Robert Cossins is a Conservative activist in South West London.
In South West London, the march of Lib Dems in former Tory safe seats has seemed inevitable. In our corner of Wimbledon, we defied the odds and returned the sitting councillor in Hillside, by just 26 votes. It wasn’t enough to win both ward seats, but it went against the grain and saw a big swing back from the Lib Dems.
Wimbledon has a Lib Dem MP and this ward is one of their key London targets, with public polling showing a 20% lead. It’s a highly contested area, meaning large resources are available to them. We have a defending Conservative Councillor with an excellent track record and name recognition. It’s a two-seat split ward, shared with a Lib Dem Councillor.
Any contested ward should be door-knocking extensively. The candidates did exactly that and couldn’t have done more. These are the hard yards, over months. I won’t cover that here, as I want to focus on the mechanics of a campaign to win on the margins. But a credit to the candidates, who worked hard to deliver a split ward.
High leverage campaigning is the idea that you can do a lot, with little. We’ve collectively been investing for years in a strong network of volunteers. Socials, events, recruiting people who want to make a difference. Every WhatsApp nudge, email or chat in the pub is a low-effort, high-impact way to get another road delivered. Across Hillside, we ended the election with 35 people who had delivered leaflets.
Every leaflet delivered by a candidate is a missed opportunity to knock on a door. Speaking to voters is the best way to win and we strain every sinew to make sure candidates aren’t delivering leaflets instead. Trusting deliverers is crucial – the odd road might get missed because a deliverer gets ill or simply forgets, but it’s part of the bargain. On leaflets, we matched the Lib Dems in volume. On doorstep conversations, we beat them.
In the last few weeks of the campaign, this support network is unlocked. Canvassing by volunteers increases, leaflet volume increases and you now have a large network of reliable supporters to draw upon.
We approached polling day as if it was going to be close, even if the numbers were firmly against us. If we thought we would lose both seats, we probably would have done. With lower turnouts for local elections, you can move the needle more on polling day. Members will always love to help out for a General Election, but the impact is lower, so we spend time communicating why it’s worth joining us.
Strong organisation on polling day is table stakes and we’re fortunate to be able to draw on the extensive political experience of our members. In Hillside, this meant a full Telling rota and a team just as large knocking on doors. Every tool in the campaigning toolbox was used: eve-of-poll leaflet, members texted to remind them to vote, a quick online social media video, full use of available technology and telephone canvassing.
On factors outside of our control, we benefitted from Lib Dem complacency; a Green candidate taking votes off Lib Dems; a low support for Reform locally and a collapse in the Labour vote.
Hillside is an area that has enjoyed healthy Lib Dem gains every election since 2017 and it’s a trend we’ve begun to reverse, through delegation, trust and community-building. In a council they hoped to win, the Lib Dems have peaked in South West London.