Forum Topic

Lib Dem Candidate for Ealing and Acton

I picked up Tory and Labour leaflets at Acton Town Tube station this morning and was wondering who the Lib Dem Candidate is for the Constituency?

Tony Crumpton ● 6009d31 Comments

Jon Ball. I'm surprised I haven't heard more from him. After all, this is a key constituency for all parties.

Nicholas Shaw ● 6009d

The disappearing Jobn Ball - He was the only candidate from the five main parties not to respond to our lobbying over the expansion of Derwentwater School.

Charlie Mawer ● 6009d

I've seen the notional 2005 results which make this seat a three-way marginal (on the BBC website)and frankly they seem a bit suspect. Apart from having a couple of councillors in Southfield and one in Ealing Common(they're not even close to having any in Acton) the Lib Dems have very little presence in the constituency. I don't know where all their "notional" votes are supposed to have come from. If they really thought they had any chance here they would be making more of an effort and have picked a more dynamic candidate.

Phil Conran ● 6006d

Times Online gives the notional result for 2005 as Labour 33% and Conservative and LibDem both on 31%.  So it does look like a three-way marginal.  But, based on Ladbrokes' betting odds for the constituency, they give the chance of winning the seat as 75% Conservative, 13% Labour, 11% LibDem.  Daniel Finkelstein in The Times today was promising more scientific predictions on the website "soon".

Richard Jennings ● 6006d

Richard, as you correctly stated in another topic, I'm second favourite to win the seat in the Ladbrokes odds and hence they recognise that my percentage chance of winning is better then Labour's, not less as you show it here.Nicholas and others can rest assured that all voters in Ealing Central and Acton will receive literature from me during the campaign.I have now responded to Charlie opposing expansion of Derwentwater School, and will maintain this position if the issue reappears after the election.Re Phil's comments, at the last local elections in addition to getting councillors elected in Southfield ward and my own Ealing Common Ward, we outpolled the sitting Labour councillors in Walpole ward and were less than 150 votes away from getting a councillor elected in South Acton ward.In fact, if you add up the ward votes in the local elections, the Liberal Democrats out-polled Labour across the new Ealing Central and Acton constituency.Jon

Jon Ball ● 6003d

But a very long way off second favourite - after all the electorate ain't daft and if they see loads of activity from the tory and labour ppcs and campaigners and nothing at all for months and months and years even from the LibDem, they might start to wonder about the commitment and organisation of that party.Hampstead and Kilburn throbbing with LibDem posters, leaflets and meetings. Acton? Zero so far - in the last two weeks and indeed last two years.PS At least that means no personalised e-mails from Nick Clegg....Am already fedup at being addressed as Dear Sara by messrs Cameron and Osbourne - neither of whom I have met. Bet Angie's team gave them my email address post railway meeting.

Sara Nathan ● 6002d

Dear Mrs NathanSurely you are privilged to be the recipient of correspondence from the honourable Mr Camereon and Mr Osbourne.  Pray tell why are they singling you out for special treatment?  Are they rest of us simply not worthy?Terribly nice to see the Lib Dem candidate is alive and kicking.Kind regards.Ms Morty

Jen Morty ● 6002d

That should be "the" not "they" why do I register typos just after I send!!

Jen Morty ● 6002d

"Richard, as you correctly stated in another topic, I'm second favourite to win the seat in the Ladbrokes odds and hence they recognise that my percentage chance of winning is better then Labour's, not less as you show it here."My apologies.  You are quite right, The Times shows the chances of winning as:Conservative 75%Lib Dem  13%Labour  11%

Richard Jennings ● 6002d

It does not feel like such a done deal for the Tories to me in this constituency as those figures suggest.  The Labour PPC is fighting hard and I think the prediction for the Lib Dems in second place...given their non-performance in the campaign so far, how accurate a reflection is that?

Alice Jones ● 6002d

Dear Ms Morty,It doesn't feel like a privilege, more like a cross between being spammed and scammed.And isn't "yours faithfully" the correct form of adieu between those who have never met?Sara Nathan

Sara Nathan ● 6002d

Has John Ball surfaced yet? Thought he would be out and about today with the launch of the Lib Dem Manifesto.

Tony Crumpton ● 6002d

Well,  I did not use sincerely or faithfully but as you raise it I recall being taught that if you know the name of the person you are writing to you use sincerely and if you do not,  and address the letter Sir/Madam,  then you write faithfully (convention may of course have changed). I note you used neither.  Would not have thought "Kind regards" an offensive way to end a forum post.Anyway I was joshing.  Frankly I would hate any political party e-mailing me,  and would find it odious.  Have you reponded to them,  if only to say stop writing!

Jen Morty ● 6002d

Was also teasing...I haven't responded at all - on the theory that - like with other spammers - it only encourages them.My mum in Kingston gets practically daily emails from Zak Goldsmith - she reckons he can afford a fab website and frequent emails ( I have tried to no avail to explain election funding)...and now feels she owes him her vote - so it obviously works for some people to some extent.

Sara Nathan ● 6002d

He's far too busy posting messages telling people how visible he is...

Steve Donnelly ● 6002d

You could argue that nothing has been heard from Jon Ball, but we haven't heard much from anybody yet as far as I'm aware - and we don't just have candidates from the three main parties - according to the BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/election2010/results/constituency/b46.stm our candidates are:Sam Akaki  Independent    Jon Ball  Liberal Democrat    Angie Bray  Conservative    Tim Carpenter  Libertarian    Julie Carter  UK Independence Party    Sarah Edwards  Green    Bassam Mahfouz  Labour - anybody heard anything about our Independent, Libertarian, Green and UKIP candidates then? I think the Independent, UKIP and Green candidates have only recently been added to the roster as when I checked the same site a few days ago there was only the main three and the Libertarian candidate on there.

James Vertigan ● 6001d

Also interesting to note the BBC saying we are Conservative target seat 18 and Liberal Democrat target seat 10. If I remember, at our last local election the BBC said Ealing was a bellwether borough as the general election results have usually reflected the local results in Ealing.

James Vertigan ● 6001d

Still feels like the phony war doesn't it?But with the manifestoes now out, maybe it will pick up.

Sara Nathan ● 6001d

I think the fact that the campaign has started during the Easter holidays has had an effect. Last evening I could hardly find anyone in to talk to - surely they can't ALL have been hiding from me. Mind you, one of the amusements of canvassing is seeing panic-stricken silhouettes dashing for cover when they realise who's at the door. We know you're in there...

Steve Donnelly ● 6001d

There is though an anti Tory majority in the constituency, and the Lib Dems are clearly not treating it as a priority. According to UK Polling: "In Rallings and Thrasher`s notional figures Ealing Central & Acton has a notional Labour majority, meaning that the mainstream media will treat it as a Labour held seat in terms of whether it is a Gain or a Hold on election night".Conclusion: undecided anti Tory voters should go Labour.

Pete Grist ● 6000d

However quiet the Lib Dem PPC is, if his leader builds on tonight's performance then the anti-Tory vote should be Lib Dem.  He needs a swing of less than 1.5 and at least we know he definitely does not support a third runway.

Alice Jones ● 6000d

Or trident

Sara Nathan ● 6000d

This web site overs insight as to how effective your vote will be. http://voterpower.org.uk

Fran Leslie ● 6000d

Latest odds from Ladbrokes for Ealing Central & Acton, as interpreted on The Times website:Conservative  71% chance of winningLib Dem  18%Labour  10%That's a 5% improvement for the LibDems compared to a week ago, mostly taken from the Tories.

Richard Jennings ● 5999d

Well this web site says the seat is a marginal one http://www.voterpower.org.uk/ealing-central-actonAs the boundaries have been re-aligned it is hard to predict.

Fran Leslie ● 5999d

Those odds bear little relation to the reality on the ground. Did someone put a fiver on the Lib Dems? There is no form guide and if the campaign work Bassam Mahfouz's team have been doing is any guide, it is clear this is a two horse race between Labour and Conservatives. Lib Dems don't feature, and its quite funny reading their candidate's tweets desperately seeking people to help him campaign.

Hitesh Tailor ● 5999d

Well as one of your current Ealing Common Ward constituents, with solid and bitter experience of your performance and attitude towards us, I strongly advise voters NOT TO TOUCH YOU WITH A BARGEPOLE. I will be happy to amplify if anybody wants details.Not liking either of the other two main parties, I might have been inclined to give the Libdems a try at this general election, but with you as their candidate, NO WAY!!!I also note you are standing again as an Ealing Common Councillor as well as for the Westminster parliament. Are you hoping to emulate the despicable example of the current (till the recent dissolution of Parliament) Ealing Southall MP and pretend to do both jobs -  and get paid for both -  while performing neither properly?

Chris Veasey ● 5999d

So. if I understand correctly, we have a financial crisis brought about by over paid, greedy (in some case criminal) bankers, which we have to pay for and we are supposed to vote for the party which traditionally represents that group of people. Am I right?

Fran Leslie ● 5999d

The W3 web site had a link to Bassam Mahfouz being derided by The Daily Mail.In the interest of balance, view this song about The Daily Mail. if you don't know about dananddan.com you have a treat in store.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI

Fran Leslie ● 5999d

I've no idea if you're right, left or somewhere between, but intelligent voters will vote for the individual to represent their interests, not just a party hack - of whatever party. And the Libdem candidate Jon Ball has a demonstrable track record of NOT representing constituents' interests at the Council Ward level  -  so what reason to believe he'll be any better as an MP?As to parties traditionally representing greedy bankers (and for that matter other greedy and rich people) there are at least TWO Westminster parties that come under that heading : Conservatives and NuLabour. No, none of the three main parties' candidates are worth voting for in this constituency this election. So it's either one of the other parties/ candidates, or 'None of the Above'.

Chris Veasey ● 5999d