Doing a deal

posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Sunday, 17 May 2009, 08:14

In the midst of the hard slog of an election campaign there are always a few momments that make one smile. Sometimes this can be a joke or perhaps meeting an inspiring person. On Friday, it was a feathered bird which brought me and a young woman from Keighley together.

I was walking through Manchester city centre after some leafleting in Albert Square. It had been raining and I was feeling fairly fed up with the day. I came across a group of people gathered around to high powered binoculars aimed up high to the top of the Arndale Centre. It seems that a pair of peregrine falcon, the world’s fastest bird, are breeding on the city centre landmark.

I got into conversation with a young woman from the RSPB who asked me to sign their petition. To the life of me I can’t remember what the petition was about, to be honest I don’t think I was ever told. I didn’t need to know, as I skipped the petition and joined the RSPB on the spot. The clincher was a deal I struck with the woman. I said to her that I would sign up if she promised to vote in the elections. She readily agreed. She came from Keighley and knew all about the poisonous nature of the BNP. Even better was that when I mentioned the HOPE not hate campaign she said that she had been given a leaflet that morning at Manchester Victoria train station. She had previously had a slightly different leaflet in Keighley a couple of weeks ago.

Suddenly, the rain didn't bother me anymore, I had a spring in my step and I felt that I had just done a good deed. She was just one of several people who that lunchtime had told me they had received HOPE not hate leaflets earlier that day. The word is getting out there.