Hazel Grove Hustings at Marple Methodist Church [Thursday 23 April 2015]

[wheels]

Simone the  members not the organisation select and clearly LS impressed at the hustings more than any local candidates. But like you for me its not an issue in fact my slight preference is for someone who has lived in many different communities.

[simonesaffron]

Wheels, that was almost twenty years ago. The electorate has become more interested in locality than it once was.

I personally support you argument about local/non local. However, I know a lot that don't and even you, I'm sure would admit that not being local is a vote loser.

My point is why would they put themselves at such a disadvantage from the offset? Especially when the incumbent is standing down and all the other candidates are local. Why didn't they just select a real local candidate in the first place. It can't have been that difficult to do.     

[amazon]

You're right Duke, they are not.

Did attending the hustings better inform your opinion about the candidates?

I just thought that most of them seemed able and sincere in their own way. One thing though that puzzles me about the Liberal Democrats, it is more about the party than the candidate, for as I say Lisa seems sincere and able. Why though, select her in the first place? She is obviously not local no matter how many leaflets say that she is. Whereas all the other candidates obviously are.  As I have said previously 'local' doesn't matter that much to me but it obviously does to many. So, why put your candidacy at a disadvantage in the first place, why not just select somebody that is local. It seems to me that they have scored a massive own goal!

Does anybody understand their apparent illogic?

 

Was graham Reid a postman not had any leaflets through door for him  so I don't know .my votes gone anyway .posted Monday

[Bowden Guy]

Thank you for raising the tone, Condate. I've always thought that we don't have enough Latin on this forum!

[Condate]

And yet, strangely, the issue you focus on never makes the top ten issues mentioned by people when they are polled?

O Tempora! O Mores!

[wheels]

But Simone Stunell was never local he lived in Chester previous to being selected and was a councillor there. I might argue that I would rather have a none local candidate than one who has never got off their backside and moved around a fair bit.

[Bowden Guy]

And yet, strangely, the issue you focus on never makes the top ten issues mentioned by people when they are polled?

https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3542/EconomistIpsos-MORI-March-2015-Issues-Index.aspx

[Condate]

Both the hustings I attended had some strange questions which I'm sure aren't on the majorities' lips. We were taken back to 1967 with a debate on abortion which got some pretty strange responses from all except Lisa Smart.

For a great many people, issues such as abortion are very much the major issues in this and every election. It's one of the reasons I could never vote for a Lib Dem candidate (with one or two historical exceptions who were anti-abortion). The main parties don't seem to realise what the main issues really are for a huge number of people.

[simonesaffron]

You're right Duke, they are not.

Did attending the hustings better inform your opinion about the candidates?

I just thought that most of them seemed able and sincere in their own way. One thing though that puzzles me about the Liberal Democrats, it is more about the party than the candidate, for as I say Lisa seems sincere and able. Why though, select her in the first place? She is obviously not local no matter how many leaflets say that she is. Whereas all the other candidates obviously are.  As I have said previously 'local' doesn't matter that much to me but it obviously does to many. So, why put your candidacy at a disadvantage in the first place, why not just select somebody that is local. It seems to me that they have scored a massive own goal!

Does anybody understand their apparent illogic?

   

[Duke Fame]

I didn't think it dull at all. It was very interesting and there were a lot of good questions and revealing answers.

It was worth attending. Both the hustings I attended had some strange questions which I'm sure aren't on the majorities' lips. We were taken back to 1967 with a debate on abortion which got some pretty strange responses from all except Lisa Smart. I was at the dialstone lane hustings and the biggest debate was around nuclear disarmament! Weirdly, I was the only one who clapped the ukip suggestion that having a nuclear deterrent has been a good thing - people are not of the real world sometimes.

[admin]

Here are some photos from the Methodist Church Hustings taken by Arthur. There's a few more on the Virtual Tour too:

http://visitmarple.co.uk/photos/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=-36

[Condate]

I didn't think it dull at all. It was very interesting and there were a lot of good questions and revealing answers.

[sgk]

No definitley not. Had to be parachuted in at the last minutes when Labours selected and prefered candidate announced she could stomach the party no longer

Misleading terminology there, wheels. 

Wikipedia : "A parachute candidate, also known as a “carpetbagger” in the United States, is a pejorative term for an election candidate who does not live in and has little connection to the area he or she is running to represent. "

After all, it's not like he's lived in Putney for ten years until recently, is it ? 

[tonysheldon]

The hustings was a little dull and I find myself actually agreeing with Duke mainly on his appraisal. Michael Taylor did show the most vigour and showed himself as an excellent speaker. (Liked the policies too!) The dominance of church groups meant an older audience profile so issues, as questions were handed in at the door, such as youth unemployment and related topics didn't get a mention as my son pointed out. In all, it was an excellent opportunity to get a flavour of the candidates.

[simonesaffron]

As Duke says a little bit 'dull' or as one audience member said 'sterile.'

All candidates showed qualities:  All were confident without being arrogant.

Lisa: a bit boring but very professional.

Michael: an audience player, but a good one and passionate too.

Darren: Made some good points, has a strong physical presence.

William: Witty and interesting.

Graham: Short on detail but strong on sincerity.


Congratulations to all candidates, a good overall performance.


Arrived undecided and left the same way.