ePolitix.com - The other side of the camera: The life of a new parliamentary candidate

Parties of all colours are now well into the process of selecting their Parliamentary Candidates for the next election. Shortly before Christmas, I was selected to be the Labour Party Candidate for Bromley and Chislehurst.

Almost immediately, everyday life started to become a little strange.

Within a couple of days of my selection, I had had a photo shoot with a Secretary of State (Ed Balls – for which I wasn’t prepared and didn’t even have a tie), had a Facebook Group set up on my behalf (Chris Kirby: A Strong Voice for Bromley and Chislehurst – feel free to join!) and had been invited to any number of events, meetings and activities.

Off the cuff speeches, photos, questions, phone calls from members and events where you walk into a room full of strangers and everybody knows your name are commonplace. It is fair to say, adapting to being a candidate, rather than an activist, takes a little while.

Candidates must soon develop a thick skin and be prepared for criticism to come at any time, from any source. I have lost count of the number of friends, acquaintances and even family members who upon hearing about my selection have said words to the effect of: “I don’t vote. I just think you’re all the same”.

So, what have I learnt in my first month and a half? Be as prepared as possible for something unexpected to happen, try not to be too put out when people make throwaway comments that inadvertently offend you and always, always carry a spare tie...

Submit Comment