We can win in Norwich North – but I need your help

By Chris Ostrowski

My name is Chris Ostrowski, and I am the Labour candidate in Norwich North. I am writing to you directly from the campaign trail.

When I was asked to write something for LabourList, I was pleased to get the chance to share my thoughts with you and, frankly, to ask you all for your help.

First, let me tell you about what’s really going on in this by-election, then let me tell you how you can help.

The Tories think they can win this hands down and are showing signs that they are taking it for granted.

Yet Norwich people know that over the past 12 years, the city has prospered under Labour.

I could feel and see the city getting even better during the five years that I spent here at the University of East Anglia. Life certainly got better for me during my time in Norwich – it’s where I met my wife Katie, and it’s where I started my working life. Sometimes it feels like the only thing to have suffered over the past 12 years here has been the fortunes of the Canaries, and even they have high hopes for next season!

Crime is down; and the number of police officers continues to rise.

We have seven Sure Start centres; in 1997, of course, there were none.

Only on Monday, Ed Balls joined me on the campaign trail to see a great example of Labour investment when we went to visit Sewell Park College. I’ve genuinely never met a group of pupils who are so proud of their school and their newly redeveloped surroundings. That’s what Labour investment has delivered in Norwich and I’m really proud of it.

Yesterday, I was out with Yvette Cooper to visit a training scheme that has had public investment to help Norwich people back into work. Labour’s investment in Norwich is helping to support people through the recession. We won’t leave people on the scrapheap.

And yet, we face a tough fight to hold this seat.

It’s true that there are people who are upset about the situation with Ian Gibson. But, Ian has been clear with people that he has spoken to: he doesn’t want to see a Tory MP elected in Norwich North and he wants people to turn out and vote Labour next Thursday. I’m grateful to him for passing that message of support on to Parliamentary colleagues and to the media.

I have been out and about with a great team of door-knockers, and it’s clear that we can win. But we need a massive effort to turn out a Labour vote that has been left deflated by the justified public anger over expenses. I’m not a Westminster insider or career politician and I have never worked in politics – so I can understand how ordinary people feel over the expenses issue.

And when I get the chance to spend time with voters on their doorsteps, and explain to them that it is between us and the Tories, time after time, people do tell me that they’re going to come out and vote Labour. But I need your help to get our message out to people in Norwich.

If the Tories win the seat, it will be because Labour voters have stayed at home. If Labour voters stay at home, it will be because we haven’t taken the opportunity to speak to them and convince them to turn out and vote.

I’m asking for you to avoid the frustration of kicking yourself on the 24th. Come to Norwich and help us to stop the Tories between now and then. My Campaign Centre is at Unit 9, Concorde Road, Norwich, NR6 6BH. Give us a call on 01603 622107 and arrange a time to come and help us win Norwich North.

Yours,

Chris Ostrowski

Visit Chris’ Norwich North homepage, get involved in the campaign, and help keep Norwich North Labour.