Posts Tagged ‘campaigning’

We are only seven days away from the EU referendum, so you might feel like it is too late to do anything to help the campaign. It really isn’t. Here are some practical things we can do to help secure the future of our country.

Tell your friends and family

Maybe your friends and family do not know how important it is. Or maybe they don’t realise that the result could be decided by lower voter turnout rather than people getting the result they want. Talk to them about it.

Donate

Both sides are spending big on advertising and media. It might be too late to pay for new billboards but there is plenty of time to buy more advertising in a daily newspaper or targeted online advertising on Google, Facebook and Twitter. You can donate to Stronger In or the Lib Dem campaign INtogether.

Helper people get to the polling station

Know anyone who might struggle to get to the polling station and cast their vote? Offer to help them.

Phone people

You might think that the campaign cold-calls are done by professionals at some big offices. They’re not. They are made by people at home. Using the Lib Dem system, all you need is a phone and a computer. Contact me for details.

Put some posters up

Stronger In offer posters you can print at home to put up in your house window, car window, at your office desk, anywhere you think people will see it. There are a lot of Leave signs around, simply because the Leave campaign has been more vocal, which gives a distorted picture of the support they have.

For the January meeting of Leeds Skeptics, Anna Semlyen spoke on why Leeds should have a blanket twenty mile an hour speed limit.

I thought it was a fascinating topic as it is one that really challenges us to think about our views (as opposed to Big Foot, that is just us basically laughing at stupid people). She made some great points about safety, though the other points about public health benefit (people walk more when the speed limit is lower) remain unproven. It invoked some engaging debate and I really enjoyed the event.

You can find out more about the campaign on their website.

Earlier this month, Sir Jimmy Savile sadly passed away.

The reactions of the Leeds community showed just how much of an impact that he had. Having re-watched the Louis Theroux documentary, Jimmy estimated he has raised over £40,000 for charity. Now I like to think I’ve raised quite a bit in my time and yet, I’m fairly sure that you compared it as a percentage, it would be 0%.

It is no wonder, however. There doesn’t seem to be a person I can find who has a bad word about him. Indeed, the more people you ask the poor you seem to get a heartwarming story. Whether it was when he took time out to take a photo with Casual Dave or sign an autograph for my mum. Or the time he went to visit my dad while he was in the hospital or the time he gave my grandfather a lift.

Unfortunately, I was unable to go down and pay my respects as they moved the public viewing back from 9:00 to 9:45 and I had to be at work by then. Still, I’m never the less starting or getting involved with the following campaigns:

• A Statue for Sir Jimmy. If Don Revie is getting a statue (http://donreviestatue.com/), who was someone who I’m sure what a great guy, but I had to ask my dad about, I think it’s the least we can do for Jimmy.
• A Song for Jimmy. Jimmy is the new Princess Diana (the King of Hearts, if you will), I think it would be a fitting tribute for Elton John to write a song about him.
• The Jimmy Savile Arena. We’re building a brand new arena in Leeds, so why not name it after him? Why not indeed?

Following the initial meeting last Tuesday, the Pro Life Through Pro Choice campaign finally launched today. The campaign is to promote the idea that pro choice does not mean anti life (whereas those who traditionally describe themselves as pro life generally are anti choice) and that the abortion issue is a serious one which needs to be approached with an open mind.

A quick google around tells me that you can pick up a homeopathic remedy for anxiety for as little as £13.17 plus shipping.

But here is the thing. It’s just water.

Suddenly seems rather expensive for 15ml when Tesco are doing 2,000ml for a rather more reasonable £0.17.

It really makes you wonder however why the NHS are spending millions of pounds of our money on homeopathic remedies. And as such I’m starting a new campaign to promote greater understanding of homeopathic medicine because, much like religion, the thing that will do the most damage is if people actually learn what it’s about.

You can learn more about the bullshit the NHS is spending money on at the campaign’s website, It’s Only Water.