The people who came out to help canvass were astonishing in their diversity and enthusiasm. People drove across county lines to help ferry canvassers around towns in the cold and the rain. At every session I attended there’d be at least a dozen first time canvassers getting involved and giving it a go. So much more daring than a march or demonstration, and yet so much less demanding than risking your liberty and participating in civil disobedience, canvassing rose up in this election as an honest day’s political action for concerned citizens across the country.
People haven’t felt listened to – and the operation gave the chance to remedy that for some. Next time the project can only grow stronger. Everyone involved will have learned an abundance of important lessons, so that the next canvassing army to form for a left-wing government – alliance, coalition, single party or formed through proportional representation – will be bigger, stronger and more strategically utilised. And for all those saying the UK didn’t vote for socialism when offered – well if that’s your argument, you’re also saying almost half the voters did!
Whoever wins the Labour leadership take note: there’s boots on the ground and we come out for something well beyond our Leave/Remain stance and even a fabulous set of policies. We come out there because we care about active participatory democracy and we’re the one thing that can work beyond Facebook advertising and a sold out print press.
Whoever canvassed, rest now, you deserve it, ready to come back stronger next time – with all the people inspired by your commitment who will make up our force for real change in the years to come.