Soapbox snippets: weekly round-up from the Hackney campaign trail

By Hackney Citizen | Friday 24 April 2015 at 13:59

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It has been a week of hustings, leafleting and door-knocking. Find out what the General Election candidates for Hackney North and Hackney South have been up to in their attempts to secure your vote.

Hackney North & Stoke Newington

Diane Abbott (Labour) shows that the campaign trail is smooth sailing for a seasoned pro.

Amy Gray (Conservative), like most of the candidates, has probably had more hustings than hot dinners this week. Some light relief then, when she found out one of her campaign leaflets had been turned into an origami dinosaur, or a ‘Tory-annosaurus Rex’ to be exact.

Heather Finlay (Green Party) joined green supporters to dance the night away at a Ceilidh fundraiser at the Rose Lipman Building. Finlay also supported the local Stand up to Racism & Fascism group in opposing the rally by far-right nationalists in Clapton on Saturday with other members of Hackney Green Party.

Simon de Deney (Liberal Democrat) no poem this week folks. Here is De Deney doing some more traditional campaigning.

Keith Fraser (UKIP) has said that if elected he aims to petition for a memorial to the Kurds who have died fighting Islamic State to be erected in North Hackney. Fraser also appeared on ITV as part of a programme on apathetic voters. Could he persuade them to vote UKIP?

Jonathan Silberman (Communist League) and John Homan (Animal Welfare Party) are also running in Hackney North.

Hackney South and Shoreditch

Meg Hillier (Labour) was out door-knocking, meeting people at the borough’s stations and school gates, and visiting folks in sheltered homes. Hillier has also been visiting small independent businesses locally and hearing about the challenge to survive on the high street.

Ben Mathis (Liberal Democrat) seemed to have some misgivings about attending a hustings in St John’s Church.

Jack Tinley (Conservative) was presented with a personalised Fenerbahçe football shirt by local Turkish Hackney Conservatives supporter Cem Turgut. He said he was “really proud” to have to have been given this shirt, which he said symbolises his support “for a diverse and unified Hackney”.

Charlotte George (Green Party) knocked on doors in the blustery weather, had tea with a group of retirees in Hackney Wick and kicked up her heels at the Green’s dance (blisters have clearly healed).

Brian Debus (TUSC) attended a demonstration outside Foxtons in Hackney.

Gordon Shrigley (Project for an unidentified political object) continued the election poster campaign. One of the latest offerings:

Paul Birch (Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol)  has been out campaigning nationally. Paul was in Glasgow and Belfast this week to launch the party’s manifesto.

Taiwo Adewuyi (Christian People’s Alliance) signed a petition calling for ending the privatisation of the NHS, repealing the Health and Social Care Act and rejecting the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) plans.  At a hustings he said he would be phasing out the current “inefficient Housing Schemes”.

Russell Higgs (Independent) invited all the other candidates for a civilised lunch (venue to be arranged). He also released this striking portrait (pink briefcase out of shot).

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‘Citizen’ Higgs

Angus Small (UKIP) is also running in Hackney South

And finally, thanks to Hackney resident Shulem Stern for this tweet from Stamford Hill, where the Conservatives and Labour are battling cheek by jowl.

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