Hustings Events - a Guide for Guide Dogs Campaigners

Hustings events - A guide for Guide Dogs campaigners

Contents

What is a hustings?

A hustings event is a meeting where election candidates or parties debate policies and answer questions from the audience. The events are usually held by organisations, such as community groups or groups of campaigners, so that voters can ask candidates about issues that are important to them. Some hustings events will be focused around a specific issue but others will be more general.

Hustings provide a chance to influence the thinking of the candidates and raise local issues of concern. It is a great opportunity to raise awareness of Guide Dogs’ campaigns.

As a charity, Guide Dogs must be politically neutral. This is especially important in the lead up to an election. If you are a campaigner or volunteer for Guide Dogs, when you ask questions during a hustings event, even when they are about our campaigns, please make it clear that you are representing yourself and not the organisation. It is also best to try and ask the question in a politically neutral way to ensure that everyone can be involved in responding to your question. This will help you get the most out of the event.

Where and how to attend

Hustings events are often hosted in community spaces such as churches, schools, universities and community centres. There is no central list of where hustings events are being held, they will normally be advertised locally and in most cases you will need to register as spaces will be limited. Some common places that you will be able to find information about hustings events local to you are:

 Online, either on the event organiser’s websites or social media  In local newspapers  Shop windows or notice boards  Doctor’s surgeries  Libraries  Some local and support groups also advertise events, for example: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/shropshireandtelford/contact-us/local- directory/shropshire-seniors-hustings-meeting/

What to expect before and at the event

You may need to check the accessibility of the venue ahead of the event, to make sure that they are able to meet any requirements you might have.

Each event is organised and structured slightly differently; the event organisers may ask attendees to submit questions beforehand which will be shared with all the candidates before the event. If you want to ask a question you will therefore need to check the form of the event in good time in order to make sure that your question is at least seen by the candidate.

Again depending on the hustings event there may be some time scheduled for live questions from the audience. If you do speak at the event here are some tips for getting the most out of this opportunity:

 Short and sweet! There will be lots of people trying to ask questions in a limited amount of time so plan what you want to say in a succinct way (see below for some suggested questions)  Make it personal! If you can tell the candidates why this is important to you and the local area that will make the issue stick in their minds  Follow up! Don’t worry if you get asked questions and you don’t have the answers, take some notes and say that you’ll get back to them later. You might also want to follow up with the candidate after the event, by email, phone or letter, if you want to discuss the issue more.  Let us know how it goes! Please let us know how the event went and if you managed to ask a question. You can email the Campaigns Team at [email protected] or speak to us on 0800 028 4348.

Potential questions to ask about our campaigns

So that you can keep your question short, we have provided some background information on each of our campaigns and made some suggestions about what you might ask the candidates. If you would like more information on the campaigns visit the campaigns pages of the website at www.guidedogs.org.uk/supportus/campaigns. Streets Ahead

Street Clutter

 Street clutter includes items such as advertising boards and street café furniture. It can cause problems for pedestrians, and particularly for those who are blind or partially sighted.  Street clutter can cause an obstruction which people can hurt themselves on, or which can force them out into the road to get around the obstruction, potentially putting them in harm’s way.  A 2013 Guide Dogs survey showed that 97% of those who are blind or partially sighted have problems with street clutter.

Questions:

Will you work to introduce a local licencing scheme to ensure any items of street clutter used by local businesses, such as advertising boards and café furniture, do not cause an unnecessary obstruction or hazard?

If you are elected will you commit to completing a blindfolded walk in (local town name) to learn about the everyday obstacles people with sight loss face when walking down our cluttered streets?

Pavement Parking

 Cars parked on pavements can mean that people who are blind or partially sighted may have to risk their lives by walking into the road just to get by.  A 2013 Guide Dogs survey showed that 90% of blind or partially sighted people surveyed had experienced trouble with a pavement parked car.  A survey by consultants GUIDE in March 2014 revealed nearly eight out of ten local councillors would support standardised, UK wide laws on pavement parking.  This is an issue that also impacts parents with prams, wheelchair users, and older people and many others.  Guide Dogs is campaigning for a replication of the Greater London parking laws to be introduced throughout the rest of the country – where there is a presumption against pavement parking unless it’s in designated area.

Question:

What steps are your party going to take to support pavement free parking in (local town name)?

Talking Buses

 Buses play a vital role in enabling disabled people, including those with sight loss, to live more independent lives, but many people are put off using them because of the worry of catching the wrong bus or being unsure where they are on their journey or where to get off.  Audio-visual next stop and final destination announcements (AV) are therefore essential.

Questions:

We need audio visual announcements on buses in our area – what is your party going to do to ensure that this happens?

Will you support the implementation of compulsory disability training for bus drivers as per the EU bus and coach regulations, which the UK is yet to implement?

Safe and Sound

 Quiet electric and hybrid vehicles pose a serious risk to blind and partially sighted pedestrians being able to safely cross the road.  Research shows that at some speeds these cars cannot be heard until 1 second before impact.  The number of low emission cars on our road is growing and the Government has provided a significant amount of money to grow this sector, without thought to the safety implications for people with sight loss.  A number of concerned organisations have called for all quiet cars to be fitted with sound generators to ensure that pedestrians can navigate the streets safely and confidently.

Question:

If you are elected will you work to ensure that all new quiet vehicles are fitted with sound generators?

References and further information

Guide Dogs have produced a ‘Campaigning Toolkit’ which gives handy hints and tips on attending meetings: http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/media/6110482/campaign-toolkit-7289-_web.pdf

The Electoral Commission has produced a guide to hustings events: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/105946/sp- hustings-rp-npc-ca.pdf

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland has also produced some useful information about hustings and where they will be advertised: http://www.ctbi.org.uk/483/#6