Nice one Jack

A couple of days left before we pop up to Normanton to meet Mr Balls. And we thought we’d take this opportunity to thank our supporters – and one supporter in particular – for all the ideas we’ve been getting with in the last week.

Hats off to Jack Hazelgrove from Brighton, whose Don’t be a Block’Ed slogan, reported in yesterday’s Guardian, will be gracing the fair streets of Normanton this Friday.

So we popped by to meet our ad guru – aged 73 - in his home this week.

So we asked: what’s got your goat about Mr Balls and his blocking tactics? “Balls is a product of an old system” said Jack. “A breed of politicians who think they will glide from university to political assistant, to safe constituency to junior office, high office, cabinet, all in the space of a dozen years.”

It’s a response we’ve been hearing from a lot of supporters. Particularly with these Young Turk types suddenly parachuted into safe seats they probably never visited before. In Ed’s case his wife Yvette Cooper is MP for the neighbouring seat – you'll remember the flipping – but whether that makes it better or worse is up to you.

Brighton is a funny seat. Jack’s actually lucky enough to live in one of the few seats that could go either way at the election, and nearly unique in that a Green candidate - MEP Caroline Lucas - is odds on favourite.

“We’ve a classic situation here” Jack told us. “In Brighton you’ve got two parties on the progressive left, and we get this ridiculous competition. Which ever is ahead will say if you vote for other one you’ll only let the Tories in. On the right you’ve got the Tories are saying don’t vote UKIP or you’ll let Labour in.”

“This is all about persuading people not to vote on principal. And it’s just so appalling.

For Jack, as with 40,000 others backing Vote for a Change, a fair vote is about getting real choice.

“If people have a vote then they should feel that their choice matters, and what ever of the system used, their vote will be there and counting. Parties try and persuade us not to vote for what we believe. All on the grounds of voting the 2nd best I will avoid the worst.

“In so called mature democracy this is nothing short of infantile.”

Nicely put Jack. We’ll mention that to Ed this Friday.