Bristol Respect. 2009 local elections.
Results and Analysis
Ashley Votes Turn out %
Lib Dems 1978 47.84
Greens 1283 31.03
Labour 542 11
Respect 167 4.04
Tories 165 3.99
Easton
Lib Dems 1290 35.24
Labour 1116 30.48
Greens 938 25.62
Tories 220 6.01
Respect 97 2.65
Lockleaze
Lib Dems 923 36.54
Labour 516 20.43
Respect 377 14.92
Tories 309 12.23
BNP 210 8.31
Greens 191 7.56
The political crisis seems to have favoured the Lib Dems who now have overall control of the council, Labour having less seats than the Tories.
For Respect .. would we have wanted to have done better? Of course!
Could we have done more with our resources? No!
The strategy set out 9 months ago was based on our decision that we could no longer continue to stand in just one ward and that in this election we would cover 3 or 4. This would obviously mean a spreading of our resources. We agreed on 2 priority wards, Lockleaze and Easton where Respect had stood before, and to stand for the first time in Kings Weston and Ashley where we would have credible candidates who could conduct a campaign relying on local personal networks built up over previous years of activity.
We extended this to Lawrence Hill when Prince Abdul Aziz , the first candidate from the Somalian community to stand in Bristol, became our fifth Respect candidate.
However, we were a team beset by injuries before we even took to the field.
Personal circumstances prevented Steve N. standing in Kings Weston.
Our Easton candidate Mo Ouammi had to go to Germany for surgery for 3 months before the election, returning 2 days before the deadline for putting in his nomination papers, which he managed to do with 90 minutes to spare.
Prince Abdul Aziz was taken into hospital with a serious heart condition and although his nomination papers were complete, his condition deteriorated and there was no option but for him withdraw from the campaign.
Personal reasons made it impossible for our favoured candidate, Ellen H to stand in Lockleaze, and she was replaced by Jerry Hicks.
Jerry Hicks, our Bristol Respect convenor had spent the 12 months up to the middle of March 2009 campaigning for the election of the General Secretary’s position of UNITE the union (Amicus section). It was a remarkable campaign and an impressive achievement. He succeeded in forcing Derek Simpson the incumbent to call an election, in winning sufficient nominations to get on the ballot paper and came second out of 4 candidates with 40,000 votes.
The campaign built a network of trade union activists across the UK, gave hope to thousands and enhanced the reputation of Respect.
It did however mean that some of Bristol Respect resources were diverted into this, in particular that of Jerry himself whose formidable energy and leadership had made such a massive contribution to our 2 previous successes in Lockleaze and Easton, lifting Respect into a completely different league in electoral politics in Bristol.
Comparisons with activity and resources in 2009 and 2006 and 2007
Lockleaze 2006
( following the Rolls Royce strike that gave Jerry and Respect a high public profile and something that people could identify with.)
6 months campaigning
9 leaflets
3 door to door canvasses
£4,000
Lockleaze 2009
9 weeks campaigning
4 leaflets
mini canvassing by Jerry and Hazel, scratching the surface
£550
Easton 2007 Easton 2009
6 months campaigning 4 weeks
9 leaflets 1 leaflet
2 door to door canvasses £ 225
£4,000
Ashley 2009 (first time standing)
6 weeks campaigning
1 leaflet, covering ¾ of the ward (plus cards and window posters)
£225
Summary .. we stood in 3 wards spending a quarter of the amount of money that we had spent on one ward previously.
9 week, 6 week and 4 week campaigns compared to 6 months previously.
We stood against large organisations with decades if not centuries of history, establishing their names and building their resources which they concentrate almost entirely on electoral success.
They can guarantee a block of votes just by standing whereas we have to work for every single vote.
Even though Labour support and grass roots organisation have sunk to an all time low, a century of identification with the Labour movement guarantees them a bed rock vote of 500 votes in those areas, no matter how poor the quality of the candidate and the party’s record in national and local government.
Ashley was the key seat for a head to head fight between the Lib Dems and Greens and where they concentrated all their forces in Bristol.
Lockleaze was a target seat for the BNP and where they hoping to make inroads. Respect gave people there a clear and positive alternative.
In Easton, just as we effected John Kiely’s defeat in 2007 by campaigning over privatisation of Home Care, so this year we influenced Labour’s Mohammed Arif’s vote by exposing his false claims over Gaza ultimately meaning he failed to win the seat.
Having previously been rebuffed by the Greens, we were approached by them during the course of this election, unfortunately too late, for an electoral accommodation. This will hopefully mean a future agreement.
Respect is unique in that we consistently campaign in our communities for public services, peace, justice and the environment as well as for support and votes in elections. This has built political relationships and a reputation over a wide and varied network and a treasury of talents.
We now have a list of supporters unrivalled in Bristol Respect’s history. Over 80 people, half of who were not members, gave their time, money and energies to the election campaign.
Are we well placed to benefit and grow? Yes – but only time and a great deal of effort will tell.
