Don Locke

Seriously, go through their twitter feeds and try to find some semblance of policy or advocacy. It's just reams of gratuitous self-promotion

You mean apart from Gavin's priorities? http://www.gavinbarwell.com/priorities  and his unending blog advocating for residents? http://gavinbarwell.com/blog_list.asp 

Campaign promises are not the same thing as policies, Mario. Simply saying "I'll provide affordable housing" is not a policy or a solution.

And his "unending blog" is full of political double speak. Talking *around* issues as opposed to actually providing meaningful solutions.

Since 2008 Gavin has written about a hundreds of complex and tough subjects, to say it's talking around issues is childish and inaccurate.

Talking *about* an issue is 1 thing. Providing a progressive solution w. quantitative effects is anotherCrime has *increased* since Barwell.

Gavin has been providing solutions to many issues, both locally and nationally - that's what MPs do. For example: http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/croydon-mp-s-mental-health-law/story-18286716-detail/story.html …

Is that why I and millions across the country can't afford a home? Why Croydon has some of the most decrepit conditions in the country?

What's the harm in demonstrating to residents that both (all?) parties are making a huge effort to talk to communities? Don't see the issue!

That's not what this is. It's self-aggrandising, partisan, "pat-yourself-on-the-back" posturing from both parties.

Demonstrable community engagement is something many want from their representatives. Also, what's the harm in a morale boosting pic?

Community engagement would be if he was doing this year round without the cameras watching and a bunch of leaflets in hand.

I do this without asking for a vote, a camera behind me or a twitter page to splurge my self-congratulatory BS onto.

When you were a Lib Dem did you ever go out campaigning? Did you like telling people you were trying to communicate with them?

I was a student whilst a Liberal Democrat. I never ran, nor saw office.

Don't need to run to campaign, dozens of our most engaged young people never want to.

I've seen Labour's volunteers on the high street. Lovely people. Absolutely no idea about Croydon. They're only here because it's a marginal