Yesterday must surely count as a ‘Super Wednesday’. To Worthing first thing, with a great breakfast at Monty’s cafe by the station. A proper cafe of the old school, of a kind that is sadly disappearing under the wave of coffee shops. I like a cappuccino as much as anyone, but we’ll miss bacon and eggs when the cafes have all gone.
Meeting Becky Cooper again, the council leader and West Worthing parliamentary candidate, was a total joy. With Cllr Rosey Whorlow we walked about the town centre. The Labour council has ambitious plans for developing the town centre up to the station. You can feel there’s a buzz about the place. A great seafront and pier, a welter of independent shops, and a growing population of DFLs. We met a former police officer who was helping run his son’s sweet emporium.
In Uckfield I met up with Cllr Ben Cox who is the parliamentary candidate, town councillor and leading Co-op Party member. He’s also studying at university and earning a living as a chef. Ben showed me some of the antisocial hotspots in Uckfield and explained how the council is tackling antisocial behaviour and disorder. They’re establishing a youth club, which I’ve long-argued is an essential part of crime prevention. The Tories’ cuts to youth services was a stupid mistake.
On the bus then, as Dr Beeching closed the branch line south from Uckfield. I met with members of Hollington & Fiveways Labour Party in Brighton Pavillion to discuss the final two weeks of the campaign. They showed a real welcome and willingness to get stuck in. I racked up 19,000 steps yesterday, proving that being a campaigner beats joining a gym.
