About 20,000 of our 80,000 DVDs have now been delivered, with startling results. People have started phoning up for posters, and coming out of their homes to shake our hands as we go past.
I have knocked on hundreds of doors personally, possibly thousands, in the last three weeks. I can report that I have detected absolutely no public enthusiasm for the Conservative Party. The media’s presumption that this is a shoo-in for Chloe Smith seems based on nothing. In fact, many more people have told me that they are voting UKIP, than have said they are voting for any other party. The large majority say they will either not vote, or will vote for an independent.
The media’s determination to hype the Greens is even weirder. At its most frenetic, the Green campaign has been invisible verging on lacklustre. They seem to think it will help them to be shrilly rude about me, while Rupert their candidate wears ties and tries to look official.
The BBC is doing everything possible to constrainn debate, and in particular to give no time to arguments against banking bailouts or aganst the Afghan War, and to corral political opinion back into the safe custody of the major political parties. Even though our campaign is the only interesting thing in Norwich, and even the Sunday Express reports today that I am “Head and shoulders above” the other candidates in debate, the BBC is excluding me from their live televised “Candidates’ Hustings” on Monday at 22.15.
They are also excluding UKIP. While I disagree with them fundamentally, they also plainly have a right to be heard. The BBC is trying to define the field of politicial debate and choice.
Guidance from the Electoral Commission clearly states that, where there is a candidates’ hustings from which any candidate is excluded, the candidates who take part must divide the cost of the hustings between them and declare it against their election expenses limit.
A BBC broadcast candidates’ debate, where the candidates’ speak for election and answer questions to voters, plainly is not BBC news and editorial content, but a hustings. That hustings reaches the voters through a broadcast, and the cost of the event is both the cost of organisation and the cost of broadcast to the voters. So the entire cost of the BBC broadcast must be divided between the candidates and declared against their election limit.
I am sure the Tories and Lib Dems at least are already over their election limit (to be disguised by false accounting on the cost of centrally printed leaflets). Each has already delivered a dozen different leaflets per voter, several of them in fake newspaper or magazine format. If the BBC hustings cost is divided between those candidates invited to take part – Con, NuLab, Lib Dem and Grren – they wil be tipped well over the limit.
I regret having to take a legalistic approach, but the BBC’s determination to exclude me from the election has to be countered.
Meantime, just as the momentum is really switching our way, we need both people here to help leaflet and canvass, and we need donations to cover the remaining materials and expenses of the campaign. Please, please come. or if you can’t please give something to help the work of those who are here.
I know who I’ll be voting for – very refreshing to see someone who doesn’t hide behind political ‘crapspeak’. Well done, keep slogging away!!
Excuses. Excuses.
Craig, On an earlier thread I did offer you a donation in exchange for one of your videos. Where do I send it to?
Your resident trolls would be best employed making excuses for the massive slump there’s going to be in the Labour vote not just at Norwich North but across the country in the general election.
I would be interested in helping. Where do I go. I will be coming in from Cambridge.
Geoff
101 Newmarket Road, first house on your left in Norwich
Good luck with the final push Craig. I’ll happily buy one of your DVD’s that you’re delivering for free. How do I go about it?
Meanwhile, I hope the voters of Norwich take a look at the candidate rather than the colour of the rosette. It must be so much easier as a candidate when all your thinking is done for you at Central Office.
“The media’s determination to hype the Greens is even weirder. At its most frenetic, the Green campaign has been invisible verging on lacklustre. They seem to think it will help them to be shrilly rude about me, while Rupert their candidate wears ties and tries to look official.”
A close look at the Renewable Obligation Certificate scheme will reveal that it is simply a wealth transfer mechanism. A hidden tax is placed on everyone’s electricity bill; the wealth from the tax is transferred to the green energy companies (usually wind turbines operators) and to the land owners upon whose land the turbines are sited.
How many poor people in this country own land upon which they can site a wind turbine; or, are share holders in these green electricity companies?
Today, I found this 3 year old video of Craig Murray.
I think it is quite excellent.
So after watching it, prepare your travel arrangements to turn up at 101 Newmarket Road, in Norwich and deliver some leaflets
If you do, he stands an excellent chance of winning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNAe9hK4Yqc
Tony
Dear Craig
Last week, no time to ease up, keep going full toot to the finish line.
I sincerely hope you win and have the last laugh on the Labour Party.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
If I can’t make it to NN (and I expect not I’ll certainly donate.
Congrats on the Sunday Express piece, you seem to be getting some of the media coverage you deserve at last. It would be great to see more honest indepedendents in parliament, instead of party machines. Good luck Craig.
@Alan Wallace: the video is on YouTube for free.
http://www.youtube.com/user/delboy4711
I just came round watching it yesterday, and it’s fab. Well done, Craig.
Now where do you find the time to knock on thousands of doors, if you end up on your tod leafleting in Crome like this afternoon…?
A very encouraging report. Your knees are evidently in better condition than mine. It does look as though your efforts will be rewarded by your being elected MP!
PS. If we can’t personally make it to Norwich, where and payable to whom should we send donations? Is there a secure payment website as some charities have?
CHALLENGE
___________
I am giving up my Lotto habit for 1 month, and donating it to Craig’s campaign. That is only 10 Pounds. Come on, all of you others–there are many of you who get it, and admire Craig’s courageous stand–make a small financial sacrifice and see it mount up. Don’t let this campaign be limited by lack of resources. There is only a little time left, so do it now! Report back here, and fill up this post with your pledges.
Craig, can you publish a bank account number for donations from people in the UK? It’s easier by internet banking than setting up a Paypal account for those who don’t have one, and the deductions will be less.
People we’re onto something good here, let’s make it happen. The “mainstream” parties have put full time paid trolls on the job to run negative interference against Craig. It’s time to drown them out with positive action.
Well said, david.
I believe I have witnessed some of that negative interference and a very ugly thing it is too. I will be donating shortly using the click through on http://www.putanhonestman.org (unless an alternative quickly raises its head), and here’s to positive action!
I don’t like Paypal! Any alternatives?
Unbelievable.
Apparently this is Labour’s latest leaflet in Norwich:
http://twitpic.com/aws15
Fox is gay tory spoof. Check More photos by graemearcher
hah!
Craig,
I still don’t get what your problem with the Greens is. What’s wrong with the wearing of a tie? Have you never had to wear a tie in your professional career?
My broad understanding is that you are a popular figure amongst Green Party members and it’s supporters. I really have not heard anyone being rude about you. Fair do’s, we may be getting alot of coverage and our campaign may be suffering from not having as many numbers on the ground as we intend, but that makes press, radio and TV coverage ever so more important for a party.
Craig, be it whether you stand as an independent or for a party, you have got to campaign in an area for a very long period of time. Three weeks is simply not enough o expect miracles. It either takes alot of money or a lot of time. The Greens went with the time approach and it has paid off. Look at UKIP, may have alot of money but have not campaigned in Norwich to any great depth on the ground over the years.
Of course I would prefer a Green victory to any other, but it’s not going to happen, and that’s even more likely than a Craig Murray victory. It is a sad state of affairs, and I do sympathise with your efforts in breaking through to try and get coverage, but you have to stop putting the blame elsewhere. I know some in my party blame other parties, parties that use overt negative campaigning, but I have not seen any literature from any party that attacks you or demeans your chances. That’s the truth I’m afraid.
Anyways, best of luck, and please do head my advice and those from other Greens. If you carry on lumping us with all those other parties (whose record suggests they do have rotten politicians in their ranks), then you may become an unpopular man within a party whose members still respect you.
All the best,
Luke
Hi Craig,
You might want to have a look at this post on the ‘Tory Activist’ blog.
http://tinyurl.com/mh4wa4
Scroll down to his ‘prediction’…
Robin Page, an outstanding UKFP candidate at the recent European Elections was also excluded fom hustings by the media on the grounds his party had no current MEPs. Pity, he would have made mincemeat of Bannerman the UKIP candidate
It is noteworthy that the fascists and their spin doctors in the Conservative and Labour parties, so desperate not to lose control, encourage their supporters to label as a nutter or a looney anyone who speaks the truth or is in some way a threat to that continuance of power. I see this increasingly on blogs.
@Abe – If you’d like to donate but prefer not to use Paypal, then I would suggest you send a cheque to the campaign office where I am sure Iain would be happy to deal with it:
8-10 Cromer Road
Norwich
NR6 6ND
I will send one too. I will also email Iain so if he has any better instructions (eg account details to permit a direct funds transfer) then he can get them put on the website.
Btw, I came back to the Midlands last night at gone 3:30am, crashed out at 4am, and got in the office at work this morning at 9am. I thought I’d just be emitting ZZZs at my desk, but actually I feel fine; I genuinely put it down to the fantastic sense of purpose amongst the campaign team on the road and at the house. I am only sorry I couldn’t stay longer!
Anyway I have a strong coffee in front of me, and I will line up the next one soon 🙂
Stop whining like a fucking baby, you overgrown excuse for a man. If you had any real support in Norwich, and a record of activism in the city, rather than somewhere else in the world that no one in Norwich cares about, you would be “the only interesting thing in this campaign.”
You are so full of yourself, you fat shit.
Don’t feed the trolls, folks. The campaign is on a real high, and any abuse/negativism from (New Labour?) detractors is just trying to tear that down. Don’t rise to the bait… the energies of supporters need to go into leafletting and organising, and if you can’t do either of those, please do donate some money!
@ Jon
You’re spot on. To whom should cheques be payable?
@Abe – I will find out for you, and will let you know in this thread :o)
My aren’t the hacks getting rattled? If they’re not careful their heads will explode before Thursday and THEN who will do the establishment’s dirty work?
Best of luck Craig – the big day is nearly upon us.
One thing is for certain, whatever the results – all of us progressives from right across the spectrum will have to seriously get together and work out how we are going to unite once and for all, and put a stop to the attacks from the establishment parties. Attacks on the working classes, attacks on immigrants, attacks on Muslims, attacks on people in the third world, attacks on people unlucky enough to be sitting on precious resources across the world.
Now that the far right hatemongers are also making gains, bickering and in-fighting is no longer an option for us on the left.
We have to get our arses in gear and come together, fast.
P.S – I’ll be donating a little something to your campaign Craig. x