So we’re nearly a week into the official campaign period, and this has officially been the busiest week of my life! The week really starts and ends on a Sunday with campaign team meeting. A small group of people made up of experienced campaigners, party staff and led by the Chair of the campaign, Rodney Berman, leader of Cardiff Council. We analyse how the last week has gone, and what we plan to do for the next week, yet despite hours of planning it never quite goes to plan. One train running early, or one running late can throw a whole day off. A blitz of rain and suddenly that plan to canvass is thrown off, especially if you left your umbrella in Morrisons in Brecon earlier in the week (yes – it was me, and I am sorry).
Living on a diet of bread and jam, the occasional cheese triangle, and cups of tea is proving quite challenging. The living room full of telephone canvassing sheets, envelopes yet to be written, and draft leaflets is proving to be one of the more novel ways of persuading my new housemates that political activism is a sane choice of hobby. Whilst they spend time at the cinema, cooking for each other or shopping, I run in and out at strange hours, shouting about posters, leaflets and stakeboards whilst drinking an unreasonable amount of Pepsi and eating bowls of cereal. The pile of ironing is getting bigger and there are random pieces of paper strewn all across the house. Phone calls to family happen at the strangest of times, my once a day 20 minute phone call at 5pm has quickly turned into 5 minute rants first thing in the morning, or last thing at night, always on the way to somewhere else. Whilst I think it’s quite cool to be part of Kirsty, Nick and Vince’s tour planning team, this doesn’t wash at home, listening to tales of trips into town by my 83 year old grandmother, and aqua aerobic stories by my mum proves to be a nice welcome break from the campaign, even if they are limited in quantity.
On the campaign front, there are a million and one thing to do. Leaflets, canvassing (of both the door and phone front!), email enquiries from members across the country, manage my own campaign team in Cardiff West, events to set up, press conferences to have, launches to organise, surveys to respond to, thanks to give, cheques to bank. I’m not quite sure what the web team had in mind when they asked me to write this, but I’m pretty sure this wasn’t it. Yet everyone has their role, we all work as hard as each other, each wearing ourselves out in the fight to turn Wales bright orange. We’re all members, campaigners, activists but most importantly friends, something that few political parties can claim. I’m pleased and proud to be part of a tight team that will fight every step of the way in the next 24 days…..but roll on 10pm on May 6th!
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