Wasting Time

There was a bit of excitement at work over the last couple of days as our neighbours, HIS, entertained Madonna. The great Madge even popped in to our office to make a phone call giving me the privilege of saying that I’ve been alone in a room with her. Mind you, she had her back to me at the time so she doesn’t even know that she’s had the privilege of being alone in a room with me.

Moving on, I got a phone call from Councillor Siddiqui today to tell me that he had completed the questionnaire and that he had left it at the Town Hall reception. So, after work, I headed off to Hackney to pick it up. Unfortunately it was nowhere to be found. Hence, the title of today’s post.

Even more unfortunate was the attitude of the guy at reception who, when I asked him to double check, pointing out that the questionnaire would not necessarily be in an envelope addressed to me, went off on one. I had to listen to a load of moaning about how I was doubting that he could do his job. Well, if you speak to people like that mate, you can’t do your job! Never mind. It doesn’t matter.

One final bit of news is that I got a couple of tickets to go and watch Chelsea against Everton on Sunday. It’s a nothing game, which is probably why the season ticket holder who owns them is lending them out. Still, I’ve never been to watch a match at Stamford Bridge and I will laugh (though not out loud) if Chelsea fail to match Liverpool’s record of undefeated home games. It will also provide welcome distraction from worrying about what’s going on at Old Trafford.

If it's Wednesday ...

… it must mean a trip to Hackney. I think the receptionist at the Town Hall must be wondering what I’m up to. Anyway, after a morning printing and stuffing envelopes I’ve now left questionnaires in the pigeon holes of all the remaining councillors. I’ll give them a couple of days and then start chasing up. I’ve given them a deadline for the beginning of June so let’s hope within the month I get the dozen or so replies I need.

On Holiday

I can't decide whether I care about the results of the French election. Clare's certainly not amused. Regardless of the outcome, I have to repeat what I said after the first round which is that it's the clearest sign there ever was that people in Western Europe still care about politics especially when there are important issues and philosophical differences between the parties.

Perhaps if Labour and the Conservatives believed in debate and ideas rather than just political marketing in the pursuit of power, we might get something similar! Oooh, I'm such a cynic sometimes!

Anyway, moving on. It's been an exciting bank holiday Monday waiting for the rain to clear before going shopping! I’ve also been catching up on some EiA work, updating texts on some of the programmes they have been running, or are about to run in Bexley, Newham and with the DfES. Hopefully, we’ll get the website updated soon and send out a newsletter.

I’ve also sent off a couple of emails to follow up the questionnaires I left at Hackney Town Hall last Wednesday. That’s about it really. We can’t really get up to much at the moment because having broken my glasses and having had to spend £290 to replace them, money’s a bit tight (to put it mildly). Oh, the joys of being a student! Never mind, we’ll just have to be careful this month.

New Push

I've just spent a couple of hours printing out letters and questionnaires for councillors who never replied to my original email. Hopefully, this will generate a few more replies. It's the kind of boring spade work that takes ages but it's got to be done if you want primary data. I'm determined to get at least 15 councillors involved so I'll just haveto keep plugging away.

Meanwhile, I am also having a very nervous afternoon following the football. It looks like we're going to win although Bolton's goal and Fulham's against Liverpool is causing a few jitters. Common you Irons!! Just twenty minutes to go and we could be out of the bottom three.

Elections 2

One of the interesting things that came out in my last interview in Hackney was the fact that a few votes, and by a few I mean dozens, can have a dramatic effect on the results. This is becuse turnout is generally so low. So all these 'dramatic' figures about the results can not be analysed until we know what the turn out was.

Overall, the percentage of votes seems to have stayed pretty much as it was at the last council elections so not much has changed. Where does that leave Labour and the Conservatives? In an interesting battle over the next general election I reckon. Hopefully a close contest (we'll have to see if it will be a good one) will help concentrate minds on the issues this countty faces and help to drive turn out up.

Elections

Can someone please tell me what the turout was?!!

Interview # 3

A bit of a mixed bag kind of day today. It started off with the printer running out of ink and me breaking my glasses. Lots of squinting ensued! I also had to do the laundry which is very dull but at least gave me the opportunity to make good progres through the Christopher Meyers book. It seems George W is quite smart after all. It's just he's not very good at public speaking. Well I never!

Small local difficulties aside, I’ve now finished my third interview, with Angus Mulready Jones. At 23 he’s very young for a councillor, wouldn’t you say? Well, if ever there was an example of a young person interested in politics …

In actual fact I would say that of those interviewed so far he seemed to be the most sceptical about the potential for new media in helping tackle political engagement. But I’ll have to go over the recordings of the interviews again once I’m finished to make sure my perceptions aren’t wrong.

While I was over at the Town Hall, I also left a few questionnaires in the pigeon holes of councillors who had previously expressed an interest in this project. I think I might just leave a copy for everyone next time I go over there. It won’t do any harm. Besides, I think I need 25 per cent of the council to respond which means 14 or 15 councillors so there’s still a bit of work to be done on the recruitment front.