One week and counting
With one more leaders’ debate and just 7 days to go, the election outcome is far from predictable. As we’ve got closer to polling day, Norwich South is increasingly being described as a “four-way marginal”. It means there’s a very good reason why people should vote here.
Last night over 200 people listened as the candidates for Norwich South were quizzed at Holy Trinty church. They faced questions from the very local (how they’d protect local businesses from big companies like Tesco) to the moral (their views on assisted suicide.) Each of the main four – Charles Clarke (Lab), Antony Little (Cons) , Adrian Ramsay (Green) and Simon Wright (Lib Dem) – gave frank and candid answers, exposing their own reasons for entering into poilitics in the first place.
I watched them face students at the UEA last week at a similar hustings, where they deployed a certain amount of humour to try to win over the audience. Antony Little may have won the most laughs, but I think the Conservatives will find it hard to win here. But last night the candidates seemed willing to expose a little more of their own motivation for standing, especially when asked if power would corrupt them.
For Charles Clarke, “as a society we should be enabling every individual the chance to make the most of their abilities and build a better society.”. Antony Little said he had more power over people’s lives as a secondary school teacher than he’d probably ever have as an MP. Adrian Ramsay said: “I want to make a difference,.. reduce the gap between rich and poor… and enter into a more mature form of politics.” While for Simon Wright, it’s about getting a better deal for the community: “Being open, accountable and keeping in touch with people. If I do step out of line, come up to me and tell me.”
As one member of the audience commented afterwards, if your decision is based on these candidates alone, it’ll be a difficult choice to make. I tend to agree. Having heard what they have to say, Norwich South voters have four main candidates to choose from, each of whom would make an excellent constituency MP. They were all very persuasive. I only wish they’d take their hustings onto the street, so more members of the public could hear what they have to say.
By next Thursday, all the weeks, months, sometimes years of work by these candidates will come to a head. South Norwich News will be at the count at Blackfriars Hall to see who comes out victorious. We’ll also be here over the next five years to keep tabs on whoever wins – maybe sometimes reminding them of what they said in the run up to Election 2010.
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