections, 30% to 45% of all votes were cast by post. We organised the last four weeks as two long Get Out The Vote operations – first for Postal Voters and second for the Polling Station voters.
6. Build a strong team
Every election has quickly built our campaign team vehicle as we go. Emotions can run high in an election campaign and ‘candidatitus’ stress is a ‘thing’. Be kind and deal with divisive behaviour. Value each other and our limited energy. Try not to get distracted by what the opposition are saying/doing. It’s the actions of actual voters that count.
I’ve tried to have different people willing and able to fulfil specialist roles, so people can get on with their particular work. The candidate leads by example and most major decisions were made by me.
1. Candidate – Priority is talking with voters and team members. Almost everything else should be done by other team members, where possible.
2. Social media content maker – eg photo and couple of sentences, quotes for mainstream media.
3. Leaflet production – design and print of social media content above
4. Leaflet distribution co-ordinator – inc printed road lists to cover the ward
5. Data - inc marked register input and personalised target letters
6. Canvassing co-ordinator - phone and face to face
7. Treasurer – budget, raising and spending money
8. Election agent – rules, regulations and reports
7. Raising and spending money
My election campaigns cost up to £3,000. No more than £1,400 could be spent on candidate material received by ward voters in the regulated period, also known as “purdah” ie six weeks before Polling station day. There is no limit to how much money can be spent before the regulated period.
Each leaflet for the whole ward (or personalised targeted letter) cost £400 to £550 including design, print and delivery.
With a written budget, its relatively easy to raise enough donations from our Labour and trade union movement, and/or crowdfunding. Gifts of up to £50 per year per donor are not counted as political donations.
The Council’s electoral services and the Election Commission website explains what the law means for local election candidates and teams.