Conservative Damian Collins has been elected as the next Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe.
In an impressive result, Mr Collins polled 26,109 votes, which is 49.4% of the total cast. This is slightly lower than the Conservative vote of 2005, which was 26,161 votes which was a share of 53.9% of the vote.
The Conservative share of the vote compared to the 2005 election dropped by 4.4%, but the predicted drop of around 9,000 votes predicted by senior local Conservatives in last week’s Herald failed to materialise.
The Conservative majority from 2005 of 11,680 votes fell slightly to 10,122.
His main rival, Liberal Democrat Lynne Beaumont polled 15,987 votes, which is 30.3% of the total vote. This is a slight improvement on 2005 figures, which saw the Liberal Democrat candidate poll 14,481 votes, a 29.9% share.
Labour candidate Donald Worsley saw a fall in the Labour vote from 12.5% in 2005 to 10.8%.
Other candidates failed to break the 5% share needed for the return of their deposit. UKIP’s Frank McKenna got 2,439 votes, a 4.6% share. BNP candidate Harry Williams received 1,662 votes, a share of 3.2% . Penny Kemp of the Green Party and Independent candidate David Plumstead both polled less than 1000 votes.
The numbers of votes cast and share of the vote between the three main parties is almost identical to the 2005 election.
Mr Collins was the clear favourite for the seat. Countywide the Conservatives enjoyed a night of great success.
Showing posts with label Folkestone and Hythe Election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Folkestone and Hythe Election. Show all posts
Friday, 7 May 2010
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Last Gasp For Election Campaigns
Conservative Chairman Russell Tillson has posted a lengthy missive calling for one ‘final push’ for victory.
Although taking nothing for granted, Cllr Tillson predicts Conservative Candidate Damian Collins ‘will be a first class Member of Parliament’.
Attacking Labour and Liberal Democrats in equal measure, Cllr Tillson accuses ‘both Labour and the Liberal Democrats [of resorting] to advising voters to vote tactically to prevent a majority Conservative government from being elected’ and warns that ‘ a vote for the Liberal Democrats, or any other party could leave Gordon Brown in Downing Street for another five years, with all the damage that would do to our economy and our society.’
Meanwhile the Lib Dems seem a little subdued on their site, carrying a release from Nick Clegg but little in the way of local activism. Flyers looking like a handwritten note from Joanna Lumley endorsing candidate Lynne Beaumont have been dropping through Cheriton letterboxes, and probably in a few other areas too.
The text of the letter has appeared in Lib Dem promotional material 'Kent View' number two.
Whether this will counteract God’s endorsement of David Cameron as splashed across the front page of The Sun remains to be seen.
Although taking nothing for granted, Cllr Tillson predicts Conservative Candidate Damian Collins ‘will be a first class Member of Parliament’.
Attacking Labour and Liberal Democrats in equal measure, Cllr Tillson accuses ‘both Labour and the Liberal Democrats [of resorting] to advising voters to vote tactically to prevent a majority Conservative government from being elected’ and warns that ‘ a vote for the Liberal Democrats, or any other party could leave Gordon Brown in Downing Street for another five years, with all the damage that would do to our economy and our society.’
Meanwhile the Lib Dems seem a little subdued on their site, carrying a release from Nick Clegg but little in the way of local activism. Flyers looking like a handwritten note from Joanna Lumley endorsing candidate Lynne Beaumont have been dropping through Cheriton letterboxes, and probably in a few other areas too.
The text of the letter has appeared in Lib Dem promotional material 'Kent View' number two.
Whether this will counteract God’s endorsement of David Cameron as splashed across the front page of The Sun remains to be seen.
Labour Candidate's Campaign Goes Off The Rails
Labour Candidate Donal Worsley suffered a minor setback to his canvassing when asked to leave Folkestone Central station yesterday (Tuesday).
Handing out flyers with a colleague, Mr Worley was initially asked to leave the platform. Having complied moved to just outside the entrance doors, Mr Worsley was then asked to move down the slope to the junction with Cheriton Road.
Clearly upset, Mr Worsley protested that Labour had done more for the railways than any other party, but the Southeastern official insisted Mr Worsley and his colleague move.
Mr Worsley and colleague complied with the request.
Despite this minor setback, Mr Worsley remained upbeat about the result on Thursday, though conceded that Conservative Candidate Damian Collins would almost certainly win.
“I am sure the Labour vote in Shepway will hold up. We are getting a generally positive response from our canvassing.
“I am looking forward to Thursday evening as the results come in. I will congratulate Damian on his victory, and also offer my commiserations that he will be forming the opposition to a Labour government.”
Mr Collins is the clear favourite for the seat, with odds of around 1/100 being offered. According to a report in The Herald, Conservatives are expecting a drop in the Conservative vote due to incumbent Michael Howard standing down, but are still predicting a healthy majority of around 9,000.
Mr Collins’ main rival is Liberal Democrat Lynne Beaumont, with Mr Worsley predicted to come in a distant third.
Handing out flyers with a colleague, Mr Worley was initially asked to leave the platform. Having complied moved to just outside the entrance doors, Mr Worsley was then asked to move down the slope to the junction with Cheriton Road.
Clearly upset, Mr Worsley protested that Labour had done more for the railways than any other party, but the Southeastern official insisted Mr Worsley and his colleague move.
Mr Worsley and colleague complied with the request.
Despite this minor setback, Mr Worsley remained upbeat about the result on Thursday, though conceded that Conservative Candidate Damian Collins would almost certainly win.
“I am sure the Labour vote in Shepway will hold up. We are getting a generally positive response from our canvassing.
“I am looking forward to Thursday evening as the results come in. I will congratulate Damian on his victory, and also offer my commiserations that he will be forming the opposition to a Labour government.”
Mr Collins is the clear favourite for the seat, with odds of around 1/100 being offered. According to a report in The Herald, Conservatives are expecting a drop in the Conservative vote due to incumbent Michael Howard standing down, but are still predicting a healthy majority of around 9,000.
Mr Collins’ main rival is Liberal Democrat Lynne Beaumont, with Mr Worsley predicted to come in a distant third.
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Differing Views on Debates in Folkestone and Hythe
Conservative and Labour parliamentary candidates have said the leadership debates have had a minimal effect on Shepway voters, while Lib Dems are unsurprisingly buoyed by Leader Nick Clegg’s good showing.
The staging of leadership debates has produced vast amounts of comment and speculation. Mr Clegg appears to have gained the most, although the he had the least to loose from the debates.
Riding high in opinion polls, with some showing the Liberal Democrats more popular than Labour, Mr Clegg regularly appears on the front pages of newspapers, has hit the number one spot in ‘trending’ on Yahoo and is getting exposure that previous Lib Dem leaders could only dream of.
An excellent report in today’s Herald, which carried out a poll of Shepway voters, appears to show a ‘Clegg effect’, although it is not thought to be decisive.
Shepway Lib Dems have remarked on Mr Clegg’s strong performances on their website and are the only local party to publicise the debates on their website, perhaps an indicator of how wary other parties are of Mr Clegg's performances.
Senior Lib Dem Tim Prater stated to FUTS that ‘the Lib Dems are already about 10% up in the polls from the start of the campaign and averaging around 30%. If we got to 38-39% on polling day (which is less of a rise than we've already seen) then we'd be looking not just at a big gain in seats, but Lib Dems as the largest party.
‘And that would include Lynne Beaumont as the next MP for Folkestone and Hythe.
‘Is it going to happen? Don't know. But I do know I've been a Lib Dem Party member and activist for 19 years. Until a fortnight ago, there had been literally 3 or 4 national polls in total in that time that had the Lib Dems as anything but third, and never ONE during a General Election campaign.
‘In the last fortnight, we've been fairly consistently 2nd and within 3-4% of the Tories, and occasionally even ahead of them. I've never seen that before. Something has changed.’
In response to questions from FUTS, Conservative Damian Collins stated; ‘To be honest, we've not seem any real impact from the debates one way or the other.
‘Our campaigning data shows that our support remains at the levels we would hope for it to be, so there doesn't appear to be any evidence that people are switching. We also get a positive response out on the streets.
‘Conservative supporters will often tell us that they think David Cameron did very well and that this wasn't reported strongly enough in the media.
‘There is more scrutiny of Lib Dem 'policy' now as well. I have had people bringing up the issue of keeping trident, and saying they don't agree with the Lib Dem position of getting rid of it.’
The Herald report also has the Conservatives predicting a reduced majority of 9,000 votes, down from almost 12,000. This is put down to Michael Howard’s standing down and the effect of this on voters in the constituency.
Labour Leader Gordon Brown is arguably the least media savvy of the three main leaders, and is the only of the three not to have worked in Public Relations.
Labour Candidate Donald Worsley decried the debates as reducing politics to a ‘Beauty Contest’ but feels the impact will be minimal.
‘Talent shows thankfully do not hold the final sway on the Election outcome. Policies do and now the initial novelty is starting to wear off people on the doorstep and at the Hustings are beginning to ask about policies and seeing through the veneer of presentation.
‘Yes people mention the debates but then when they ask about the Labour Party's policies the debates are very quickly forgotten.’
Labour Leader Gordon Brown is arguably the least media savvy of the three main leaders, is the only of the three not to have worked in public relations and yesterday suffered arguably the worst gaffe of the campaign when he called an elderly voter ‘bigoted.’
Recent polls show the Liberal Democrats moving into second place behind the Conservative party, although the Liberal Democrats forming the next opposition party seems unlikely without reform of the ‘first past the post’ voting system.
The staging of leadership debates has produced vast amounts of comment and speculation. Mr Clegg appears to have gained the most, although the he had the least to loose from the debates.
Riding high in opinion polls, with some showing the Liberal Democrats more popular than Labour, Mr Clegg regularly appears on the front pages of newspapers, has hit the number one spot in ‘trending’ on Yahoo and is getting exposure that previous Lib Dem leaders could only dream of.
An excellent report in today’s Herald, which carried out a poll of Shepway voters, appears to show a ‘Clegg effect’, although it is not thought to be decisive.
Shepway Lib Dems have remarked on Mr Clegg’s strong performances on their website and are the only local party to publicise the debates on their website, perhaps an indicator of how wary other parties are of Mr Clegg's performances.
Senior Lib Dem Tim Prater stated to FUTS that ‘the Lib Dems are already about 10% up in the polls from the start of the campaign and averaging around 30%. If we got to 38-39% on polling day (which is less of a rise than we've already seen) then we'd be looking not just at a big gain in seats, but Lib Dems as the largest party.
‘And that would include Lynne Beaumont as the next MP for Folkestone and Hythe.
‘Is it going to happen? Don't know. But I do know I've been a Lib Dem Party member and activist for 19 years. Until a fortnight ago, there had been literally 3 or 4 national polls in total in that time that had the Lib Dems as anything but third, and never ONE during a General Election campaign.
‘In the last fortnight, we've been fairly consistently 2nd and within 3-4% of the Tories, and occasionally even ahead of them. I've never seen that before. Something has changed.’
In response to questions from FUTS, Conservative Damian Collins stated; ‘To be honest, we've not seem any real impact from the debates one way or the other.
‘Our campaigning data shows that our support remains at the levels we would hope for it to be, so there doesn't appear to be any evidence that people are switching. We also get a positive response out on the streets.
‘Conservative supporters will often tell us that they think David Cameron did very well and that this wasn't reported strongly enough in the media.
‘There is more scrutiny of Lib Dem 'policy' now as well. I have had people bringing up the issue of keeping trident, and saying they don't agree with the Lib Dem position of getting rid of it.’
The Herald report also has the Conservatives predicting a reduced majority of 9,000 votes, down from almost 12,000. This is put down to Michael Howard’s standing down and the effect of this on voters in the constituency.
Labour Leader Gordon Brown is arguably the least media savvy of the three main leaders, and is the only of the three not to have worked in Public Relations.
Labour Candidate Donald Worsley decried the debates as reducing politics to a ‘Beauty Contest’ but feels the impact will be minimal.
‘Talent shows thankfully do not hold the final sway on the Election outcome. Policies do and now the initial novelty is starting to wear off people on the doorstep and at the Hustings are beginning to ask about policies and seeing through the veneer of presentation.
‘Yes people mention the debates but then when they ask about the Labour Party's policies the debates are very quickly forgotten.’
Labour Leader Gordon Brown is arguably the least media savvy of the three main leaders, is the only of the three not to have worked in public relations and yesterday suffered arguably the worst gaffe of the campaign when he called an elderly voter ‘bigoted.’
Recent polls show the Liberal Democrats moving into second place behind the Conservative party, although the Liberal Democrats forming the next opposition party seems unlikely without reform of the ‘first past the post’ voting system.
Worsley Apologises for Gordon's Gaffe
Folkestone and Hythe Parliamentary Candidate Donald Worsley has apologised unreservedly for Labour leader Gordon Brown’s widely publicised remarks about Gillian Duffy.
Mr Brown faced questions from Mrs Duffy while campaigning in Rochdale. Mrs Duffy asked Mr Brown about Eastern Europeans flocking to the U.K.
Whilst in his car after the encounter Mr Brown referred to the meeting as a “disaster” and called Ms Duffy “a bigoted woman”, comments which were picked up by a microphone still on his person, sparking a media firestorm.
In a press release sent out yesterday afternoon, Mr Worsley states:
‘On behalf of Folkestone & Hythe Labour Party I apologise unreservedly to the people of this great Constituency for Gordon Brown’s offensive remarks about Mrs Gillian Duffy.
‘His off camera remarks were unacceptable and shamed the whole Labour movement. Calling her a “bigoted women” was inexcusable, whether to an aide in the back of a car or in front of the cameras.’
Addressing the issues around Sangatte or illegal entry into the country by economic refuges is what we should all be concentrating on, not calling each other names or slagging off hard working foreign workers here lawfully to help our economy prosper.
Mrs Duffy and others that share her views have the right to be heard with respect at all times. To do otherwise would make us no better than Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia.’
This quickly became the lead story of the day. Mr Brown later visited Ms Duffy to apologise. This latest media frenzy will not help Mr Brown, who is noted for not having the smooth media presentation skills of rivals David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
Locally this may impact Mr Worsley’s share of the vote but his chances of winning in Folkestone and Hythe area at best remote, with Labour regularly finishing a distant third to the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Conservative Damian Collins is the clear favourite for the seat.
Mr Brown faced questions from Mrs Duffy while campaigning in Rochdale. Mrs Duffy asked Mr Brown about Eastern Europeans flocking to the U.K.
Whilst in his car after the encounter Mr Brown referred to the meeting as a “disaster” and called Ms Duffy “a bigoted woman”, comments which were picked up by a microphone still on his person, sparking a media firestorm.
In a press release sent out yesterday afternoon, Mr Worsley states:
‘On behalf of Folkestone & Hythe Labour Party I apologise unreservedly to the people of this great Constituency for Gordon Brown’s offensive remarks about Mrs Gillian Duffy.
‘His off camera remarks were unacceptable and shamed the whole Labour movement. Calling her a “bigoted women” was inexcusable, whether to an aide in the back of a car or in front of the cameras.’
Addressing the issues around Sangatte or illegal entry into the country by economic refuges is what we should all be concentrating on, not calling each other names or slagging off hard working foreign workers here lawfully to help our economy prosper.
Mrs Duffy and others that share her views have the right to be heard with respect at all times. To do otherwise would make us no better than Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia.’
This quickly became the lead story of the day. Mr Brown later visited Ms Duffy to apologise. This latest media frenzy will not help Mr Brown, who is noted for not having the smooth media presentation skills of rivals David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
Locally this may impact Mr Worsley’s share of the vote but his chances of winning in Folkestone and Hythe area at best remote, with Labour regularly finishing a distant third to the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Conservative Damian Collins is the clear favourite for the seat.
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Labour Candidate Blog Online
Labour Candidate for Folkestone and Hythe Donald Worsley has started a blog.
This is the first started by the Labour candidate. His Conservative and Liberal Democrat opponents both have active webpages.
Recently the Herald's gossip column reported that Mr Worsley missed the chance to attend a debate as he was too difficult to track down.
This is the first started by the Labour candidate. His Conservative and Liberal Democrat opponents both have active webpages.
Recently the Herald's gossip column reported that Mr Worsley missed the chance to attend a debate as he was too difficult to track down.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Conservative Campaign Kicks Off in ‘Grand’ Style
Shepway Conservatives officially kicked off their election campaign on Wednesday night at the Grand Hotel.
Attended by local party members, long-serving MP Michael Howard gave a speech thanking the local party for their support and friendship during his 27 years as MP for Folkestone and Hythe. Giving a glowing introduction to Damian Collins, Mr Howard said; ‘In Damian we have an absolutely first rate candidate who is going to be an absolutely first rate Member of Parliament.
‘I announced my decision to stand down 4 years ago to give Damian time to dig in and get to know the constituency. The way [Damian] has got to know the people and the area has been absolutely outstanding.’
‘There has probably never been a more serious time for the election of a Conservative government.’
Vowing to fight for the ‘law abiding, tax-paying, hard working people of our country...[who] feel the government cares least about them and looks to them to pick up the tab for government failures,’ Mr Collins repeatedly attacked Labour failures and outlined key Conservative pledges.
Thanking local activists for their hard work, Mr Collins vowed to immediately start working should he be elected, promising to continue Mr Howard’s scheduled surgeries without break.
To murmurs of ‘hear hear’ from the audience, Mr Collins said ‘Everything I do as a MP will be grounded in this constituency and the interests of the people here, which is why I will be lobbying the government for a new power station.’
Mr Collins vowed to support the council over their decision to grant permission for Lydd Airport expansion, saying ‘we must send a message that this council and constituency are open for business.’
Mr Howard and Mr Collins also highlighted the ‘absolutely key’ seat of Dover. Although Mr Collins is viewed as a near certainty for the Folkestone and Hythe seat, current Labour MP for Dover Gwynn Prosser is defending a slim majority of around 5,000.
Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Lib dems Defend 'OK-Style' Leaflet
Senior Shepway Lib Dem Tim Prater has defended Lib Dem promotional material ‘Kent View’.
Containing promotional material about candidate Lynne Beaumont, 'Kent View' edition 2 is currently being delivered to Shepway residents and is appearing in cafes around Folkestone.
A ‘lighthearted’ letter posted on the Hawkinge Gazette website criticises the leaflet for ‘duping’ readers into believing it has been independently produced and asks ‘why can’t these Lib Dems be upfront and put ‘Shepway Lib Dems’ on the front page?’
Printed in the style of a glossy magazine, the Lib Dem logo and contact details are given at the foot of the last page. The editor is Season Prater, wife of Cllr Prater, although her membership of the Lib Dems is not given.
When tackled on the issue Cllr Prater defended the leaflet, stating; ‘The idea of magazines / newspapers has been used by all parties and is intended to present information about candidates, people and policies in a way that they will read, engage with, and feel comfortable with'.
Giving several examples of Conservative parties which do the same (though none from the Shepway Conservatives), Cllr Prater stated ‘in each case, I'm not in any way saying they were wrong to do so.
‘They are trying to get a message across, and not put off those people who might not open a "Labour" or "Conservative" branded leaflet immediately. I have no problem with that.’
This is not the first time the parties have clashed over promotional material. Recently accusations were thrown by both sides over materials produced for a by-election in Hythe.
Containing promotional material about candidate Lynne Beaumont, 'Kent View' edition 2 is currently being delivered to Shepway residents and is appearing in cafes around Folkestone.
A ‘lighthearted’ letter posted on the Hawkinge Gazette website criticises the leaflet for ‘duping’ readers into believing it has been independently produced and asks ‘why can’t these Lib Dems be upfront and put ‘Shepway Lib Dems’ on the front page?’
Printed in the style of a glossy magazine, the Lib Dem logo and contact details are given at the foot of the last page. The editor is Season Prater, wife of Cllr Prater, although her membership of the Lib Dems is not given.
When tackled on the issue Cllr Prater defended the leaflet, stating; ‘The idea of magazines / newspapers has been used by all parties and is intended to present information about candidates, people and policies in a way that they will read, engage with, and feel comfortable with'.
Giving several examples of Conservative parties which do the same (though none from the Shepway Conservatives), Cllr Prater stated ‘in each case, I'm not in any way saying they were wrong to do so.
‘They are trying to get a message across, and not put off those people who might not open a "Labour" or "Conservative" branded leaflet immediately. I have no problem with that.’
This is not the first time the parties have clashed over promotional material. Recently accusations were thrown by both sides over materials produced for a by-election in Hythe.
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
General Election Opening Announcements
Conservative and Lib Dem parties have been quick to react to Gordon Brown’s announcement that the general election will be on May 7.
Conservative Association Chairman Russell Tillson has posted a lengthy article on the Shepway Conservative's website, running to over 1,100 words.
Cllr Tillson urges members to ‘do everything in our power to evict this decomposing muck heap of a government and its failed prime minister’ and asks members to 'dig deep' to ensure Conservative Candidate Damain Collins wins the seat.
Towards the end of the article the Lib Dems are described as ‘the bindweed of politics – once they are allowed to invade territory, they are very hard to displace until people finally realise that empty cans make the most noise.’
The article also shows the Conservatives’ greatest worry - the danger of UKIP splitting the Conservative vote, as happened when Shepway District Leader Conservative Robert Bliss lost his Kent County Council seat to Lib Dem Tim Prater.
Shepway Liberal Democrats have posted a smaller press release, stating ‘Lib Dem Lynne Beaumont is predicted to be the only serious challenger to the Conservatives ... with bookmakers Ladbrokes rating both UKIP and Labour as 100-1 rank outsiders.’
As of April 6, Ladbrokes rate Ms Beaumont as 14/1 with Mr Collins the clear favourite at 1/100.
Ms Beaumont says ‘I've already pledged to be a full time MP for our area with no other paid job, and to accept no second homes expenses if elected: an MP can and should commute from here to Westminster.’
The Liberal Democrats are making the most of Ms Beaumont’s ‘local’ credentials over rival Mr Collins, who previously stood in Northampton North. Ms Beaumont has attacked Mr Collins for being a ‘wannabe MP’. Mr Collins has become involved in local issues and has told FUTS he believes an increase in the Conservative share of the vote is possible.
Funding appears to be a concern for both parties, with appeals made in Cllr Tillson’s article and by several prominent Lib Dems on Twitter. Labour, a distant third, appear to be in turmoil with not enough local members supporting candidate Donald Worsley's attempts to canvass and campaign.
It is unlikely the Conservative majority of over 11,000 votes will be overturned, but with the scandals of recent times reverberating around Westminster neither candidate is taking anything for granted.
Conservative Association Chairman Russell Tillson has posted a lengthy article on the Shepway Conservative's website, running to over 1,100 words.
Cllr Tillson urges members to ‘do everything in our power to evict this decomposing muck heap of a government and its failed prime minister’ and asks members to 'dig deep' to ensure Conservative Candidate Damain Collins wins the seat.
Towards the end of the article the Lib Dems are described as ‘the bindweed of politics – once they are allowed to invade territory, they are very hard to displace until people finally realise that empty cans make the most noise.’
The article also shows the Conservatives’ greatest worry - the danger of UKIP splitting the Conservative vote, as happened when Shepway District Leader Conservative Robert Bliss lost his Kent County Council seat to Lib Dem Tim Prater.
Shepway Liberal Democrats have posted a smaller press release, stating ‘Lib Dem Lynne Beaumont is predicted to be the only serious challenger to the Conservatives ... with bookmakers Ladbrokes rating both UKIP and Labour as 100-1 rank outsiders.’
As of April 6, Ladbrokes rate Ms Beaumont as 14/1 with Mr Collins the clear favourite at 1/100.
Ms Beaumont says ‘I've already pledged to be a full time MP for our area with no other paid job, and to accept no second homes expenses if elected: an MP can and should commute from here to Westminster.’
The Liberal Democrats are making the most of Ms Beaumont’s ‘local’ credentials over rival Mr Collins, who previously stood in Northampton North. Ms Beaumont has attacked Mr Collins for being a ‘wannabe MP’. Mr Collins has become involved in local issues and has told FUTS he believes an increase in the Conservative share of the vote is possible.
Funding appears to be a concern for both parties, with appeals made in Cllr Tillson’s article and by several prominent Lib Dems on Twitter. Labour, a distant third, appear to be in turmoil with not enough local members supporting candidate Donald Worsley's attempts to canvass and campaign.
It is unlikely the Conservative majority of over 11,000 votes will be overturned, but with the scandals of recent times reverberating around Westminster neither candidate is taking anything for granted.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Web Wars Heating up in Folkestone and Hythe Campaign
A 12 second video of Lib Dem candidate Lynne Beaumont's pledges has been posted on the Lib Dem Website.
In the video, Ms Beamont lists her three pledges as – “no other second homes allowance, I will commute to London like everybody else and no other paid employment.”
The use of ‘new media’, meaning freely accessible sites such as Facebook Twitter and blogs, is a relatively new development in English politics and is leading to some interesting interaction between politicians and voters.
Ms Beaumont’s Conservative rival Damian Collins appears to have the sharpest web presence, with regularly updated pages on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. His Facebook avatar is a nod to an iconic image of Barak Obama, who used new media to great effect in his campaign for the American presidency.
While these sites help raise candidates’ profiles, they can also allow very public comment and criticism, which becomes more likely as the site or page becomes more popular. Mr Collins appears to be dogged by one persistent commenter, although occasionally others step into defend him.
Ms Beaumont is beginning to post but has yet to achieve Mr Collins’ success - Mr Collins boasts 866 Facebook friends, while Ms Beaumont has 149.
In the video, Ms Beamont lists her three pledges as – “no other second homes allowance, I will commute to London like everybody else and no other paid employment.”
The use of ‘new media’, meaning freely accessible sites such as Facebook Twitter and blogs, is a relatively new development in English politics and is leading to some interesting interaction between politicians and voters.
Ms Beaumont’s Conservative rival Damian Collins appears to have the sharpest web presence, with regularly updated pages on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. His Facebook avatar is a nod to an iconic image of Barak Obama, who used new media to great effect in his campaign for the American presidency. 
While these sites help raise candidates’ profiles, they can also allow very public comment and criticism, which becomes more likely as the site or page becomes more popular. Mr Collins appears to be dogged by one persistent commenter, although occasionally others step into defend him. Mr Collins background in PR and advertising leads many to tip him to win the new media race although given Shepway’s elderly demographic and the history of the seat it is not clear what effect this will have on the result.
Ms Beaumont is beginning to post but has yet to achieve Mr Collins’ success - Mr Collins boasts 866 Facebook friends, while Ms Beaumont has 149.
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