Labour Canvassing in Rushcliffe; When the squeeze of austerity hits the heartlands of small c conservatism, where will voters go?
If you were to draw a line through England separating ‘the North’ from ‘the South’, you might not be far off if that line ended up making its way across The Trent. North of the river is Nottingham, a solid red city, with a Labour-led council struggling after funding was cut by the conservatives for political reasons, but still managing to win awards for its green aspirations. Cross the river and you’re in the borough of Rushcliffe, most likely to be preceded by adjectives “affluent” and “leafy” in election coverage shorthand and a heartland of small c conservatism that until very recently was the seat of the grandfather of the house, Kenneth Clarke.
Despite Clarke being a generally absentee MP, People in Rushcliffe were proud of “Ken”, who had built himself a national brand as a “non nasty tory”, an oxymoron to some, but even some local lefties speak of him as “the best of a bad bunch”. It was difficult not to see Clarke retaining his seat for as long as he wanted to.
But then the political fallout from Brexit pushed Clarke out the party and the local Labour party began to see that perhaps this safe seat could be a semi or even full on marginal. While it’s true that Rushcliffe, with its large tudor-style houses, yuppie bars and high priced farmer’s markets is hardly what you might think of as a “traditional” Labour seat, yet neither is it a bastion of the selfish society envisioned by Thatcher. With a feckless tory council, it has been left to the libraries and churches to organise as places of charity. The Friary in West Bridgford is a well respected drop in centre for the homeless and vulnerable. People still have fond memories of Nottingham Forest legend and outspoken socialist Brian Clough,sitting in his family newsagents on Central Avenue. If we buy the line that Ken Clarke was only “kinda blue”, you could argue that it wasn’t Clarke that made Rushcliffe, it was Rushcliffe that helped to temper Clarke.
This is also place where the Corbyn effect and the Left’s reclamation of the Labour party had strong purchase. Between 2015 and 2017, Labour voters soared from 14,000, to 22,000, cutting the Tory majority in a half and giving local activists a glimmer on the horizon. It’s not simply ideological either, the squeeze is hitting the suburbs. The prosperous hub of Rushcliffe, West Bridgford, was once known in greater Nottingham as “bread and lard island”, owing to it’s relative prosperity compared to the City. In many ways the name still rings true, but Bridgford and Rushcliffe are not islands. Trams and Ferries run across the Trent in their hundreds each day, taking commuters in the morning and cultural patrons in the evenings. Nottingham is still the cultural and economic hub for those in Rushcliffe and when it suffers under the Tory axe, then people south of the river notice too. Closer to home, the feckless Tory council are planning to sell off Lutteral Hall, a vital social place for community events and in the town of Ruddington, a local school’s obstinate decision to fire teaching assistants for children with learning difficulties was a clear reflection of the way that shifting school governance has disenfranchised communities. On the doorstep I’ve met quite a few regular conservative voters who acknowledge that “things have gone too far”.
It’s the not the only reason why Rushcliffe voters may be turning against the tories, This is one of the biggest pro remain constituencies in the country and many people who would have happily voted for Clarke, do not like the idea of voting for Johnson, whose in a very short time period has gone from lovable buffoon to a nasty clown in the public eye. The Conservative parachute, Ruth Edwards was of course chosen to tow the party line and has had a difficult time here explaining why she’ll be supporting Brexit if elected.
In 2015, the Rushcliffe Labour CLP barely campaigned, instead opting to help out in nearby marginals such as Nottingham South and Broxtow. But this time they have mobilised. Even before the election they were active in the community. Alongside community leaders, it was the Rushcliffe Labour party who led the political protests against teacher cutbacks and the Lutteral Hall closure, with candidate Cheryl Pidgeon always present and engaged. Pidgeon really is the dream candidate for labour activists. From the area, works for Unite and has been a Labour member and activist herself for 25 years. She has a genuine warmth and will genuinely listen to the public. At a local hustings event, she dealt with question with ease and was the clear crowd favourite. The local party is motivated and in the past two years have knocked on 20,000 doors. This past Thurday, canvassing maxed at 50 members this past Thursday to coincide with a visit from Emily Thornberry.
It all seems like the perfect storm for a mild upset. But there’s one problem. The Lib Dems. The yellows have conducted a carpetbomb campaign of leafleting and official letters complete with the infamous dodgy bar charts that claim the European elections are the bellweather of the borough. Many on the doorstep too confirm they are receiving them by the bucket-load. Somewhat worryingly, it appears to be working, at least for some. The Labour Party are happy for the conservative majority to fall, but if too many of those votes go to the Lib Dems instead of Labour, then the conservatives will end winning a seat in which they are hated by a clear majority of people.
Recent polls have put Labour in a clear second place but with the minority Lib Dem vote still holding back a victory. All the tactical voting sites are saying vote Labour and The Observer’s top 50 tactical voting seats had Rushcliffe and recommended voting Labour. Slowly but surely it seems like the message is getting out: If you don’t want the conservatives and you want to remain in the EU, you need to vote Labour.
At the doorstep, there are some people saying they don’t like Corbyn. This seems to have come from the near constant demonisation of him in the press. Canvassers may wish to defend him, but most realise that their time at the front door is brief, especially in the early dark of December where open doors mean escaping heat. And so canvassers make the case for Labour, tactically, morally, and most of all reasonably. They talk of the policies, of the school cuts, of the dire state of the NHS. They talk about Cheryl and her pledge to campaign for remain in a second referendum. They talk about the environment and the green new deal. They talk about the Tories and their cruelty and they talk about the Lib dems, sometimes in disparaging tones, other times simply pointing out that that the polls mean it let the tories in through the back door. They listen to in a way that would make Paulo Freire proud, knowing that the best way to dialogue is to listen and learn.
The concept of the public sphere, made famous by Jurgen Habermas, is of a space that mediates between civil society and the state, a place for debate and where the ideas of the day are critiqued and held to account. Liberal theories of the state see the media playing a regulatory role as they provide this institutions that help to generate this arena of public discourse.
Yet, more than ever this year we are realising that traditional media, including the once hallowed BBC are failing in their coverage of Labour. And yet left activists are also realising that the promises of new media were also premature, at least as long as the networks are controlled by the few not the many. We seem to have collectively realised that twitter memes are a good way to build intra group solidarity, but are not enough to win elections. National media, both broadcast and social offer us wide open but poorly defined spaces, but we, in our local parties are rediscovered the importance of place. Each time someone opens the door we create a tiny public sphere on the doorstep, one that may be fleeting but has the potential to create long lasting impressions. Of course it will not always change minds, but nevertheless we are reminding people that we are here and we are not the monsters of media legend. We are your neighbours and we smile and say hello. We want to listen to you and build something better.
It’s impossible to predict the result for Labour here in Rushcliffe, we might yet cause a major upset, or a Lib Dem surge could spoil and split the anti-Tory vote. If the worst case scenario happens then it will not have been in vain; the social bonds we have made, between party members and between us and our fellow neighbours can be the foundation for building a better community. A new media is being created on the doorstep.
Ewan Cameron 2019
