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Eastleigh byelection fever bites as David Cameron visits B&Q Eastleigh byelection fever bites as David Cameron visits B&Q
(7 months later)
I have never seen politics the way they look in Eastleigh town centre this week. It's not that I have been starstruck by the obligatory B&Q photocall, where the prime minister swooped in to "support" the Conservative by-election candidate, by which he meant "stand in front of and talk over". But there was an event on every corner. In the station, a red-faced Michael Gove was telling a group of surprised-looking people why everything starts with education. Outside the Ukip campaign headquarters, a man hurried past and said, sotto voce but not quite sotto enough, "Ukip stinks". Supporter Joyce Talbot, said: "You've got to expect the ignorant."I have never seen politics the way they look in Eastleigh town centre this week. It's not that I have been starstruck by the obligatory B&Q photocall, where the prime minister swooped in to "support" the Conservative by-election candidate, by which he meant "stand in front of and talk over". But there was an event on every corner. In the station, a red-faced Michael Gove was telling a group of surprised-looking people why everything starts with education. Outside the Ukip campaign headquarters, a man hurried past and said, sotto voce but not quite sotto enough, "Ukip stinks". Supporter Joyce Talbot, said: "You've got to expect the ignorant."
The high street looks pinched and low-rent; apart from one giant Poundland, an alarming proportion of the shops, way over half, are charity shops. But as a result of that, Ukip can afford its own office, which gives the area a political bustle that might at any moment turn into a blazing row. It reminds me a bit of the 18th century.The high street looks pinched and low-rent; apart from one giant Poundland, an alarming proportion of the shops, way over half, are charity shops. But as a result of that, Ukip can afford its own office, which gives the area a political bustle that might at any moment turn into a blazing row. It reminds me a bit of the 18th century.
Outside the Swan Centre, 50 metres away, the National Health Action (NHA) candidate, Dr Ian MacLennan, is talking to a guy called Tim about outsourcing. Tim used to work in HR in a Southampton hospital, then lost his job when the contract went to a private company. Ian's sister is a health visitor, and is no longer employed by an NHS trust, but by Virgin Care. They have a free-ranging conversation that spans privatisation, the profit motive in healthcare delivery, and the role of inequality in public health.Outside the Swan Centre, 50 metres away, the National Health Action (NHA) candidate, Dr Ian MacLennan, is talking to a guy called Tim about outsourcing. Tim used to work in HR in a Southampton hospital, then lost his job when the contract went to a private company. Ian's sister is a health visitor, and is no longer employed by an NHS trust, but by Virgin Care. They have a free-ranging conversation that spans privatisation, the profit motive in healthcare delivery, and the role of inequality in public health.
This election has its fair share of cranks, the obligatory Monster Raving Loonies, a guy campaigning to save local pubs (to give the full triumvirate of endangered pleasures, it's the Beer, Baccy and Crumpets party). There are a Christian couple who Nazrin Wilkinson, the NHA local campaign manager, said "are lovely: they're like your auntie and uncle".This election has its fair share of cranks, the obligatory Monster Raving Loonies, a guy campaigning to save local pubs (to give the full triumvirate of endangered pleasures, it's the Beer, Baccy and Crumpets party). There are a Christian couple who Nazrin Wilkinson, the NHA local campaign manager, said "are lovely: they're like your auntie and uncle".
But I was struck, in the main, by the eerie sensation of people campaigning who sounded like actual human beings. This is what Ukip supporters always say, of course – theirs is the "authentic" candidate, who'll tell it like it is. And I always think the reason mainstream candidates don't deliver these much needed home truths (almost always about immigration) is that they've given the matter five minutes' thought.But I was struck, in the main, by the eerie sensation of people campaigning who sounded like actual human beings. This is what Ukip supporters always say, of course – theirs is the "authentic" candidate, who'll tell it like it is. And I always think the reason mainstream candidates don't deliver these much needed home truths (almost always about immigration) is that they've given the matter five minutes' thought.
But the NHA, on Thursday, seemed to me like a lefty's version of Ukip – the people who would say things about capitalism that the mainstream seems unable to say. I don't know how important it is, whether or not they split the Labour vote (especially here, where Labour votes are pretty thin on the ground anyway); sometimes it's more important to hear people saying out loud what you think.But the NHA, on Thursday, seemed to me like a lefty's version of Ukip – the people who would say things about capitalism that the mainstream seems unable to say. I don't know how important it is, whether or not they split the Labour vote (especially here, where Labour votes are pretty thin on the ground anyway); sometimes it's more important to hear people saying out loud what you think.
Even the Labour candidate seems like an alternative to politics; John O'Farrell, of course, is not a career politician but a satirist. He was standing by the Statue of the Railway Worker at the far end of the high street, holding a 10p piece to illustrate Ed Miliband's new policy on taxation. While he made a gag about how he'd already got Labour to change its policy on tax, and he'd only been standing for two days, the guy at the other end of the market was shouting about how many apples you could get for a quid. The air was tangy with the smell of hotdogs. Some sourpuss on a bench who wouldn't give me his name said: "I think it's an absolute, complete joke. They've got comedians. They've got the whole circus, but they're not a bit interested in Eastleigh."Even the Labour candidate seems like an alternative to politics; John O'Farrell, of course, is not a career politician but a satirist. He was standing by the Statue of the Railway Worker at the far end of the high street, holding a 10p piece to illustrate Ed Miliband's new policy on taxation. While he made a gag about how he'd already got Labour to change its policy on tax, and he'd only been standing for two days, the guy at the other end of the market was shouting about how many apples you could get for a quid. The air was tangy with the smell of hotdogs. Some sourpuss on a bench who wouldn't give me his name said: "I think it's an absolute, complete joke. They've got comedians. They've got the whole circus, but they're not a bit interested in Eastleigh."
There is one matter on which the people of Eastleigh are in complete unison – "this lot," says Talbot, "I just think they're in it for themselves. They're lining their pockets, and sod the rest of us." Terri Smith, asked what she thought of Chris Huhne, said: "I hope he goes to jail. What was he even in parliament for anyway? He doesn't need the money, he's a millionaire many times over."There is one matter on which the people of Eastleigh are in complete unison – "this lot," says Talbot, "I just think they're in it for themselves. They're lining their pockets, and sod the rest of us." Terri Smith, asked what she thought of Chris Huhne, said: "I hope he goes to jail. What was he even in parliament for anyway? He doesn't need the money, he's a millionaire many times over."
"I don't think a lot of any of them," Bernard said sadly. "You never get the truth, they do something wrong, there's a scandal, it fades away. If that were you or me, we'd be out.""I don't think a lot of any of them," Bernard said sadly. "You never get the truth, they do something wrong, there's a scandal, it fades away. If that were you or me, we'd be out."
"I'm fed up with all of them," said Kelly, 28. "I did like Chris Huhne. I did think he was probably a good thing for Eastleigh. But it's obvious now that they're all just covering their own backs and nobody's thinking of the general public.""I'm fed up with all of them," said Kelly, 28. "I did like Chris Huhne. I did think he was probably a good thing for Eastleigh. But it's obvious now that they're all just covering their own backs and nobody's thinking of the general public."
"The problem with the big parties," said Wilkinson, "is that it's all about success. Their connection and their bonding with real issues has gone.""The problem with the big parties," said Wilkinson, "is that it's all about success. Their connection and their bonding with real issues has gone."
I don't know how much it means. But I know that I've never been anywhere and heard so many different people say in effect the same thing.I don't know how much it means. But I know that I've never been anywhere and heard so many different people say in effect the same thing.
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