My Croxley - April 2010

Have I knocked on your door yet?

Yes, it is that time again when politicians make an extra effort to bother the voters and we spend most daylight hours knocking on doors trying to locate our party supporters.

By and large, most people when bothered by a canvasser tend to be remarkably courteous and friendly. Some will complain about being disturbed, others will complain that we don't disturb them more often - 'you only come round at election time' (not entirely true but clearly canvassing activity increases in the run-up to an election).

Why do we do it? Not 'why do we campaign to be elected?', although I will come back to that question, but why do we knock on doors asking people how they vote?

As any experienced political campaigner will tell you, it isn't really to persuade people to change their minds. Of course, if we can do that, great. But most people don't tend to change their party support on the basis of a brief conversation on their doorstep.

Of course, it is a fantastic way of keeping in touch with local concerns. What is the particular worry of a local community? What are normal people (ie those not involved in politics all the time) thinking about particular issues? Canvassing helps to answer those questions.

It also helps us find volunteers. Many of the people who put up posters, deliver leaflets and help on election day were met by canvassers (also volunteers) and were asked to help.

And it also helps us find our voters. And once we have found our voters, we can do everything we can to make sure that they turn out on the day.

So canvassing is very useful. But have the political parties knocked on your door yet? Maybe we have, but if we haven't, don't be too hard on us. In South West Hertfordshire there are about 40,000 homes. Given that we all rely on volunteers and that you can only speak to about 20 people an hour per canvasser, it is difficult to get round to everyone. And even if we did knock on your door, you might have been out.

So if we didn't knock on your door - sorry. But speaking for myself, I hope at some point you will have seen me handing out leaflets outside a tube station or in a high street near you. And if you haven't and want to speak to me, drop me an email or call my campaign headquarters.

Elections should be a time when the public and politicians come together. You make your voices heard, we make our case and you decide who governs the country. But, returning to the question above, why do we do it? Although this magazine is going out at election time, I have refrained from making a case for voting for me (if you want to know more about that, visit www.davidgauke.com), but I do want to make the case that the vast majority of us go into this to make the country a better place. The expenses scandal has shaken people's confidence in that and we all have a challenge in turning that round.

Our democratic process matters. It needs people to engage with it. Some people will become candidates, far more people will help in the campaigns and a far greater number will follow the arguments and vote. So I hope you will, one way or another, and vote on 6 May.