Excellent poster, but I would add an "X" in a box after the end of the bottom line, so that voters will immediately recognise it as a "party" on the ballot paper.

Hello

For reference, there have been a number of comments about adapting the poster on the original posting thread: http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2009/06/norwich_north_u.html#comments

where I posted the link at June 11, 2009 1:31 AM (currently near the bottom of the page)

Perhaps any coments should continue here, from this point.

I hope that you win.

Brynmor

Realised something else. It should be "What if one of them were different", not "seems" - makes it sound like I'm already an MP protesting innocence.

There are 650 MPs - the poster makes the claim that 200+ ("hundreds" - i.e. nearly a thrid of them) are putting in bogus claims every day of the week - i.e. 365 days a year. Such a claim is quite clearly false and your opponents would say so. Why not just say "MPs have fiddled their expenses. What if one of them was honest?" It's clearer and simpler (not that I would wish to endorse your campaign of course!) and it could not be challenged. It also needs fewer capitals.

Just an additional reference for context:

The poster is a parody of the 2008 Counter-Terrorism advertising campaign run by the London Metropolitan Police.

Originals can be seen here:
http://www.met.police.uk/campaigns/campaign_ct_2008.htm

Volunteered.

Brynmor - nice posters, both of them! The bit about the CPS ignoring you made me laugh out loud. The pigs pixelate a bit though so they look somewhat clip-art-ish - are they vector in the original?

Good poster Brynmor but an insult to pigs who are clean in comparison to our MPs - well alright - some of them.

@ora

Yes, everything but Craig's image is vector-based and can be scaled without pixelation. I saved at a lower resolution jpeg for posting.

By request: Hazel Blears
http://www.b3tards.com/u/99463e4b0f1b647c6d03/hazelblears.jpg

DKPP: Department for Keeping People Poor

Nice design. Like others, I have a very soft spot for pigs [email me at biodiplomacy@yahoo.co.uk if you'd like my compilation to celebrate the Year of the Pig]. However, in this case I will regard the pigs as the Animal Farm masks of the heartless Stalinist devils who need to be driven over their impending electoral Beachy Head.

Dear Craig,

the poster seems a bit puerile. The politics is quite negative and I am afraid people might be turned off. Sure you have to make the point about people with their noses in the trough but to do it in this way is a little over the top. You may not be taken seriously on other issues.

Would possibly be better with your name somewhere prominent - not everyone will know you from you picture .. VOTE Murray!

Ain - I don't agree. Craig's campaign needs to stand out from the crowd to emphasise the fact that he is offering something different. Humour's a powerful weapon and not something most politicians have the hang of.

I agree though, that a purely negative campaign would be a turn-off. Craig will no doubt have plenty of positive things to offer the people of Norwich North.

Quick idea: how about a photograph of an ambassadorial residence, or official car, with the caption: How Many Politicians Would Give This Up On a Matter of PRINCIPLE? With the inevitable - Craig Murray did. Find out more at .

Isn't the use of pigs offensive to muslims? So if there is such a thing as a Norwich imam then your campaign might get publicity for the wrong reasons, especially as you are promoting yourself as a non-racist candidate.

SJB

I am married to a Muslim. The image of a pig is not in general offensive to a Muslim. It is unclean to eat or touch (the latter lest it contaminate your food). But it's not in itself an offensive image, particularly as it is symbolising something negative.

SJB - Pork is forbidden to muslims as food, except in dire emergency. It is described in the Qur'an as "unclean". But a picture of a pig isn't offensive in normal circumstances except, perhaps, to a tiny minority who are always looking for offence. I would think showing politicians as pigs would not offend anyone except politicians. And they've got thick, bristly, skin.

Craig - actually even the very word "pig" is not uttered by many muslims from my neck of the woods. Such an act would bring "27 days" worth of bad luck they reckon. All depictions of pigs - even cuddly cute toys - are a no-no. It really depends - as you know muslim is a heterogeneous category. However it is not the pig depiction that worries me - it is its rather negative tone.

Hi there

I make no claims as to the maturity of the content of the poster - in the end all humour may be juvenile. It can be effective though, hence the popularity of such programmes on the television - Spitting Image made a difference to one election, as I recall.

Humour is often negative. The prat-fall and the pain caused to another is often the basis for many "jokes".

A set of b/w politician-heads would probably be as effective as cartoon pigs - just a lot longer to produce.

Shafiur - I have a cassette of Islamic children's songs one of which celebrates the animal kingdom, including pigs.

I'd like to see the evidence for 27 days' bad luck from the hadith, 'cos it sure isn't in the Qur'an.

My kids have had cuddly pig toys when they were little and it certainly didn't bother me, nor was it haraam (forbidden) nor makruh (disliked).

how about,

help me to reduce the instances of swine flu in politics

Hmm - could backfire. At the very least it needs a photograph of you which is not a full face, police department, mugshot. You don't stand out enough from the porcine background. Make friends with a good portrait photographer. There could be one reading this....

Tom Kennedy

Your idea of a poster of a Rolls Royce or palace with trimmings and caption 'How many would give this up on principle? One man did.' (presumably with a pic of Craig and PAHMIP (X) at the bottom)
sounds brilliant. Of course, I am not fighting the election.

Obviously i hope you win Craig but i can't help but agree with other comments here that feel the poster is a bit puerile-which can come across as negative campaigning;thus counter-productive.

A bit less petty spite and more maturity might sit better with your prospective voter methinks,although i grant you that in the current climate of anger maybe this is exactly the approach required to galvanise your vote...

Regards.

Tom, I have no idea whether the 27 day things is in the Hadith or not. Nor do I care. As I said my neck of the woods - a particular region of Bangladesh (district Faridpur), these views hold sway. I really don't want to get into a discussion about pigs. LOL. Just wanted to say that a variety of views exist out there and there is no one muslim view. My main point was about the undeniable negativity of the poster.

It's really important to target the people who'd be more likely to vote for you.
The elderly 70+ are absolutely disgusted and shocked by the expenses scam. I am myself quite taken aback by the degree of their disgust.
Also I think it might be an idea to target 18+. Many sixth formers don't give a toss about politics but they'll like your poster. Graduates will be really pissed off not being able to get a job which means their alcoholic consumption will be drastically reduced.

Shafiur, in my opinion there needs to be a whole range of publicity material. To start with there has to be a way of introducing Craig to potential voters, since many won't have heard of him. The more dramatic or eye-catching, the better. I think the poster above is perfect for that.

If Craig just appears as some worthy who promises to reform Westminster, and uses traditional methods of advertising, he'll get lost in the crowd. After all, the Tories and Lib Dems will be running on a "Reform Politics" ticket too.

Later, assuming Craig achieves the name recognition he requires, there needs to be a different emphasis, this time on what he would do as an MP for (a) the people of Norwich North and (b) politics in general.

And he will also need to react to - or better still, pre-empt - the inevitable negative campaigns that will be waged against him.

A final push will be required to get out the vote and remind people of what will happen if they choose business as usual.

I share Bill Hicks' aversion to marketing and may need to lie down for a while.

I like it. Its funny. And it is one poster, not the whole campaign. There will be plenty of policy leaflets etc.

Shafiur, I know what you mean. Frankly, after Blackburn, where the great majority of Muslims voted with their pockets for war criminal Jack Straw, I am simply not going to bother even thinking about the "Muslim vote" as such.

Individual Muslims who want to support me are extremely welcome. Tne Muslim community in Norwich North is small.

Brynmor, can you do a near final version
taking up my suggestions on this and the first thread?

This sounds like a facetious remark, but I'm being serious: that poster could trigger migraines in people who are prone to them. Looking at it certainly made me feel very uncomfortable.

Version 2

Changes made to wording, losing the "politician" element.

http://www.b3tards.com/u/99463e4b0f1b647c6d03/honestpol2.jpg

@rullko: complain to the Metropolitan Police who designed the original poster.

I like the poster a lot. Parody is great, and it builds on the back of the original advertising, so it can be good economics. The met adverts also appeared in regional papers in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and the West Midlands.(I kept one, I thought it so scary), so these advts have been seen by many.

Not 'seems' or 'were', but 'is different'.

I agree about not 'hundreds of MPs'.

I agree about adding the 'x' in a box at the bottom.

The line: "Corruption. If you see it, report it." would confuse anyone who wasn't aware of the parody. Perhaps it could be made positive yet still follow the parody as something like: "Integrity. If you see it, vote for it."

The impulsive subconscious mind does not recognise a negative.

e.g. Do not think of the colour red.

This poster is a blizzaerd of pigs. Whatever you think the message is, the people who see this poster will inevitable think of pigs every time they look at your face (no offense).

Bad idea here.

Dear Craig

I think the poster is ill advised.

Ian Gibson who is standing down wasn't a pig.

Secondly, not all MPs are dishonest.

Thirdly, there are Jewish and Muslims MPs in the Commons.

Bin it, the poster is well done but it isn't right.

And why mention non racist?

What is the subtext?

Are you saying some MPs are racist?

Someone pops up with a microphone and asks you who they are, you're stuffed.

Go have a look at my blog; I have done some humour about the Labour Party.

http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.com/2009/06/labour-heavies-cant-stop-people-voting.html

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Gosh Craig, it's as though you've hired Dick Cheney and the Dalai Lama as advisers - you're getting so much conflicting advice!

The productivity of a group of people is inversely proportional to its size.

OK, about time to draw a line here.

I think this poster is probably most suited to the back of the Student Union Bar where it may get noticed as someone orders their next pint.

But...

It has got you all thinking and talking about a serious campaign for Craig.

The challenge now is to come up with some more creditable material that gets the point(s) across in the most effective way possible.

Cheers all :)

Brynmor,

No, I really want to use it. As part of a mix of stuff. It will have an impact.

George,

non-racist simply means don't vote BNP. And it isn't aimed at ian Gibson, who is resigned and is not standing.

Again, you are looking at it as if it was the entire campaign, not a part of a whole raft of material forming an overall picture.

When I hear people claiming that they are honest I'm afraid my first reaction is hang on to my wallet. Perhaps it is best to let others make that judgement about you rather than yourself.

5.07pm Feel free to hang on to your wallet. I don't want it.

This politically correct society we live in drives me mad.

I would prefer if you had a positive leaflet though Craig, because this one produces negativity to me.

Using the pig imagine is becoming a little worn now - a picture of yourself taking pride of place would be far better.

Then again, I know graphic designers love to be right on the edge and if you like it, then you publish it.

to follow on with this animal theme, for another poster/advert you could use something like sheep being rounded up by sheep dogs ( party leaders brown/cameron ) to represent the 'do as your told - follow the party line' mentality of the current parties and whipping system ... you know, why vote for a sheep thats going to do what its told when you could have an independent really representing the views of those who voted? just an idea :)

another idea, to play on what you're really known for, how about a play on 'see no evil, hear no evil' with sheep or whatever representing labour/tories all facing away from a central image representing torture ( say some outline of a picture from abu ghraib that would be recognisable ) with something to represent you/an independent challenge of the policies that aren't challenged by the main parties?

Dear Craig

Anything you stick up people are going to be asking questions about.

My point is why open up aveunes to awkward questions that put you on the back foot.

It is your campaign, so you have to call it as you see it.

"non-racist simply means don't vote BNP".

But there are no BNP MPs in Westminister would be my point.

And your fight is to win the seat not enter a contest between you and the BNP.

I hope you do well; I am just not 100% convinced I would want to go that way myself.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Dear Craig

How about a pic of you collecting eggs with MPs faces on them?

'It is time to not let the bad eggs spoil the basket, vote Murray.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Wasn't there a 'punish the pigs' campaign which was part of the BNP's strategy for last Thursday's elections?
Is there a possibility that some might look at your poster and assume some connection?
I'm not sure that you want to allow any possibility of confusion on the matter.

Text has to change. The Tory candidate is a non-mp, so it works both ways. Headline's fine. Body needs some thought...

You'll find my application to help in your inbox.

Alan W

I think you should promote yourself in a way which emphasises the lifestyle you gave up because you value and respect the rights of people, all people. And as an MP this caring for the individual will continue in the same way in your duties as an MP

Interesting...my post is attributed to a "snowy". I'm Perikles...

Every single candidate will be pushing the anti-corruption line and emphasising that they are whiter than white. The real target perhaps is the tired parliamentary party system that has made all the fiddling possible. Therefore I suggest:

1) Make the pigs sheep instead, each with a shepherd's crook round its neck.

2) Top right box reads something like: "Do you ever wish you had a strong, independent MP who put your own interests first and didn't just follow the party line? Now you can".

3) Tag line at the bottom reads: "No Whips. No Crooks. Put An Honest Person Into Parliament

lol. 3.30am post for the previous. Apologies.

Oh yes, and make sure you have a good, high resolution photo of yourself taken so it doesn't pixelate when blown up for the poster. Otherwise the pigs (or sheep) will look better than you do.

Student Union Bar posters version 3...

Pigs: http://www.b3tards.com/u/99463e4b0f1b647c6d03/cm1.jpg

Sheep: http://www.b3tards.com/u/99463e4b0f1b647c6d03/cm2.jpg

More positive and slightly less pejorative - also with added slogan "Now You Can"

As I said previously, the challenge now is to come up with some more creditable material that gets the point(s) across in the most effective way possible.

Hello,

I would like to make a general comment. I am a muslim within Norwich North. I am of Gujarati extraction of which the majority of Blackburn folk belong to.

It appears that the next election should focus a bit more on cash. The poster appears a good direct attack against haram committed by MPs but requires something which the electorate thinks boom and not bust. Dont just attack the MPs but the institutional system as a whole. A picture of a £10 note rather than a pig would do the trick.

Something like a banker torturing the poor guy into giving away more cash on rubbish. Norwich North is quite traditional, I suppose the picture does have a good farming element to it!

@ SJB

Last time I looked Muslims are not a race. Get out a bit more.

And yes, pigs are offensive - well the near enough 650 in the commons that is.

"Such an act would bring '27 days' worth of bad luck they reckon."

Crickey shafiur, how long have you been incorporating superstitious rubbish into your religion.

"Luck" - *shakes head*

But it should be said, for some parts of the muslims comminity, mentioning 'pig' is tantamount to a swear word. However to those Muslims, it is a discipline of a personal nature, and they won't expect non-Muslims to conform to their ideals.

Go with the pigs Craig. (with tweaks)
brynmor's done well.

It clearly shows you are NOT one of them, and I'd agree.

A very arty and dead pan design, beryn I like it, but, is it a good positive outlook at the situation, should we put it into a positive frame somehow?.
( as hard as it may be, sigh)
What do you think of an idea to conduct a round of meetings in the Constituency, after which craig and his team adopt the locals issues, take them forward as part of the overall campaign?
If Independents mean something, should it not mean direct respresentation of those who elected you, forwarding their concerns and working on their behalf in parliament.

Some say that such outbreak of independents would not work, but they can't say why it won't.
Idependents can still work together on issues that they agree on.
A large outbreak of pragmatism and re balancing towards voters would be a first step, but ideally, in an accountable Europe, one that includes us in the appropriate place, independents should strive for an elected Commission, a choice of accountable commissioners, for a referendum on Lisbon, and in the case of Norwich North, a fair say for voters on the planned unitary arrangements. Re organisation is expensive and financial probety of this new authortiy is not a given, far from it, its recent problems with defining the limits for staff in the housing sector do question the option.

Independents could give people at meetings a voice and if many voters raise the same issue throughout the round of talks, then it should/could feature in the overall campaing as a first goal for local representation.

What do others say to this idea?

A very arty and dead pan design, beryn I like it, but, is it a good positive outlook at the situation, should we put it into a positive frame somehow?.
( as hard as it may be, sigh)
What do you think of an idea to conduct a round of meetings in the Constituency, after which craig and his team adopt the locals issues, take them forward as part of the overall campaign?
If Independents mean something, should it not mean direct respresentation of those who elected you, forwarding their concerns and working on their behalf in parliament.

Some say that such outbreak of independents would not work, but they can't say why it won't.
Idependents can still work together on issues that they agree on.
A large outbreak of pragmatism and re balancing towards voters would be a first step, but ideally, in an accountable Europe, one that includes us in the appropriate place, independents should strive for an elected Commission, a choice of accountable commissioners, for a referendum on Lisbon, and in the case of Norwich North, a fair say for voters on the planned unitary arrangements. Re organisation is expensive and financial probety of this new authortiy is not a given, far from it, its recent problems with defining the limits for staff in the housing sector do question the option.

Independents could give people at meetings a voice and if many voters raise the same issue throughout the round of talks, then it should/could feature in the overall campaing as a first goal for local representation.

What do others say to this idea?

iwtc247

Dear Jesus christ ( LOL ) when did i say i was incorporating anything into my religion? And what makes you think I have a religion? I was merely pointing out, after Craig's mention of his wife's faith and how it views piggies, that there is NO SINGULAR response to even's the beast's name in Islam. I have not objected to the porky theme - only that I thought the thing was negative...so please posters can you please not link my name with anti-pig bigotry. Flippin heck.

I'm tickled at the farming theme that's running through the comments. I'm wondering if another poster is going to show Craig in a straw hat and dungarees, brandishing a pitchfork.

Shoveling dung out of his way on the path to truth?

I like the poster -- as one of a selection.

I remember on a journalism course many years ago being advised to pitch my writing at Mr/Ms Average, that's somewhere between just-about literate and Ph.D. I think election posters need to be the same. Not too simple, but not overly-clever in their imagery either.

And humour definitely does it for me.

Watch out for swine fever! Oink oink achoooo!

I like the poster, but don't like the use of the word 'honest' twice. My English teacher told me never to repeat words in the same paragraph when there were so many others available. How about, "principaled" or "ethical" (that's quite a strong word for your campaign that'd set you apart, and is the key thing that's needed in politics!).

Also, being very pedantic now, the original poster has the colours of the background items bled out so they're just monochrome. Would this be more striking, and consistent in the parody? Just my tuppenceworth! Engaging image, nevertheless!

A modified strap line for the student's bar poster

"Truth is like a dog’s bollocks – pretty obvious if you care to look – but most MPs prefer to avert our gaze, many have had them removed.

Vote Craig Murray, man with cojones"

c/o http://slimpickens.wordpress.com

Let's try again.......
A modified strap line for the student's bar poster

"Truth is like a dog’s bollocks – pretty obvious if you care to look – but most MPs prefer to avert their gaze, many have had them removed.

Vote Craig Murray, man with integrity and cojones"

c/o http://slimpickens.wordpress.com

Craig,

Personally – I hope that you win a seat.

However, I say this:-

“Craig’s ascendancy, his election to Parliament, the reaction to his policies as articulated before his successful election and after it - makes it clear that very few people in this country are interested in changing anything of substance.”

And I trust that subsequent events do not give special meaning to what I have just written.

An advertisement should depict where you want to be, what you want to achieve. The poster is intended to be negative in order to highlight the positive. To me the poster reminds me of 'This little piggy had roast beef. This little piggy had none.'

The central point about Craig's campaign against torture is that the West has not matched its rhetoric and its international legislation not to differentiate between people like us who musn't ever be tortured or harmed in any way and people like them with possibly darker skins who can be tortured and manipulated in every way for the purpose of pinching their highly valuable natural resources.

I agree with Shafiur that pigs are not going to offend all Muslims or Jews unless you're making the comparison with one of them. But there's a banana skin of racism in the use of pigs if you wanted to persuade a Muslim New Labour supporter to back Craig's ethical campaign against this government's foreign policy. They would quickly tell the Muslim community that Craig was attacking Muslim support for New Labour by comparing them with pigs. It wouldn't be true, but it's precisely how the advert would be interpreted after what Craig has said about the rottenness of the borough of Bradford.
Offence can be taken where no offence was intended. That's why it's best to stick to positive advertising in my opinion.

Global warming. The best reason for reducing carbon emissions that I can think of is so that nations stop killing other nations for oil. It's so unimaginative and self-destructive to create an apartheid policy as Tony Blair did, in which the UK denies the destruction it has wrought on Iraq and is now wreaking on Afghanistan, in order to obtain cheap oil, when we know that alternatives are available. Craig is Green, because the fundamental basis of Greenness is to conserve our precious energy resources and stop the growth-mad politicians from grabbing them and wasting them.

shafiur
Do me a favour, don't volunteer to be Craigs spin doctor, please!

Interesting points made above but lets be realistic.

The muslim/black/ethnic minority vote in North Norfolk is almost zero. Forget a rascist agenda and forget this suddenly popular anti-BNP approach. Its irrelavent here and wont work.

Dr Ian Gibson was a popular MP. To be successful in North Norfolk a candidate will have to emulate the characteristics which he portrayed to his constituents. He was 'local' despite the accent. He appeared to care for the constituency and its people. He was not seen to his constituents as a grandee or a 'trougher'.

Peoples votes will be won only by a simple and positive campaign. Voters are rejecting the main parties due to numerous reasons, most of which arise from having a single party in power for too long with too great a majority.

This bi-election has arisen due to Gibsons reaction to the Labour Partys action against him and not from voters anger. Any candidate therefore needs to be local, care about the local people and matters and be prepared to fight for them. This is what any campaign must get across.

I agree with the previous comment. I live in Norwich and I am familiar with local politics here. It would be a mistake to attack Ian Gibson. Many people here feel that Ian Gibson has been singled out by the Labour leadership because he is more honest and outspoken than most of the rest of the Labour MPs. I think it is reasonable to attack the mainstream parties over the expenses scandal, provided this is recognised. I think it would be more appropriate for Craig Murray to raise the issue of the wider corruption in the parliamentary system. Many people feel that MPs do not represent them, cannot hold the government to account, and have to act as apologists for the policies of the permanent state. This is especially true in the area of foreign policy. I know, from talking to Ian Gibson, that he would agree with much of this (even though he is a Labour loyalist). So please don't turn this into a campaign against Ian Gibson. He has been forced by his (internally authoritarian) party to stand down, anyway.

Clive, stu

I can promise you that I am not in the least planning to campaign against Ian Gibson. He was very unfairly singled out. I have already said that if he stands as an Independent, I will not stand against him.

The draft poster is one item in a large number of items that will form the campaign. I don't see it as a attack on Ian Gibson anyway; but the overall balance of the campaign is what is important.

I also think this poster is sub-par. The design quality is poor for a start, and the message is ambigious (I wasn't sure initially if this was a smear poster against yourself?!). Also I don't think a hotmail email address is a great looking means of communicating with the public (adverts in every email?!). They are usually considered the realm of MSN using teenagers and not public candidates.

Of course this is just my personal opinion and I really wish you all the best in the by-election!

Replace one of the pigs with a picture of Ian Gibson, problem solved.

Breaking news!

Hazel Blears regrets... being Hazel Blears.

:|

Dave,

The Hotmail address is just one for volunteers to help to leave their details. It's not communicating with everybody.

I stongly suggest that, as everybody else knows far better how to campaign, you all stand for election!

I work for an advertising agency, a very big one.

Don't design by committee.

Keep it simple

URL (if allowed)

Emphasize the benefit for the voter.

Have a call to action. (Buy this politician now while he is still cheap !)

You don't need all that text, the visual is strong enough. You could use real pigs if you want more impact. If people are interested they will access the website.

Here is a suggested simplified version with "Honesty, if you see it, vote for it" for the slogan, and "Put trust back into Parliament" for the subtext

http://homepage.mac.com/john01/.Pictures/honestpol2.jpg

Hey, I didn't say I know better about anything! I'm only offering moral support. I don't think that, ethically, I can even send a donation.

I see that you have been well attacked by those who would seek to suborn your agenda.

Well done!

Just go for it!

mrjohn, your version of the poster is bang on message! It radiates positivity and is much more subtle about the troughing MPs.

Craig (and all) don’t worry about all this. Yes this was just one thing, but it was the first and it was to address the whole electorate. It was always likely that this is where the people would let express their own personal ideas addressing a whole election campaign as the excitement of trying to help you get into Westmonster is so fresh.

Have you thought about the level of management for this campaign/ i.e. do you want every decision to pass through you, or will you brief someone as to what you want and then trust them to carry out your wishes e.g. publications managers, events managers, or do you trust someone a lot - someone with a talent for a particular role and then delegate responsibility to him without clearing through you.

You may like to structure things. I think it will enhance your efficiency. You may also like to write a reasonably comprehensive set of views and how you can represent the good people of the constituency and the country as a whole. e.g. a 2 column table with a ‘Local policy’ and a ‘National policy’ and also pen an ‘elastic’ brief as to how you want various aspects of your campaign to be done, and if you want constructive comments, set up a post and attach a deadline for such comments. It will discourage future sillyness. Overall, doing these things will give more focus. Forgive my redundant text if you have already done this. And I’d just like to say, I think it is easy to hugely overestimate the use of this blog as a means for helping your campaign. I think it would be better to deal primarily with people in realtime, who after 30s of talking to them can get to work doing what you said. This will not be the first constituency won by way of the blog.

And people: start to get a sense of perspective. This could be a long campaign. We’ve got too hung up about something that was said to be for students! Students posters are hardly representative for the general public, and Craig has already said he likes the poster.

I will put my personal dilemma to the side for now and support you as best as I can.

Best Wishes.

VOTE UKIP IN THE NORWICH NORTH BY ELECTION

Eleven hour gap in comments between dreoilin at June 12, 2009 3:14 PM and MerkinOnParis at June 13, 2009 2:28 AM; anyone know what happened? I know I didn't try to post between these times.

I should imagine Craig is having a break from all the nonsense of conflicting advice. I hope he abandons this advice by committee and does his own thing.

Like version 2, Craig.
But what about having the pigs' eyes looking away in horror from the honest candidate?
Or staring at him in disgust if you want to direct the viewers' eyes at you?

There's too much in the poster 1. Craig Murray is standing; 2. There's corruption in parliament; 3. Craig Murray isn't corrupt; 4. If you see corruption report it; 5. Pictures of pigs; 6. Picture of Craig Murray. I would be extremely wary of negative campaigning in any election campaign. God knows you have persoanl experience of what it is like to be negative campaigned against and of how ultimately it didn't do the FCO any good in doing so. If I were you I would count on the election being next May. Plan accordingly. Then create literature to suit that timetable. All you need initially is a canvass leaflet. Plan for contingency of early election, but don't put too much into such a contingency plan. Your literature should be very snappy with simple concepts and no confused messages. First you will want to introduce yourself to your putative electorate. Second, you will want to give people positive reasons (say, no mor ethan three - they are the themes of your entire campaign and if they are well thought out you will not need to waver from them as they will incorporate your reaction to everything that might happen between now and next May 2010) to vote for you. You should begin knocking doors asap in areas which you and your advisors have worked out it is possible for you to win over voters. Don't bother with working class areas, or areas which ALWAYS vote for other parties. Don'tfall into the I-can-persuade-nonvoters-to vote-and-to-vote-for-me approach - all neophytes fall for it and it (almost) never ever works. You need to win existing voters. IN fact if I were you I'd join the lib dems. Get stuff in the local newspapers demonstrating local knowledge, engagement and your interest in issues which aren't human rights related (e.g. you could help local chinese gang master workers, but a. they don't vote and b. no one who actually votes in N Norwich will actually vote for you because of it). Finally, act as if you don't have a famous name and you wish to get elected. If you do that the bits of name recognition you get will be a bonus. But you must out gun other putative candidates on the strenth of your awareness of local issues and not your knowledge of human rights abuses and perfidious albion. Sad to say very few people will vote for someone who has your enviable track record abroad in an election to send a local representative to Westminster. Good luck.

Moran's website is down apparently and Rantzen is standing in Luton South.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090615/tuk-esther-rantzen-to-stand-as-mp-for-lu-45dbed5.html

"Don't bother with working class areas"

I thought this post had some good ideas, but that piece of advice is pretty rotten, whichever way you look at it.

Is this a fair biography on UK Polling? A bit smeary to my mind.
http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/guide/seat-profiles/norwichnorth

Craig Murray (Independent) born 1958, West Runton. Educated at Paston School and Dundee University. Former civil servant, he served as British Ambassador to Uzbekistan from 2002 to 2004. He was recalled in 2003 over disciplinary charges including exchanging visas for sex, but was later cleared of all charged. He was later quoted by the press as saying that MI6 utilised Uzbek intelligence data that had been gained by torture. It was claimed that Murray had lost the confidence of his colleages, and he resigned from the civil service. He has subsequently campaigned against torture and written several books. Contested Blackburn as an independent 2005.

Ladbrokes were offering odds of 100/1 for Craig to win the Norwich North By Election - attractive odds I think you will agree. Apparently they've closed all new bets on Craig for the moment in fear of taking a big hit on a suprise victory for an honest man...

Don't forget to email the address Craig gave at the start of this posting with details of how you can volunteer for the campaign.

I can't wait for Craig to enter the Augean Stables with his shovel.

Harperson was giving 'evidence' to the Committee on Standards in Public Life today. Such hypocrisy. How grateful the MPs are for the work the Committee is doing and other such blather.

Broon was speaking to a GMB meeting and trying to rouse support but dismally failing I would say. He was telling that they have to fight aqainst any cuts in the public services and kept quoting from Dear Prime Minister What a Wonderful Government You Are letters he has received. He is the one who has led the country into bankruptcy and he is the most likely candidate to do the cutting. Chutzpah.

Craig had an earlier piece about Devine who has now been given the chop.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8104140.stm

Here a floor, there a floor, everywhere a floor floor. Just Devine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8107603.stm