The Dubai assassination on January 19 of Mahmoud al Mabhauh – a top Hamas militant, accused by Israeli intelligence (Mossad) of playing a key role in smuggling Iranian-funded arms to Islamist militants in the Gaza Strip – has the figure prints of inelegance written all over it. All kind of questions will be asked and the right kind of noises will be made but the bottom line is amateur assassins can never pull such an elaborate and organized plot.

Eleven foreign suspects were identified by the Dubai police, six of which are British passport holders; and although suggestions that the passports are fakes, the British names are of genuine people and this is very serious. Our Foreign Office launching their own investigation in this matter is expected and it is a step in the right direction, that plus the invitation, yesterday, to the Israeli ambassador to discus the situation and giving Israel “every opportunity to share with us what it knows about this incident” as Mr. Miliband said are all good measures but they are neither adequate nor worthy of gravity of the situation.

Seeing as the assassination took place a month ago, many questions still remain unanswered by the Israeli intelligence (Mossad), MI6 and the foreign office. When did the British foreign office know about the passports? Why only recently international arrest warrants by Interpol have been requested? Why is Israel – the main benefactor of this assassination – not answering any questions, denying any involvement or explaining the use of British passports?

Some reports suggest that both MI6 and the Government have received tip-offs about the killing before hand – if that is true, when did they know and what was done about it?

The feeling by some that relations with Israel matter more than the murder of a Hamas man – although British citizens’ rights have been violated – and that we will never know how these passports left the hands of the UK authorities or how they got into the hands of what we presume is Israel, is alarming and unacceptable. Nor is Israel’s insists in maintaining its ‘policy of ambiguity’ on intelligence matters is.

The truth of the matter is that we will never fully know every minute detail of what happened in Dubai, but we at least deserve to know that this government is able to protect us.

Don’t work hard work smart, like most other daily responsibilities working hard does not always guarantee success, on the other hand working smart does. Most campaigns have limited resources therefore it makes sense to get the most out of your time and money. That means targeted campaigning, which also means being efficient, organized and always prepared, plus being honest with yourself and the team.

If you are well funded you will have an office to run your campaign from and if you are lucky you will have a strategy-room (war- room) but a ‘strategy – wall’ will do the job equally well. Cover the wall with a large constituency map – the larger the better (to protect the wall pin the map over cork sheets/boards). Outline the wards, polling districts and other important locations. Use colour draw pins to identify the different parties and their representations by density so it is clear which area needs to be worked the most. Canvass the best areas first because it will give you a good gauge of how strong your current support is, plus it feels great to know but most of all because you can not take anyone for granted – regularly update all results.

Create a data base of people that you can call on for help, regarding issues that come up on the campaign trail, also people who can support with teams – coordinating events and managing delivery networks. The data base should also have names of business and stakeholders that you might call on for support with issues and/or invite to events.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others, learn and copy what worked in other campaigns but equally avoid what did not work in the past for other people or for you. Learning from others will save you time and gives you a launch pad to start from but don’t waste time in redoing or undoing what did not work before. Be personal and personable with the voters but allow yourself to be removed and unattached when it comes to managing what works best for the campaign (but remember to do it nicely and with warmth).

Different things motivate different people, and you need to stay motivated. Although I am good with figures and like numbers, I prefer to have a mental picture of things – as a visual person I find it easier and quicker to pull out a photo story from my memory bank – what type of person are you? Find out, and incorporate what works best on your wall, is it photos, stats and numbers, news paper cuttings (good and bad) or quotes from your favourite politicians and notes of encouragement from your supporters – whatever keeps you going have it on that wall.

Happy Campaigning!

……don’t waste you time. Very few people if ever were converted on the door step! A lot of us believe – if I just use my persuasive charm they will vote for us – NO, they will not. Canvassing; whether on the door step or over the phone, is for finding out who’s vote you can count on and how strongly you can count on them, and of course if they need help or assistance on polling day or need a postal vote (make sure you know where, how to get forms, and most importantly know your dates – a lot of people do a good job but forget about dates). If possible have some forms with your calling leaflets – check with your agent he will know the drill.

A lot of supporters of opponent parties will deliberately try to keep you talking about all sorts of things just to waste your time. BE ware, and don’t fall into that trap. That is why it is very important for team leaders to give clear and even precise direction on what to say and where or whom to canvass.

Keep it local, most people are more interested on issues closer to home, and the majority of your campaign will most probably have a stronger local than national theme. Your key campaigners should be briefed and have an idea of the central issues (read the hand out and ask questions if something is unclear).

Your leaflets reflects you, put out professional well written literature (if you are anything like me have someone with better spelling double check your spelling). People will not read your leaflet if it’s badly written or looks like something you just put together the night before. Be professional all the way and in every aspect of your campaign.

Have fun Campaigning!

… it is no great secret that image is important – and it should be. It is our introduction and the first impression people will make about us. Just imagine; you just walked in and the kids are settling down to do some homework, you are contemplating whether to cook or order something and the door bell rings! The last thing you want to see on your door step is a scruffy miss matched unimpressive someone with a clip board asking you “if the election is called tomorrow …….?”

A smile always warms the atmosphere – so warm them up with a smile from the heart and because you love what you are doing it should come easy. Look smart like you mean business, people will be drawn to you, and be more interested to hear what you have to say. Also mints, gums, freshener and a small bottle of water (dehydration makes you feel lethargic and talking can dry up your mouth) can come in very hand.

Besides looking the part, remember to be comfortable and prepared, layers are great (many times you leave home with the sun out and shinning bright and an hour later its a different story) layers will allow you to stay cool or keep warm. Ladies footwear is our downfall; wedges and chunky heals are best for looking elegant (plus height makes look slimmer) but are comfortable and safe for uneven pavements, potholes and being on your feet for long. If you are rural you can look the part too with Barbour & Hunter – just don’t over do it.

Weekends are a time for dressing down but watch out, your idea of dressing down might not go ‘down’ well. What might be young and hip (torn jeans and biker boots does not always translate correctly, nor will – pressed pleat down the middle – a pair of jeans with hand stitched Brogues shoes). Middle of the road is always safe.

Happy Campaigning!

Following on from last week – on the camping trail and especially when canvassing sometime you meet people who might ask for your help with some issue or a problem they need help with. Follow through is basically carrying on promises that you (or a member of your team) might have made to future constituents on the doorstep. Remember the 45 minutes to an hour debrief, besides knowing and thanking the team you are also collecting and familiarising yourself with these issues (some will even become great stories later)

To effectively help with this task (which by the way is the best advertisement your time and energy can buy) write down as many details on your notebook (I am assuming you will always have one and carry it with you) so you are fully briefed on the issue, also put down the details of the person who passed you the information.

Deliver; is just that. Stand by and fulfil every promise you make, from calling the council on their behalf to sending a car to pick them up on polling day (that’s when the little notebook is going to come very handy). Delivering on what you promised particularly on this election and post the expenses scandal is paramount. Wearing a rosette people see the party, as much as it is an honour it is also a huge responsibility.

Happy Campaigning!

With the election some 153 days away, campaigning effectively and successfully is very important. Part of my aim to help others in 2010 is to share what I know and learned through the years. In this instance I will share what I believe are effective campaigning tips. I do not claim to be a scholar or a professional campaigner but I have campaigned for many years for a diverse number of issues. In this series I intend to share my personal experiences, the experiences and advice given to me by others, and what I gained from observations.

Most of the tips are obvious because they are the basic fundamentals of campaigning, but I hope by highlighting them one tip at a time that will keep them fresh and crisp in our minds.

Campaigning Tip # 1 – Keep it Light and make it Fun!

Leafleting and canvassing must be fun; that also applies to all other campaigning activities. All people are not the same and different methods motivate different people. Since no candidate or campaign manger (team leader) have the time to individually study each volunteer or tailor make activity for them. Just make campaigning enjoyable fun and short. By keeping it short people will not run out of steam and lose focus, and by making it fun and enjoyable they will want to come back and help you again and again.

Campaigning is very similar to healthy eating, small regular meals are much better for your weight, your digestive system and sustained energy. The same goes for campaigning, short daily sessions or, even two daily teams especially on Saturdays are much better and more effective than one very long and exhausting session. That is why any campaigning sessions (specially canvassing whether face to face or on the phone) longer that 90 minutes are not as fruitful. Get lots of people out per session to keep the activity light, end the session at a nice meeting point a cafe or a pub.

The team leader MUST get to know and meet each volunteer and make sure to get their details for future use. He MUST spend around 45 minutes to an hour gathering all canvassing information, material and debriefing volunteers. Organized team leaders/groups can book the second meeting after the debriefing.