A fork in the road. Vote for hope. Vote Labour.

Sienna Rodgers
© Twitter/@jeremycorbyn
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Jeremy Corbyn went on a 500-mile journey yesterday – and not by private plane à la Boris Johnson, I should note. The Labour leader has visited around 85 constituencies during this general election campaign, he told the party’s eve of poll rally in Hackney last night. “We’re at a fork in the road… Are we seriously going to allow our public services to be ripped up and destroyed?” Talking about the NHS, social security and the potential for further damage under the Tories, Corbyn declared: “It is our moral duty to make sure that we do something about it.” And he is right.

Tory chair James Cleverly sent out an email this morning to recommend voting Conservative on the basis that it will “end the gridlock” and “all the uncertainty”. That is, of course, nonsense. In one year, under a Tory government, we would be back in the same place discussing the possibility of no deal. The Tories have run a campaign based on avoiding proper scrutiny, misleading the public and, above all, fear. Jeremy Corbyn is scary, real change is scary, people power is scary – that is their message. The Prime Minister has lied repeatedly. The Conservative Party has promoted ads of which 88% have been found by fact-checking organisation to be incorrect. Johnson’s party has been aided by the right-wing media.

The truth is that Labour’s manifesto is not optional but essential. We’re not on the brink of crisis – we’re right in the middle of it. Hundreds of tower blocks across the country are still covered in dangerous cladding. NHS patients are at risk. Over 120,000 children are living in temporary accommodation. Insecure employment is normal. More families than ever rely on food banks. The list goes on. And they are fine! Politics is a game to Boris Johnson. We can’t afford to treat it as one.

I will go ahead and assume you’re reading this post during a well-earned break at a committee room, or that you are preparing to go out campaigning after unavoidable work. Because you’re a champion, and you care. It’s cold and we’re all exhausted, but every single contribution volunteered today by a Labour supporter will add up to something much bigger. I have never done GOTV without successfully reminding several people to vote who had forgotten, or persuading Labour voters to venture out to to the polling station when they had planned to give it a miss. Whatever the final result, each and every activist will make a difference.

Use every digital tool at your disposal. Tell others about voting via Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat. If you have WhatsApp, put out a broadcast message to any contact with voting rights here and tell them why you’re choosing Labour. Share our complete guide to Labour’s manifesto and our list of campaign resources. And go where you are most needed today. Vote for hope. Vote Labour.

Sienna @siennamarla

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