Clowning About With Norman Lamb
- 1 May 2005
Went over to visit Justo the Clown's circus this lunchtime to do a little bit with the press about encouraging people to vote. Justo has issued a challenge to other constituencies - to beat North Norfolk's voter turnout! I believe turnout here will be 73-75%, which may wel...
A Saturday Foot Spa
- 30 Apr 2005
A very exciting day. We had the biggest team of canvassers and leafleters ever seen in North Norfolk today. I started the day at the first North Walsham farmers market - great to see a new initiative with such quality produce. I spent the rest of the morning with a huge team o...
A Busy Friday
- 29 Apr 2005
An early start in Fakenham to take part in yet another candidates debate at Fakenham Sixth Form College - 220 present, although surprisingly quiet. Very good natured and some excellent questions. I thought I had blown it when I said I was totally against the EMA grant of £10-£...
The North Norfolk Candidates Debate
- 27 Apr 2005
Yesterday was the first debate between the four candidates for North Norfolk in Wells. Tonight was the second, in Fakenham. The third is in Sheringham on Thursday (8pm at the Community Centre). Last night it was all a little too cosy and gentlemanly. Lots of "Well I agree ...
For Saint George & England
- 23 Apr 2005
Probably the most hectic day of the campaign so far, and in many ways perhaps the most enjoyable. The day started in Fakenham where I attended the Framers' market and the Church St George's Day Fayre. We moved on to Sheringham and leafleted the High Street in competition with ...
From One Side to the Other
- 22 Apr 2005
We certainly clocked up the miles today... Spent the early part of the morning in Fakenham market before a tour of the villages around Fakenham. I then had to drive to Yarmouth to meet Tim Yeo, our Shadow Environment Spokesman for a discussion on coastal erosion. Mark Fox, our...
Gladdening the Heart
- 20 Apr 2005
Michael Howard's Council Tax announcement on cancelling Labour's revaluation has gone down very well if today's canvassing is anything to go by. We were in Sheringham tonight and I have never seen as many switchers in one canvassing session. One chap I spoke to said he had vot...
Stalham, P45 and a Foot Spa
- 19 Apr 2005
Went to Stalham this morning and talked to many people and shopkeepers in the High Street about the Tesco effect. This afternoon was spent in some of the bigger villages in the eastern part of the constituency. My day was considerably brightened by an article in the Norwich Ev...
Rainy Days
- 14 Apr 2005
Had a good, if rather rain-sodden morning in Sheringham. I met my parents' former vicar and his wife who moved to Sheringham from Saffron Walden a few years ago. He presided at my sister's wedding. Small world. In the afternoon David Willetts came to North Walsham for a tour o...
On the Trail
- 9 Apr 2005
Out of respect for the Pope we did not do any campaigning this morning. All three Parties I had thought had agreed to call a 'truce' until after the funeral. As you will see below our beloved local LibDems decided on a different course of action. I used the time to finish off ...
Saturday Campaign
- 9 Apr 2005
Started the day off with a group of supporters wanderng around Sheringham market and then down the high street. Said a quick hello to Norman Lamb who was doing the same thing with a couple of his groupies. We then moved on to Cromer, North Walsham and finished up in Swanton Ab...
I'd Do Anything for a Vote...
- 8 Apr 2005
Meat Loaf is becoming a theme of this campaign. I booked tickets the other day for his concert at Blickling on my birthday in July. Yesterday I said something to a voter and she replied "you took the words right out of my mouth" to which I replied "it must have been while you ...
We're Off
- 5 Apr 2005
We're off. Into Norwich this morning for our Norfolk/Suffolk campaign launch with Tim Yeo. Good press turnout and did a couple of interviews. Then back to Cromer to start the campaign proper. Good reaction on the streets to our battlebus. Our first leaflet is being delivered a...
Hacker Beware
- 2 Apr 2005
This afternoon I received an email from the person who hacked this site yesterday. This person has registered an email address in my name the_iain_dale@yahoo.co.uk. So on top of committing a criminal offence of hacking a website this idiot has compounded the issue by attemptin...
Hacked Off
- 1 Apr 2005
Someone hacked into the Blog late this afternoon and posted a huge amount of moronic rubbish on here. It has now all been deleted I think, but many of my postings were changed. I have trawled through them and I think I have caught everything, but if anyone finds something I ma...
Saturday Canvassing
- 26 Mar 2005
And they say the Tory Party is ageing. Today I was the oldest of our canvassers! We even had a 9 year old knocking on doors! We got absolutely drenched in North Walsham where we covered a lot of ground. This afternoon we had a big team out in Ludham. Several switchers from Lib...
Shortlisted for a 'Flaneur 'Award
- 24 Mar 2005
I just found out that this Blog has been shortlisted by The Guardian for Political Blog of the Year. They describe it as ''Funny, witty, irreverent weblog of Iain Dale, well known raconteur, flaneur and Conservative PPC for North Norfolk. Informative about North Norfolk issues...
Religion, Posters & Wind
- 23 Mar 2005
This morning I was invited to speak to Cromer Bible study group. It was a fascinating couple of hours and we covered a lot of ground - abortion, euthanasia, third world debt, the Middle East and a lot more besides. I always have a simple policy in this type of arena - give you...
Today's Canvassing
- 19 Mar 2005
My feet feel as if they are about to drop off. We did seven, yes seven, hours canvassing today. I was in Wells all morning and spent this afternoon in Hickling. What a beautiful village Hickling is. And such nice people too. I met a lovely LibDem lady who told me how much she ...
A Day With Theresa May
- 18 Mar 2005
Up at 8 to collect Theresa May from Norwich Station. After my experiences with IDs, Boris and Cecil Parkinson being 90 minutes late I approached the platform with some trepidation. I need not have feared - I soon spotted the famous shoes stepping towards me. We then drove ...