A good return

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 08:31

I guess the general ratio of the people notified for a meeting to those attending is quite small. We regularly have to send out emails and flyers to hundreds of people to get anything like a decent turnout to a meeting or leafleting session. Well, I’m pleased to say that last night I think I smashed all records at an activist meeting in Tameside.

The HOPE not hate campaign has never been active in Tameside before and as a consequence we have few contacts on the ground. We managed to rustle together a list of 31 names and even this included a few from neighbouring Oldham who were thought might help out in the by-election. To our great surprise 25 people turned up.

It was a really productive meeting and a plan of action was agreed.

We also had some feedback from the campaign generally itself. It appears that the BNP has already distributed a calendar and a leaflet in the ward. The Conservatives have been out canvassing, probably the first time this has happened in this ward for 20 years, and Labour had 50 out last Saturday for a mass canvass to signal the start of their own campaign. It’s going to be a busy few weeks and I hope that any HOPE not hate supporter in the Greater Manchester area can give us an hour of their time.