Twelve of the best from 2014

With little of significance occuring at the office during the Christmas and New Year holidays, here are my twelve favourite (though not necessarily the best read) blog posts of 2014. Please dip in and out if anything takes your fancy. Looking forward to getting back to blogging early in early January. For now, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and best wishes for a peaceful, healthy and happy New Year.

Andrew

1 January 2014  
Celebrating multi-cultural Britain and all it offers.
I started the New Year with a theme to which I would regularly return throughout the year; why we should welcome immigration and cherish being part of a multi-cultural society. The twin-evils of racism and intolerance and the need to challenge and face down such prejudice is becoming increasingly important to me. http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/we-should-celebrate-multiculturism-not.html

4 February 2014  
The day I exposed myself as a secret MOSSAD operative.
http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/my-secret-links-with-mossad-truth-must.html

19 March 2014
Honoured to attend Politicos Political Book Awards.
I was genuinely honoured and excited to receive an invitation from Iain Dale to the Politicos Political Book of the Year Awards and here is my revue of the evening’s events http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/excuse-me-are-any-of-you-famous-or.html

21 March 2014  
The case for abolishing the Electoral Commission.
Every so often I write something I think is a bit “geeky” only to find it goes viral and produces a massive response. My criticisms of the Electoral Commission being one such example, the article being read over 3,000 times and being linked-to by the Society of Electoral Administrators. Interestingly many local ROs took the trouble to write, email or phone to say “well said, we agree with you”.  
http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/time-to-abolish-electoral-commission.html

3 May 2014  
“We must not allow ourselves to be defined by UKIPs narrative of Anger, Intolerance and Fear.”
With the European and Local Elections approaching I return to UKIPS narrative of intolerance and urge the modern Conservative Party to eschew the temptation of trying to out-UKIP UKIP.  
http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/we-mustnt-allow-ourselves-to-be-defined.html

15 May 2014  
Chasing votes in The Brighter Borough.
Supporting my friend Matthew Plummer’s election campaign with a slightly deranged woman from the ward next door, his hypo-glycaemic sister and a born again Christian. http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/in-search-of-votes-in-brighter-borough.html

Saturday 24 May
How we won the Battle for Tunbridge Wells.
On 22 May Tunbridge Wells bucked the national trend; a 7.5% swing against UKIP and an increase in Conservative councillors. Here’s how we did it.
http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/how-we-won-battle-for-tunbridge-wells.html

Thursday 29 May  
“How Kent’s elite laughed at Craig Mackinlay’s simple messages. They’re not laughing now.”
After a disastrous year for Kent Police & Crime Commissioner Anne Barnes, I review Craig Mackinlay’s campaign themes and ask if Kent’s elite who baked Anne Barnes may be regretting their decision.  
http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/kent-police-and-crime-commissioner.html

Sunday 29 June
“Before we can win their votes, we first have to change their hearts.”
The importance of understanding what motivates people to behave in certain ways and how we must change their hearts before we can win over the minds and their votes. http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/before-we-can-win-minds-of-men-we-must.html

Wednesday 6 August
The importance of understanding the human cost of defeat at the ballot box.
http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/honourable-behaviour.html

Sunday 30 September  
“If we are serious about reforming or leaving the EU, 2017 might well be our last chance.”
How I fear UKIP are not only damaging the chance of a 2017 referendum, but are probably reducing the chance of winning one. 
  http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/2017-might-not-just-be-our-best-chance.html

Sunday 30 November  
Our very own “Brief Encounter” on the 1201 from Paddock Wood.
http://votingandboating.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/brief-encounter-on-1201-from-paddocck.html