Political Opinion: The Cost of Caring - A response to Nick Smith

People feel that they have been unfairly treated and 2025 is likely to be an incredibly challenging year for many, as they look to curb their own spending in response to reduced pay rises, increased joblessness and an ever spiralling cost of living, with inflation still running well above the 2% target rate, set by the Bank of England.

Nowhere is this likely to be more keenly expressed than on the doorstep of the hard-up electorate. As local politicians and would-be councillors begin to pound the streets in hope of enlivening support for their candidacy at the ballot box in May, they are going to find themselves at the receiving end of all that troubles those squeezed most by political decisions taken both near, and far.

It's my intention to throw my hat into the ring and stand as a candidate for the Reform UK party, seeking to represent Duston on the West Northants Council. Like Nick Smith (article dated 27th Feb 2025), I was apprehensive when I first started to knock on doors in my local area. I assumed I’d be battling up-hill, against people’s perceptions of Reform UK. I’ve seen, to varying degrees, what I believe to be a false narrative in the media, suggesting that Reform is some ‘far-right’ party. Having attended the Leicester rally last month, I’d seen first hand what the rent-a-mob crowd of fringe, far-left, radicals can do when they get the wind in their sails.

Unlike Nick, I had steeled myself to be sworn at, threatened and have doors slammed in my face, I would not be the first would-be politician that this has happened to and, whilst it may be an unpleasant experience, I think it would be a touch naive not to expect this to happen at all, however much I thought I was doing good by trying to be a voice for my local area.

Whilst there are, no doubt, a number of online trolls that look to jump on, and criticise, anything posted by anyone in favour of Reform, my experience on the doorstep so far could not be further from my expectations, as I discovered recently when I became aware of the proposals related to the Duston School. I decided I’d do something totally out of the box and speak to locals (a shocking concept, I know)! I dutifully went door knocking in the area to speak to residents about the problems they’re having, and how they would like to see them resolved.

I knocked on the first door and rattled off the words I’d carefully rehearsed in my head, I introduced myself as someone who intends to stand as a Reform UK candidate and said I’d like to talk about the challenges they face, and then I waited with baited breath for the response. Far from having the door slammed in my face I received the exasperated utterance of a man who was a life-long Conservative voter. I spoke to him for 15 minutes or so and then went to the next door.

The same thing happened again, and again, and again. House after house of people, men and women, who had absolutely had enough with the politicians and parties that they’d entrusted their vote to for years, many decades in some cases. I made sure to take the time to carefully listen to what each of them had to say, because I wanted to, because this is my local community too and what is good for them is also, quite probably, good for me.

Nick is right to say that many of the frustrations of the day, those centring around farmer’s inheritance tax, winter fuel allowance for pensioners, net zero energy policy pushing up fuel bills and so on are all the result of policies handed down by Westminster, These things aren’t in the gift of local councillors to change, but I can’t help but get the sense, from his article, that he doesn’t agree with these policies, dictated by his own party, either.

Whilst I absolutely and completely condemn some of the behaviour he claims to have experienced, I can’t help but feel that if you disagree with your Party’s policy, then bag-carrying for them at the doorstep isn’t just a little bit silly, it’s completely irrational. Why do you want to represent Labour at all, if you can’t defend their policies when in front of the people whose votes you are courting?

The anger experienced on the doorstop isn’t misplaced at all. Far from it, If you are a representative of one of the Parties that has caused, and is causing, people such turmoil and strife then I’m not surprised that they express this to you, even if I would rather it was expressed with a degree more civility.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the elections in May because I know I’m working with a team of dedicated businessmen and women who live locally and want the best for their town and, if my experience to date is anything to go by, I’m looking forward to knocking on more doors and talking with more people in Duston. The people of Northampton have been nothing but polite and civil to me and they appear to be interested in the same opportunities for change that I am.

So yes, in this election the choice could not be clearer, but it’s not the dichotomy that Nick makes out, there is a third option. You can plump for more of the same from a tired and failing council, or you can have a fresh start with people who find their Westminster policies and colleagues indefensible, or, better still, you can vote for real change and elect people who understand your frustrations and agree with you and whose Parliamentary Party does too.

But please, go easier on Nick & Co and show them how you feel at the ballot box instead.