David Heap: The days of winning just because of the Conservative name are done

Cllr David Heap represents Baxenden Ward on Hyndburn Borough Council.

A question everyone now asks me is: What’s the key to winning a tough election as a Conservative?”

Firstly, let’s go back.

A by-election was called at the start of the year for February 6th in Baxenden Hyndburn. This seat was predominantly conservative in the past but had been lost to Labour the previous May. We now needed a strong candidate to try and win that seat back, and I believed I was the man for the job.

I’ve always held very strong Conservative beliefs such as pro-business, power to the people not the state, those that can should and strong fiscal competency. Couple this with my hard work ethic, and I knew I was the right man. After being selected as candidate we got to work, one of the main things you need to win tough elections is a strong core team with the same work ethics, fundamental beliefs and desire to win and I had that in abundance, we had former MP of Swindon Justin Tomlinson doing all our literature designs and printing through his company conservative print, Justin’s help and advice was invaluable as was current MP for Fylde Andrew Snowdon’s, we had the support and help not just of Hyndburn’s association but neighbouring associations of pendle and Preston who’s activists knocked and delivered daily with us, and finally to my campaign manager and right hand man steven Smithson, steven is one of the most hard working, dedicated, knowledgeable and loyal people I have ever met so to have him by my side as my right hand man is one of the main reasons we won and I cant tell you how much I owe to him.

Working with Steven, we devised a plan very early on. We knew exactly what we were doing, where we were knocking and when to deliver literature right down to the exact day and we did not deviate from this clear plan at all, this clarity during an election is vital. Next was the literature and message when knocking. What’s the message we want to get across? Well that bit was actually quite easy and took a matter of minutes, we need to get across that this is a local election and I’m a local candidate that will work none stop for the area all year round, I will always be here for the area not just at election time and I will always be visible and active no matter what. This message is what I would want from somebody representing my area; there’s nothing worse than never seeing your councillors or MPs or only seeing them at election times, people want to see you actually care, so that’s the message we went with and got across.

It was a tough campaign in many ways. Conservatives were out of favour nationally, there was the rise of the populist party Reform and then there was the weather, -8 some days and snow then ice everywhere. One day it was far to bad to campaign and I got a call from a resident saying carers couldn’t get down to a very sick elderly lady in her bungalow, without hesitation I bought a snow shovel and went and dug out a path and spread grit, this isn’t just to get votes as my opposition tried to portray it, it was just the right thing to do “if you can you should”. Word spread of this and I spent three days clearing paths, driveways and anywhere that really needed my help. To this day people still talk about it in the community, one of my main beliefs in life not just politics is “actions not words.”

Key local issues that everyone talked about but nothing was happening, were, the reopening of King George’s playing fields, Hollins Lane resurfacing, communication. I couldn’t and shouldn’t promise anything on the first 2 but I would try my hardest and I’m pleased to say that since our election victory King George’s has been given a reopening date and Hollins Lane is getting resurfaced and I will keep pushing to make sure these are followed through on. The communication part I could promise, I promised if I won I would hand deliver a thank you card personally to each household in Baxenden which I have done and that I would hold regular residents meetings which I held my first one just this Thursday gone which was very well attended and I even got an ovation at the end. I tell everyone I’m not here representing the council, I’m here to represent you at the council, and I’m true to my word.

Does this direct, personal, hardworking, honest, approach really work in modern politics? Well the answer is clear, turn out for this winter by-election in the north of England was 37 per cent I had residents who haven’t voted since the late 1990s coming out at 7:05am on polling day to support me, another sent me a message as polls closed saying “I hope when I wake up I have you as my councillor” I’ve received many messages like this and it truly means the world to me so I just want to say again to the residents of Baxenden thank you.

So how do you win a tough election as a Conservative?

Here’s my answer, the days of winning just because of the Conservative name are done, you need a strong core team, an honest loyal right-hand man, a structured plan that isn’t deviated from, honesty and most of all you’ve got to work bloody hard. Do all these and you’re in with a fighting chance.