Toolkit

Candidate2010 is a national poll of parliamentary candidates’ views on the future of Britain and the European Union. We are asking individual supporters to supply local information on the candidates in their constituency that will then be entered into the Candidate2010 database, building into a national picture.

This page includes information and resources to help users file a return to the Candidate2010 database.

Our preference is for a return based on a candidate’s response to a constituent enquiry. For this reason, we are asking supporters where possible to write to candidates using the specimen letter on this page. Most candidates can be contacted through local party offices or their own websites. We also have the emails of many candidates in the Candidate2010 database. Returns based on general knowledge of the candidate’s views are also acceptable.

On this page:

Downloads

Other internal links

Action checklist

Steps Actions to take Links
Please visit the Candidate2010 database to see what information it holds on the candidates in your area. Open the Candidate2010 database
If the information is inaccurate or incomplete, you can help Candidate2010 by emailing us or by filing a return on one or more candidate(s). See the Filing a Return page
The best way to file a return is to write to the candidate(s) asking their views and sending the reply to Candidate2010. If you are familiar with a candidate’s views,  perhaps through local newspaper or other coverage, this can also be used to file a return. See the specimen letter text on this page
Once you have the information you need, file your return! Send your return on line, by fax, or by post.

Specimen letter

The following is the draft text of a letter you can send to your candidate(s).

Please cut and paste the text below or download an MS Word version for printing and posting. You can also generate a standard letter from the Candidate2010 database.

If we have the candidate's email address on file, you can email them from the Candidate2010 database.

Once the candidate has replied, you can forward their reply to Candidate2010.

-----LETTER STARTS-----

<your_address_line1>
<your_address_line2>
<your_address_line3>
<your_address_line3>

<candidate_name> 
<candidate_address_line1>
<candidate_address_line1>
<candidate_address_line1>

<date>

Dear <candidate_name>,

Congratulations on being selected as the <party_name> prospective parliamentary candidate for <constituency_name>.

As one of your prospective constituents, I am naturally interested in your position on the important issues of the day.  One of the most significant is Britain’s relationship with the European Union. I am familiar with the policies expressed in your Party’s manifesto, but as an MP is the direct representative of their constitutents, I would be interested in your personal views on this subject.

In order to help me to decide for whom I should vote in the forthcoming election, I should be grateful if you could let me know which of the following five statements most closely matches your personal view on Britain and the EU.

1. I strongly support the EU and the concept of further European integration.

2. I fully support Britain's membership of the EU and/or do not support a referendum on further European integration.

3. I support Britain's membership of the EU, but may advocate the returning of limited powers to the UK.

4. I favour a referendum on Britain's relationship with the EU and/or favour the return of significant powers from the EU to the UK.

5. I believe that Britain would be better off out of the EU.

I should add that any reply from you will be placed in the public domain as part of the nationwide poll of candidates’ views on the EU, Candidate2010.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

<signature>

----LETTER ENDS----

Political party websites

The political parties that are running candidates in the 2010 general election include:

Alliance Party
British National Party
Conservative
Democratic Unionist
English Democrats
Green Party
Independent
Jury Team
Labour
Liberal Democrat
Liberal Party
Libertarian Party UK
Mebyon Kernow
Official Monster Raving Loony
Plaid Cymru
RESPECT
Scottish National Party
Sinn Fein
Social Democratic & Labour Party
Speaker of the Commons
Traditional Unionist Voice
UK Independence Party
Ulster Unionist

Please note that these links are external links to political party websites; Candidate2010 takes no responsibility for their content. A complete list of UK political parties can be found at the Electoral Commission website