Monday 6 February 2017

The weekend on the doorstep



"I am not a racist, but foreigners really irritate me" said one resident. "Oh, OK" I replied, not sure whether to point out the apparent contradiction. This particular Tory voter did concede that not all foreigners fly-tip or leave their front gardens strewn with rubbish, although I doubt whether his views change much if at all after our conversation. Still, it did highlight just how infuriating it is to live cheek by jowl with those who seem incapable of properly disposing of their rubbish, even if most of us are do not go so far as denigrating a whole group of people.

I met a three-day old resident, someone who I woke up (an unfortunate shift worker), an Italian non-voter disturbed by the lack of a visible police presence, and someone frustrated by parking issues.

My canvassing elicited more Labour than Tory voters, but somewhat worryingly non-voters were in greater numbers. I am sure it is just a facet of the particular area I was in, but it is nonetheless disappointing that so many choose to be voiceless.

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St Luke's Voice Winter 2018/19 edition