 |
| Shahrar Ali, Alex Colas and Martin Francis - Willesden Green, Saturday (I've forgotten the joke...) |
A passerby stopped me to say how glad she was to have a real choice on the ballot paper this time round and promised that her three votes will be dividided between votes for the two Green candidates and a vote for Alex Colas. She was not the first person to signal this intention and it is clear on the Willesden Green streets that Alex is winning the poster war.
Make Willesden Green invited us to their picnic on Villiers road that was held to celebrate the completion of canvassing and to thank the 24 or so local supporters who have been working for the campaign.
Alex Colas generously acknowledged the contribition I had made to the Willesden Green Library, Willesden Bookshop and Gladstone Park Primary school campaigns. Make Willesden Green had emerged from those campaigns as a way of local residents using the strength they had gained from those struggles to attempt to reclaim a voice in their community and to hold the council to account.
A former Labour Party member told me how much she had enjoyed working with Make Willesden Green. She had left the Labour Party because 'I could not stomach the idea of campaigning for Dawn Butler'.
Whatever the outcome of Thursday there is no doubt that Make Willesden Green has already gained a victory of sorts in showing that an independent, broadly based grouping, can mount a highly professional and impassioned campaign.
They have contributed much to reinvigorating local democracy and giving the community a positive focus.