Reform supporter: A campaigner’s tale

Campaigning as a Labour candidate in what is, let’s face it, a pretty right wing county can be a hard slog. Most days are absolutely fine. Everyone I meet is friendly and polite. Even if they won’t take a leaflet or even read what I stand for, the exchanges are polite and cordial. It is what I have come to expect from the friendly people of Grantham.

However, today was slightly different. Not only was I told to fuck off, that Labour is responsible for the “genocide” of disabled people and that I am a “paedophile protector”, I also had a heated exchange with a voter who believed that the only way to fix things in this country was to vote Reform.

This voter was absolutely convinced that the NHS was on it’s knees because Gordon Brown sold off “all the gold”, that deporting ethnic minorities was “no bad thing” and that I couldn’t possibly know what this area needs because I am a member of the Labour Party. Despite trying to reason with them, explaining how investment helped recover the NHS before the last Conservative government and will do so again; that immigration is actually a good thing; that I am an individual that has eyes and ears of my own which can help prioritise local issues; they were having none of it. They simply kept parroting the same taglines we see on social media.

I could dismiss these views as the views of an inconsequential minority, but I think I would be doing a disservice to our local political discourse if these views were not countered head on. So I remained in the conversation for as long as needed for them to realise that I fundamentally disagreed with them and could prove what they were saying was wrong. Not that facts matter in a conversation like this. This extreme viewpoint where people are failing to take on other people’s argument and failing to accept proof that refutes your opinion is becoming more prevalent. As such, certain political candidates feel they can say and do what they like because the truth doesn’t matter in the long run.

For me, the truth does matter. Facts matter. Opinions are not facts. Opinions have their place in debate but opinions should be adjusted based upon the facts. Failing to do so leads to bad policy, poor electoral debate and, most importantly, poor quality candidates getting into positions of power.

If I am lucky enough to be elected, I will focus on the facts. I will ensure that quality policy is pursued. What I won’t do is just parrot social media taglines to give myself a sense of importance.

This voter will be voting Reform, nothing I could have said or done would have changed that. However, in the future, I would like to see more actual debate. I know that would make a refreshing change.