I was asked by my local branch to deliver some leaflets for the upcoming PCC election in South Yorkshire. Being a moderately overweight man in his 30s, who finds it somewhat difficult to find time or motivation for exercise these days, I jumped at the chance to have a big long walk. I figured it would make up for my lack of Golfing this year, if nothing else.
As I began walking my first street, I was, I'm not afraid to say, a little worried. I was concerned that I may get told to F*** off by someone, or get a full on lecture, on how I'm a homophobic, bigoted, racist. Now obviously I have this fear when blogging, or tweeting as well, but in person, that kind of abuse, is a whole different ball game.
What actually happened, was pretty surreal and couldn't have been further from my expectations. As I walked down the return side of the street, there were people smiling at me from the side I had just walked down, people waving and saying hello, then one man, really blew me away. An old gentleman, with liver spots and looking a little frail, made his way slowly to his gate, to summon me over. At first, I thought "Here we go, here's some abuse coming", but that couldn't have been more of an incorrect judgement.
"Are you a UKIP supporter?" The man shouted to me. "Yes, yes sir I am", I replied confidently. "I wonder if you would mind posting this for me", he said with a smile on his face. "It's my postal vote for UKIP and I find it a little hard to get out and about these days." Well, suddenly my day changed completely, it turns out the gentleman was an ex-union shop steward of 20 years, a man who had always voted Labour for as long as he could remember and a man who considers himself very much Left Wing in his principles.
His opinion of the leaders of the current parties, was far from complimentary. His opinion, is that whilst he's not all that sure about Farage and he's a little concerned that the media make UKIP out to be very Right wing (They're not, but the media and other parties want you to believe they are), he genuinely believes that UKIP are the only people who will take us out of Europe, he believes Farage is the man who will change politics and what kind of party leaders we get going forward and he believes that things just cannot continue the way they are and that UKIP and Farage, are what is going to change the countries direction for the better.
As we parted ways, he said one last thing, with a big smile on his face. "The tories are a busted flush up here in Yorkshire and the Labour party have lost the plot, fingers crossed we can make a difference". Needless to say I'm off back out again in a minute to deliver some more leaflets.
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