Things Can Only Get 38

I’ve been a couple of years in my current home. I’m living in a village for the first time in my life. Here in East Worcestershire, part of the old Wychavon Constituency, the Tories didn’t have to do much except show up in order to win. This has changed.

I think the Council elections last year gave the Conservatives a hint that there was worry. The Tory candidate visited our house. His opening gambit was that he was a remainer and the follow up that he didn’t support Boris Johnson. He still won.

For this General Election I find myself in Redditch. Election material has called it ‘Redditch and the Villages’ or ‘Redditch County’. Labour and Conservative have door-knocked.

What has come through the letterbox has been fascinating. We’ve had glossy communications from Conservative, Labour, Green and Reform. Rachel Maclean, current Tory MP for Redditch has bombarded us. Three leaflets, one personal letter and a doorstep visit. We’ve also heard from Labour and Lib Dem about our previous constituency. Their databases are out of date.

The Reform candidate is a mystery to us. Name only. No picture. No biography and a message about immigration and nothing else. A vote for her helps Labour. 

So does a vote for the Lid Dems.

Amidst all the communication from Ms McLean was this sentence ‘l share your frustration that the Conservatives didn’t do more when they had the chance.’ Not we. They. She does not seem to understand how to apologise and take personal responsibility. 

In the past Redditch has voted the same way as the country. The change of boundaries has given it more blue rural types so it may be closer than usual.

The Green candidate is a current Redditch Councillor. He means well but a vote for him helps the Conservatives. I'd probably put him first if we had single transferable voting. We need a few more Green MPs.