Following last Thursday's local elections, Labour candidate John Boaler has been reflecting on his campaign in Calne, highlighting both positive trends and concerning issues he observed.
John Boaler, who contested the Chilvester & Abberd ward for Calne Town Council, noted a vibrant campaign environment with three of the four town wards being contested by multiple parties and independent candidates.
He was particularly encouraged by the increased number of younger candidates and the election of five women to the Town Council, up from just two in 2021.
"I knocked on hundreds of doors and everyone I spoke to was friendly and polite Throughout the election period the weather has been bright and sunny - perfect for campaigning. And it has been a real pleasure to see so many front gardens coming into colour in these first weeks of Spring.
"I met one elderly gentleman who said he had never voted in his life and I thought how lucky he was to have always been content with everything his local Council and the Government did, and never to have had cause to moan."
However, the campaign wasn't without its challenges. Boaler expressed disappointment at the low voter turnout in his ward, which stood at just 25%. "Many people told me they wouldn’t be voting, or, worse, never vote. My heart sank every time I heard someone say - ‘it makes no difference’, ‘you are all the same’ etc."
He also condemned the online abuse directed at candidates, particularly female candidates. "The keyboard warriors who posted nasty, bullying and abusive comments, should be ashamed of themselves.
"I am sure they don’t use such language when they meet people face to face. They need to recognise that Councillors put in huge numbers of hours, with no pay, perks or allowances, to try to make Calne a better place. What do they do for other people? What do they do for Calne?"
Despite the challenges, John shared some lighter moments from the campaign trail - he told us the biggest surprise was meeting someone who turned out to have been in his brother’s form at secondary school in south Wales in the early 1960s.
The least expected question he received was on the eve of the poll when a police officer asked: “So, Sir, are you telling me that there are elections here tomorrow?”
John's humour seems to have come through the campaigning unscathed as he recounted what he considered his 'luckiest escape' of his canvassing was realising that he had misunderstood a handwritten note on a door saying ‘free rabbits in back garden’. "I put them back before the householder had time to notice!"
John concluded his reflection by quoting the Rolling Stones, hinting that this campaign may be his last "I have stood several times for election but during this campaign a line from a Rolling Stones song has been playing in my head - “This could be the last time, maybe the last time, I don’t know.”