Councillor Observation

Councillor Jeremy Moulton sits in his office, of which he shares with three other councillors, and collects his new emails and information for a meeting he is to attend in twenty minutes. The room has a wall full of windows letting in the morning light and slowly heating up the room from the new April warmth.

Councillor Moulton wears a light pink shirt with blue stripes and a blue tie with pink squares, all topped off with a blue jumper. A combination that seems to work with his grey slacks and black leather shoes. He stands at about five foot six inches and has sandy blonde hair.

He talks about his aims and goals and the elections he is standing in. He is up for re-election as Councillor of Finance and is also standing in the General Election as the Conservative Candidate for Southampton Test. This is a large area of Southampton that covers: Coxford, Redbridge, Millbrook, Shirley, Portswood, Freemantle and Bevois. If he wins the General Election, his plan is to stand down as Councillor of Finance after a year and put all of his attention in to being the MP of Southampton Test.

At 8.48 Councillor Moulton heads out of the Southampton Council Offices to his Ford Mustang GT, in grey. He sits on the left to drive the rear-wheeled, left drive automatic and reads his emails whilst he drives to the meeting in some sheltered accommodation in Freemantle. He parks opposite the Freemantle Church and strides towards the sheltered accommodation. On the way he comments about the meeting and his stand point on it. The meeting is for Sycamore Lodge, a sheltered housing accommodation for older people. This is the alternative to a retirement home but makes them feel safer than living on their own. The sheltered accommodation has its own warden which helps the older people when they need it and also makes them all become more social by setting up games and conversations for them all to join in with. Jake is Sycamore Lodge’s warden and he lives with them, meaning that the older people are always safe, twenty-four hours of the day. The meeting has been set up by the action group that live at Sycamore Lodge and other sheltered homes around the area. They are meeting in order to protest against the removal of Jake, their warden, in favour of a warden that is on call for all the sheltered homes in the area; but does not live in any of them. Councillor Moulton’s stand point is that he wants to give the residents whatever they want. He said that if the residents want a full time, live in, warden he shall make it so that they do.

Councillor Moulton rings the doorbell to be greeted by Jake, a stocky man with wispy grey hair, a chequered top and stone washed jeans. They walk in to the communal room which is set up with about twenty chairs in a circle. Councillor Moulton is the first to arrive at five minutes to nine. “We’re the first one’s here?” he asks Jake, the warden. Jake said that he was two hours early as the meeting doesn’t start until eleven. After some more banter he finds out the Councillor Alan Whitehead will be attending the meeting, the Labour MP of Southampton Test and Councillor Moulton’s opponent.

With two hours to fill, Moulton proceeds back to his car and opens the boot to find a loot of fliers, leaflets, posters, car stickers of Conservative propaganda with Councillor Jeremy Moulton’s picture on, and including a magazine all about Councillor Moulton and his career and beliefs. The leaflets are traditional blue and green Conservative colours with the areas of his proposed Constituency. It also features Moulton posing in front of the Bargate in Southampton with yet another blue and pink ensemble. This includes Moulton’s contact details and the slogan, ‘The only local alternative to Labour’.

After dropping leaflets in the near by neighbourhood for two hours, Councillor Moulton proceeds back to the meeting and instead of just being a Councillor overlooking the meeting, as he thought he would be doing, he was the one answering all of the action group’s questions and trying to sort the problem out by himself. He stood his ground and the residents of the home ended with agreeing with everything he said and talking to him about the General Election. They said about how their age group was the group that were the ones voting and that it was time to become Conservative.

The meeting ended at 12.30, just enough time for Councillor Moulton to meet up with his girlfriend and campaigning group at The Bush Inn, a pub on Wimpson Lane. The pub was empty, apart from an alcove of well dressed men, and two ladies eating a platter of sandwiches and Indian seafood. The drinks were put on the tab and the food was guzzled down.

After twenty minutes of eating and campaigning tactics Councillor Moulton hopped back in to his Mustang and showed the way to the biggest Mosque in Southampton to his friend, Steven Hammond, Shadow Minister for Transport. After reaching Derby Road and finding a place to park, (which needed a permit) they started to talk tactics again. The plan was to wait outside the Mosque and hand out leaflets until the entire building was empty of people. The Mosque held over 1,200 people and was an old school that had been made in to Abu Bakr Masjid on Argyle Road. Moulton, Hammond and Royston Smith waited outside. Royston Smith was the Conservative Candidate for Southampton Itchen and was showing his support to Councillor Moulton as well.

The three candidates stood outside handing out about five hundred leaflets, of which about one hundred and fifty were left. After the road and Mosque were cleared the Conservatives were invited inside for some rice and meat. The head of the Mosque, Zahir Ahmed welcomed everyone with food and conversation about the up-coming election and his and his friend’s opinion on who they were voting for, the Conservatives.

This marked the end of the day as Councillor Moulton returned to his Mustang, and drove back to Southampton Council Offices after a successful day of Campaigning.

Council Bug

I feel have caught a political bug of some form since my day campaigning with Councillor Jeremy Moulton et.al. I attended a meeting today for pensioners. I will not be classed as one of these for another forty years. I don't have to worry about anything to do with pensions for the next thirty years and yet I still attended, and loved it. At the front was a man named Robbie of which Cara had campaigned with, Alan Whitehead, now campaigning to be re-elected as the Labour MP of Southampton Test and another MP which was about to become candidate for Southampton North and Romsey, again Labour.

The room was filled with people no younger than 45. I felt very young, a little odd and wondered why I was there. After listening about why these pensioners should vote for the Labour candidates and what they wanted to do for the pensioners I felt that there were many questions. Thankfully there would be a question time at the end of the speeches. The most hilarious part of the meeting was when Emma, the oldest member at 94 decided to put the Labour MP's on the spot and tell them what she really thought of them. At the end of her speech there were many claps and whoops. As the meeting progressed I found that I had a few questions and decided to have my say. I was handed the microphone, and after the hall of pensioners finished shouting at me about how to use a microphone I finally proceeded with my question. Of which, I do not think Alan Whitehead liked, he kept repeating, "that is an open ended question". I couldn't understand this but was glad my question was liked by the pensioners and follow on questions were added to back mine up.

I felt like a real journalist. It was a great practice for press meetings and I'm proud that I had the confidence to speak up and ask my question. It was valued and I look forward to the next meeting.

Observing Councillor Jeremy Moulton Campaigning

When we were first set this assignment, my first thought was 'No, I don't have a clue about politics, when is the election again'? However after giving it some thought, and choosing my outfit I thought of a film I had watched recently, and loved, 'Definitely, Maybe', a chick flick about Will Hayes, (Ryan Reynolds) a political consultant explaining to his daughter how he met her mother. At first I thought observing a councillor campaign for a day would be very much like I'd seen in the movie. A hot-shot with a big posse all thinking that they're slogans and policies are the ones to produce a bigger and better country and losing was not an option.

After sending many emails out to every Southampton and Totton Councillor I could find I started becoming a little disheartened. Every reply was that they were either too busy, didn't want someone following them around or the only campaigning they were going to be doing was dropping leaflets. Something I thought would never fill a thousand word essay. My illusion of watching high powered figures for a day started to fade.

That was until my reply from Councillor Jeremy Moulton. Councillor of finance in Southampton. Conservative. Up for the General Election in Southampton Test and up for re-election of Councillor. His plan, if he becomes MP of Southampton Test is to give up his role as Councillor after a year. He proposed a day of canvassing, a political-ish meeting of people in a sheltered home and leaflet dropping outside the biggest Mosque in Southampton. My illusions of politics re-appeared and I grabbed at the chance to campaign for a day with Councillor Moulton.

I had interviewed Councillor Moulton one time before about the fluoride debate in Hampshire. This made it easier as I knew who I was waiting for and what they looked like. The first big decision of the day, heels or not? I wanted to look professional, positive and as if I was meant to be campaigning - my visionary - Elle Woods. However, I didn't want to become crippled after an hour from my feet hurting with blisters. I didn't know what the day held so I decided to put on the flats and keep the heels in the car.

I didn't start the day as well as I could have. When asked about politics I proceeded to talk about Cosmopolitan and an article they had done last month. It included a profile and interview with Nick Clegg, David Cameron and Gordon Brown. Not knowing Councillor Moulton was Conservative, (must research in future, lesson learnt) I proceeded to talk about how unsure I was about Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg but how sure I was about not liking David Cameron. My judgement had came from what I had read in the interview and how he came across, not about the party or the policies, so it could have been worse. Happy with my talk about politics and showing to myself that I can hold a conversation about it, we proceeded to Councillor Moultons Ford Mustang GT. Pretty impressive I thought, until I saw the back seat lined with posters in Conservative blue. Well done Domonique.

The rest of the day went without a glitch. We delivered leaflets where I found out how strong opinions were about the election and the different political parties. I hadn't realised before how strong people actually felt about it and how opposed they were to the Labour party. I'm sitting on the fence about my own opinion and who I am going to vote for is still a question but the public seem to be confident who they are going to be voting for.

The meeting at the shelter home went well. Councillor Moultons opposition sat across from us, slouched in his seat with his researcher. Alan Whitehead. Current Labour MP for Southampton Test.

We then went to a local pub where I met some of his colleagues and girlfriend. All of whom were very nice, accommodating and very professional. This was the part where I felt I was part of the campaigning crew, adding drinks to tabs was definitely new.

We then went on to Southampton's largest Mosque. An old school that had been bought and made in to a Mosque. This was very different for me. I do not go to Church, my family and friends aren't religious and so it was a very different experience for me, I wasn't quite sure of what to do or not to do. We met up with the Shadow Minister for transport, Steven Hammond; who came down to help Councillor Moulton campaign and Councillor Royston Smith who is up for election for Southampton Itchen. For about twenty minutes I saw people fill in to the old school for prayers. All delighted to see us stood outside, arms cradling hundreds of fliers.

As the prayers finished, including one for the two firemen that had been killed in the tower block blaze. Hundreds of men filed out taking the fliers, greeting us like friends and talking animatedly about the party, the election and how it was now time for change. Again this showed me how people wanted change, they wanted Labour out and the Conservatives in. The same points were made time after time. A vote for the Liberal Democrats is wasted so if you don't want Labour vote Conservative. One man said that his whole street is voting Conservative. Another that he personally knew 1000 people who were voting Tory.

I ended the day with a sun tan, a blister, finding out a little more about politics and some different thoughts about Conservatives. I've decided to start paying attention to the election pages in the papers, listening to the news when they start to talk about politics and actually taking note of the different policies the parties have. If I'm going to be voting I need all the details. And I can safely say I will be voting for the party whose policies I agree with, whether or not they have a chance in hell of winning.

So Good Luck to everyone from Labour to the Green Party and from the Conservatives to the Monster Raving Loony Party.

You can learn more about Councillor Jeremy Moulton on his blog, http://www.jeremymoulton.blogspot.com/

Southampton Waterfront: a Drift with Change

Southampton City Council are on the look out for the best architects and developers for water front that is planned to be built within the next three or four years. The plan is for the derelict pier behind Kutis Royal Thai Pier Restaurant to be demolished and in its place a new pier stretching from Mayflower Park to Town Quay via land raised from the seabed. The project means that the Red Funnel terminal will have to be moved to either Town Quay Marina or berth 101. The large plot is due to have at least two hotels, restaurants, marine-related shops, luxury flats, an eight thousand seater indoor arena and a Las Vegas-style casino.

We spoke to people in the Southampton area to find out what they had to say.

Audio insert NAME: Southampton Vox Pops
IN WORDS: I think it’s great…
OUT WORDS … high unemployment
DURATION 35‘65 ‘’

Council Sends £10,000 Down the Culture Drain

Not only has Southampton failed to gain the status of City of Culture, it has taken £10,000 of the tax payers money to do so. The partnership with Portsmouth failed to make the shortlist after investing thousands of tax payer’s money to impress the panel. The joint venture was unsuccessful in winning against other competitors, Birmingham, Norwich, Sheffield and Londonderry. The lucky City is thought to receive an estimated £100 million in investment and tourism. We went out on to the streets of Southampton to see what the backers of this venture thought of the money that had been spent.

Audio insert NAME: TAX PAYERS OPINION
IN WORDS: The money…
OUT WORDS: … pounds on a competition
DURATION: 16’43’’

Council Meeting

After attending the Southampton Council meeting on Wednesday 17th February at 3.00pm, I found out what happens in the meetings and actually found the set up and debates quite interesting; much to my surprise.

The meeting was about proposed council tax discounts for special constables and persons over the age of 65. This wasn't a particularly interesting subject to talk about but the way in which the councillors argue, jest and provoke each other did make me giggle a couple of times.

I was very happy to see that our Mayor was a woman; Liz Mizon, who is a Liberal Democrat. When the councillors are speaking they always refer to the Mayor as "Madam Mayor". This led me to believe that she ran the meeting. She also called for order a couple of times which makes it a little more clear who runs the meetings.

I'm not completly sure but there were two sides to the council chamber. When a person from one side was speaking they would make a sarcastic comment towards the opposite side; which would have nods and tapping of the desks from their side and moans and groans from the other. This led me to believe that maybe the two sides follow different political parties. The left side had the most people giving speeches, they also made many comments about the dislike of the Conservatives.

In front of the Mayor there was a man and a woman sat next to each other. The lady was taking minutes of the meeting, (I think) and kept time, (I think). There was a little box with a green, amber and red light on that she would switch on when a new councillor would start their speech. The man took the votes and read the rules and proposals out; when he wasn't asleep.

One councillor gave me the most laughs, to demonstrate his points in his speech he had bought in a recycling bag with a spade, some trucks, a box and a couple of other things in. On each item there was a post-it note with different amounts of money on each. Even though this didn't make a lot of sense to me as I wasn't at the last meeting, I did notice that the side opposite to him, the left, did not like what he was talking about. They laughed and called him ridiculous. He got quite angry, red faced and threw in a lot of sarcastic comments towards the side opposite him.

I noticed that there were about 34 men and only about 16 women at the meeting. Even though the number is quite small for the women, this is still more than I thought that there would be at the council meeting.

Overall I found the meeting quite interesting and wouldn't mind going back. Next time however I think I may pick a meeting that talks more about something that concerns me as I am neither a constable or over 65.