August 17, 2010
How Not to Run a Campaign Event
Update: in the interests of accuracy I should say that Martin of MayorWatch blog attended the event as well (see comments). But still, two people – not exactly a barn-stormer is it? I will try to reply to people later, but just finished a 90mile bike ride and feel like death, on the 2-hr train home, with no food. I have replied to Sarah Hayward of Oona’s campaign in the comments below.
I was recently invited to attend a “bloggers meeting” with Oona King, scheduled for last night. Having nothing better to do I decided to go along.
For anybody living under a rock, King wants to be Labour’s candidate for London Mayor. That means overturning Ken Livingstone’s claim to the throne – not an easy task given his deeply-entrenched support. But personally I’m no fan of Livingstone, and think Labour needs to move on. So despite Oona’s deep unpopularity amongst much of the Labour Party, I went hoping to be impressed.
Arriving promptly at 7pm I went direct to the meeting room. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anybody there. A couple of waiters wandered by, and I asked if this was the right place. They consulted a clipboard: “Er, yes, but we haven’t seen anyone yet. However help yourself to drinks and snacks”.
Never one to decline free things, I indulged. But after 10 minutes I was feeling lonely. Where was Oona – or for that matter anybody else?
Suddenly, feet and voices on the stairs. Who could this be – fellow bloggers surely? Alas, no: enter King’s campaign team. The head of the group quizzed me as to whether I was a journalist. I replied that I’m just a blogger. “Which blog?” Er, Liberal Conspiracy. “Oh yeah? What’s that about then?”- asked with suspicion at the possibility of LibDem infiltration.
Now forgive me for being precious, but at a supposed bloggers meeting it might be worth knowing what the biggest left-wing blog in the country is. And the sort of content it runs. And that yes, it has covered the Ken-Oona race so far.
Anyway, small talk was made. Or rather, I was told that Oona needed to be Labour’s candidate because Ken is “old Labour, from the 1980s” and represents only inner London. After 5 subsequent minutes of being told I was wrong to suggest nonetheless that Labour’s Blairite past ought to be broken with, I made some excuse and disappeared to the toilet for 10 minutes.
When I returned there were in fact new people in the room. Bloggers, perhaps? Er, no. Some interns and staff from the New Labour “Progress” group, presumably there to represent the right of the party. And still no Oona.
For 20 minutes a guy from King’s campaign team did try to engage me in conversation. He was nice enough to ask about my background, though in future he should drop the Soviet-interrogation-voice when prying for information, such as how many readers LibCon gets, and what weight it gives to London issues. Also, whilst I know it’s hard for politicos to remember this, we ordinaries really appreciate it if you don’t constantly look over our shoulders to check nobody more interesting is around.
With still no sight of Oona, I tried to join a conversation amongst her campaign team and the Progress types. But when I questioned the view that it was “ridiculous” to attack Alan Milburn’s decision to help the Tories, a portly man apparently in charge of the conversation responded by addressing the group instead of me, and dismissing what I’d said as though it were a bad smell. As the group then physically closed around the circular table, I found myself pushed out and resorting to a discarded copy of the Evening Standard. And still no Oona.
I looked at my phone. 53 minutes had elapsed. Frankly, it was time to leave. But just as I started up the stairs – there was Oona, coming out of the lift! Except by that point I was queasy from my fourth glass of orange juice, and frankly things were beyond a joke.
Oona King’s campaign team can’t run a meet and greet where more than one person turns up.* And that one person sods off in boredom. Mayor of London? Pull the other one.
–
*I mean, I could be wrong and perhaps some other bloggers were lurking incognito. But I genuinely believe I was the only person there not already affiliated with her campaign.
Startling efficiency in political activism said,
August 17, 2010 at 10:27 am
[...] No, really, much better than I would have guessed. [...]
Tweets that mention How Not to Run a Campaign Event « Bad Conscience -- Topsy.com said,
August 17, 2010 at 11:25 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ben Folley and Ben Folley, Paul Sagar. Paul Sagar said: Frontline dispatch – On being the only blogger at Oona King's official blogger's meeting: http://bit.ly/cMfDE4 (@SunnyHundal @VirtualStoa) [...]
Sarah Hayward said,
August 17, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Paul in the interests of fairness we were there at 7 and Dan didn’t ask what ‘Liberal Conspiracy’ was. We’d also told attendees what time Oona would be there and politician runs late to event is in the dog bites man field of news. There were other bloggers and journalists there who found it useful.
The piece that sums up the intellectual poverty of both Oona King and her entourage… « Spirit Leveller said,
August 17, 2010 at 1:39 pm
[...] Good piece by ‘Bad Conscience’ blogger, Paul Sagar, on his recent experience of King and her campaign team. E-mail Notification [...]
Tim McLoughlin said,
August 17, 2010 at 1:50 pm
I’m a London Labour member and blogger who is closely following the Oona versus Ken battle. I wasn’t able to attend last night’s meeting but that doesn’t mean that some of us in the blogosphere aren’t supporting Oona. I do and some of us are.
I’ve been in touch with Oona’s team to ask their view on specific issues during the campaign to inform my writing and have found them to be professional, knowledgeable and helpful.
Martin said,
August 17, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Hmm, I was there and I think part of the discussion you might be referring to and I’m not part of Oona’s campaign or even a Labour member and I met at least one other journo there.
I thought everyone was very friendly, though of course when politicos get together conversations get ‘robust’. I think I was part of the table of people you refer to and though I have no recollection of anyone pushing anyone else out of a conversation I apologise if that’s how you felt and if I was in any way part of making you feel that way.
Richard Blogger said,
August 17, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Free booze? Why wasn’t I invited? I blog and I drink, and sometimes I do them separately.
Seriously, isn’t this typical of New Labour? Nouveau New Labour will have to decide who they exist for. I have always thought that Oona’s point of view was that the Labour Party existed solely to get her elected.
Steve said,
August 17, 2010 at 2:33 pm
“Labour needs to move on”
Yep! … to Mars?
cabalamat said,
August 17, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Now forgive me for being precious, but at a supposed bloggers meeting it might be worth knowing what the biggest left-wing blog in the country is. And the sort of content it runs.
I don’t think Oona’s quite got the hang of this interweb lark. I bet if she was still an MP she’d have supported the Digital Economy Bill.
Peter Anderson said,
August 17, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Oona King is a disaster waiting to happen. Right-wing blogs are already making capital out of her reputation for having a bit of a ‘wild time’ on the town. She is a divisive figure in the Labour party, representing the type of bully-boy politics that just lost us an election. She does not have true Labour values.
Of course we need a change but it goes back to the same old question – change to what? More New Labour?
No thanks!
Paul Sagar said,
August 17, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Sarah,
“we were there at 7″ – No, you weren’t.
“Dan didn’t ask what ‘Liberal Conspiracy’ was.” – Fair enough. If I think harder I recall he asked “what’s the ‘Liberal’ about then?” (or words very much to that effect), and some other general questions that implied he didn’t know much about the site at all. In fairness, you guys apparently asked Sunny Hundal to attend ad nauseum, so you must have some clue. But it didn’t show on the night, whatever specific words I recollect now, what matters is the general impression which was – unbelievably – that you didn’t really give a toss about blogging…which under normal circumstances would be fine and justified – but not at your own official bloggers event.
“We’d also told attendees what time Oona would be there” – No, you didn’t. Your email and invite for the event on the 16th of August – and I’ve just checked my inbox – states only that the event will run from 19.00-20.30. Oona not showing up until 20.53 is pretty poor – you don’t think?
“politician runs late to event is in the dog bites man field of news. ” – Perhaps. But “campaign team doesn’t bother to explain lateness” is in the “fantastic incompetence” field of organisation, so swings-and-roundabouts, eh?
“There were other bloggers and journalists there who found it useful.” – Indeed, it seems I was wrong. There was at least one other blogger there – Martin, of MayorWatch. I may have mistook him for one of your campaign team, which was my fault. I’ve heard vague reports of another. I dunno about journalists.
But let’s be honest: even if it was three bloggers who turned up – are you trying to tell me that’s some sort of success story?
p.s. in case you’re interested, this post has received over 2,000 views today. It didn’t get cross-posted at Liberal Conspiracy because Sunny (rightly) felt it was too informal for over there. But a lotof people have now read my account nonetheless…you may want to think about then when dealing with “new media” in future.
That's News said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:48 am
So it would be either Oona or Ken? Oh, dear. Is that the best Labour can do? Really?
Shamik Das said,
August 20, 2010 at 11:21 am
In fairness, we too were invited, but neither of us could turn up. If lots of bloggers are invited, with plenty of notice, and only a few turn up, it’s unfortunate but something out of Oona’s control. Mid-August is probably not the best time for this type of event.
What’s important is that this race is contested in the right spirit, on policy, vision and the future of London, not angry shouts and denunciations of “Blairite” or “Has been”!
Shamik, Left Foot Forward
That's News said,
August 20, 2010 at 11:29 am
“Mid-August is probably not the best time for this type of event.”
Then, clearly, it was NOToutside the control of Oona and her team, as they would have chosen the date and time of the event.
Paul Sagar said,
August 20, 2010 at 12:53 pm
“What’s important is that this race is contested in the right spirit, on policy, vision and the future of London, not angry shouts and denunciations of “Blairite” or “Has been”!”
That may be true.
But it doesn’t really cover my concerns about the fact that the meeting itself was a shambles.
Chris Brooke said,
August 20, 2010 at 6:25 pm
What’s wrong with denouncing Oona King as a Blairite?
Paul Sagar said,
August 20, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Maybe it’s that we don’t know which Miliband will be leader, so Left Foot Forward has to be careful about who it calls names until then?
AdamBienkov said,
August 21, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Interesting account. I was going to attend but they changed the date at the last minute for some reason and I couldn’t go.
I’ve tried to cover Oona’s campaign from the start but they haven’t made it easy. Just getting so much as a press release out of them has been a struggle at times. I had to phone four times and fire off several emails just to find out where her launch was. The bloggers event seemed like an encouraging sign so it’s a shame if it didn’t work out.
Sarah Hayward said,
August 21, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Paul, I’m not going to respond in full, but safe to say your response to me is plain wrong.
Paul Sagar said,
August 21, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Oh right, that’s me told. In the face of such powerful arguments and evidence there is no rock left for me to hide under, that’s for sure.
That's News said,
August 22, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Quite clearly there are some people who just do not DO PR, effectively.