Labour continues to campaign, Ed Balls joins John O'Farrell

Today I interviewed MP and Labour shadow Chancellor Ed Balls. I did very well to get this interview as all of the big names were there today and the media scrum has yet again joined me on my Eastleigh mission.

I asked Ed two simple questions. The first about why young people should vote Labour. And I challenged him on what it is Labour will do differently.
The second question was about unemployment and the Ford Factory. I asked him if he thought it could of been handled differently.

The first question is a national question that applies to the Eastleigh by-election and the national election which will soon come round.

Ed Balls: ‘Lib Dems have lost the trust of young people’

Labour MP and shadow Chancellor Ed Balls visited Eastleigh today to support the Labour candidate John O’Farrell in the run up to the Eastleigh By-Election.

Ed Balls told WINOL: “Many young people voted liberal democrats in the last general including here in Eastleigh because Nick Clegg made a promise he said he wouldn’t increase tuition fees and he broke that promise.”

He added that the Liberal Democrats have “lost trust and “young people feel very badly let down by Nick Clegg.”

His alternative would be to cut tuition fees down by three thousand pounds.

By Faith Thomas

Eastleigh By-Election:A day with the Labour activists

Labour Campaigning in Hedge End today with Southampton MP  John Denham

A day in the life of a Labour Campaigner...

After 7 hours door knocking with the Labour campaigners I can officially say I am exhausted! It was a brilliant opportunity to see how hard they campaign. 

Eastleigh hasn't have a labour MP since 1944! These people I met today really want to change that.

They hope that the people in Eastleigh are disappointed with the Lib-Dems and Labour wants to split up the Tory and Lib Dem domination especially since Chris Huhme lied to them and they hope to win the votes this time round. 

I door-knocked in Fair Oak and Hedge End. We knocked on around 500 houses in Hedge End and about 160 people told us they would be voting for Labour, they got around 1 in 5 votes. The majority was split between people saying they were undecided with who they would vote for. UKIP seemed to of impressed the Hedge End community with labour votes being in competition with them. 

We also put a stand up in Hedge End village to talk to the people their. Local Southampton MP, John Denham joined in and asked people to write down what it is they want to see change. 

I think door-knocking today was very successful for Labour. The team are then able to see who is likely to vote for them and they can keep in contact with them during the lead up to the vote- this insures they won't lose potential voters. 

The by-election is on the 28th February so vote if you live in the constituencies, its an important decision and it doesn't come around often. 

The person standing for Labour will be announced tonight. 

Candidates:

John O'Farrell, who writer and sometime presenter for Have I got News For You.

Mark Latham, has worked in network television production.

Sarah Rabbits, is a communications professional and consultant who has worked from the BBC and grew up in Surrey.

Southampton Cllr Andrew Pope 

Southampton Cllr Darren Paffey

NUS urges government to allow voting at 16

NUS urges government to allow voting at 16 go to winol.co.uk for more news written by students. 

MPs have voted in favour of a proposal to lower the voting age in all UK elections from 18 to 16.

The House of Commons today voted 116 to 49 in favour extending the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds.

Last time MPs debated the issue the vote was lost by just 7 votes.

The National Union of Students (NUS) today called on David Cameron to listen to the will of the House of Commons.

Toni Pearce, NUS Deputy President, said in a statement: “Young people should have the opportunity to choose to vote for those who really support their causes, to hold politicians to account, and to withdraw their votes from those who don’t.

“It’s time for David Cameron to understand that lowering the voting age is an idea whose time has come. 16 and 17 year olds are likely to be voting in the Scottish referendum and they should be able to take part in votes throughout the whole UK.”

-What do you think?