Robert Buckland Weblog

Westlea School is the venue for our latest showdown.  The audience is sparse, and largely made up of party loyalists.  A far cry from early January, when the same hall was packed to the rafters with parents anxious about the school’s fate.  When politics hits people’s doorsteps, they still care.  It is proving more difficult [...]

New College played host to all the candidates from both Swindon seats, so a huge array of about a dozen candidates faced an audience that happily well exceeded our number. College Principal Graham Taylor controlled proceedings with an almost military discipline. By the end of it, candidates were being reduced to thirty second responses. [...]

Our second Election Address has been conveyed safely to the Post Office.
Already, people are receiving postal votes.  My fate is being decided.  A very wet day, but luckily I am under cover at a coffee morning in Wroughton, followed by a visit to a sheltered housing complex.  I haven’t been on my weighing scales [...]

My First Read of the Papers:  The best advice I can give to people who want to follow in my footsteps is:  Never read the newspapers during the campaign.
Today, I decided to ignore my dictum and I picked up a copy of the Sunday Times.  Their election coverage, spread over four or so pages, [...]

Today is a "Day of Action", when keen helpers emerge from out of the woodwork and set to work in the constituency.  The trouble is that it is raining.  Heavily.
Nevertheless, we plough on, undaunted.  There are teams of canvassers working in West Swindon, Wroughton and Old Town.  Thousands of leaflets are being delivered as well.  [...]

Some photos of a visit by Michael Ancram to Wroughton supporting Robert’s campaign have been posted. You can see them here.

Justin Tomlinson and I took part in an election debateat the Elim Pentecostal Church in Osborne Street.  We were joined bycandidates from other parties.  Questions ranged from screen violence to the nature of the Coronation Oath.  We were asked whether the next monarch should be a "Defender of the Faith" or a "Defender of Faiths".  [...]

Throughout the last week or so, I have been talking to parents and governors of Salt Way School.  There is a problem with surplus school places in West Swindon primary schools, and several months ago a consultation process was launched by the Council.
Parents, governors and staff have been thrown into confusion and uncertainty.  As a [...]

Please note an alteration to a prior blog about meetings:  the Swindon Evening Advertiser Hustings is on 7.30pm on Tuesday 26th April.

Observant motorists (including your blogmaster) would have seen a pretty sight on Marlborough Road this evening – a group of blue rosetted canvassers, including your candidate, doorstepping unsuspecting residents.
Why canvass?  Call me old-fashioned, but door-to-door visits are still the best way of meeting electors.
Mass audiences can be reached via TV, radio and the net, but [...]