God's Country

Part Thirty-Eight

'I have tried to have a regular daily intake from my Bible, regardless of how late it is.'

Cliff Richard

"We are getting good support from most schools and all church education officials, and a number of county councillors in Surrey have already come out in full and open support of our policies." David Harrington reported, catching up with Charles Buckingham as he continued to knock on doors. "Charles, this really is starting to take off."

"Commonsense and reasonableness are our watchwords" Buckingham laughed, checking his watch as he turned away from the traffic noise. "Although I get asked about nuns on every doorstep...and we are not only fighting seats in Surrey David."

"If only we had been given more time...the polls are so good..."

"David, polls change...quickly sometimes...there is only one vote that counts." Charles cautioned. "Remember 2015...all the polls suggested a close thing...another hung parliament and another coalition...and then the BBC exit poll forecast a Conservative win. Paddy Ashdown promised to eat his hat if the poll was correct just as the counts started and it was even worse for him than the poll predicted...the polls are just indications...no more."

"But I really feel that we are connecting with people?" Harrington pressed, and Charles Buckingham nodded, because he was feeling the same things.

"I think we are. There are some quick wins here." He sighed, thinking out loud. "Whether our opponents like it or not we are talking about the fundamental nature of things here. Most mothers do want to be at home with their babies. It is instinctive and no matter how many times they try to tell them that they can be a modern superwoman and have it all, most women do not have jobs they love or particularly value. So telling them that they should stay at home resonates with them...as does our point about children being better prepared for school if they spend their formative years with their Mum's. And stricter, smarter schools play on that thing we all do...we all think things have gone to pot since we were kids and that our children don't work as hard or face the same struggles as we did. So of course people like our schools policy...it is what they want...and then you throw in a little commonsense. It is unfair if you win a church place then stop going...the British people have a strong sense of fair play, so they buy that. The trick now is to build on this natural support and carry all this goodwill through into the polling booths."

"You sound very passionate..." Harrington laughed down the line.

"Sorry David...I am preaching to the converted..."

'The Bible is not an antiquated text. The scriptures are the text that will lead us into the future.'

Erwin McManus

Philip Henderson stared at the latest polls in increasing annoyance. He was holding up well against Strickland and the LibDem's were stuck in single figures with UKip actually doing slightly worse, but the CDP were splitting the Conservative vote. Only in twenty five seats dotted around the country, but since no one was expecting a large majority regardless of which way the result went, those seats could be decisive. But the main problem was that Buckingham's policies were striking a chord with people. In an aging population, a focus on reducing benefit scrounging and paying working mothers to stay at home, amongst other positive initiatives, was proving incredibly popular. Most of those over sixty were looking after grandchildren, to allow the mother to go to work in the first place, so the problem resonated with them, and although most of them were way too young to have done national service themselves the notion of getting the young hooligans into the army doing some good was also ticking a lot of boxes in middle England. Even the bitter accusations of sexism aimed at Buckingham had backfired, initially because he was right, most working mothers would gladly stay at home with their children if they could afford it, and secondly because most people agreed with him about appropriate and suitable jobs for women when push came to shove. It was not fashionable to say it, and Henderson would not have dared to do so for fear of the politically correct backlash, but Buckingham had nothing to lose and everything to gain by starting a debate.