The local election is looming and the News is hoping to carry out a unique experiment to better cover the issues of the borough and hopefully persuade more people to turn out and vote.
The candidates standing in one area of Southwark will be asked specific questions on subjects around housing, crime, environment and transport. Their answers will be videoed by Southwark News. Our focus group of four local households will watch their answers. Each person’s reaction and opinions in the group will form the basis of our coverage, similar to Googlebox.
Just like when watching the hit Channel 4 show, we hope that our readers will be more interested in hearing and watching what people like themselves are saying, rather than us simply videoing and covering what the political candidates have to say.
This pilot scheme, which is being assessed by the Public Interest News Foundation, will, it is hoped, give the electorate more of an understanding of what and who they are voting for this May.
The one ward out of a total of 23 wards in the borough we will be focusing on is Newington in Walworth.
It has one of the voter lowest turnouts in Southwark, hovering at around just 30 per cent.
It has some of the highest levels of deprivation but also some of the most expensive housing in London due to its inner city location, with the northern part of the electoral ward being just south of the Elephant and Castle roundabout.
We have already selected our focus group but before coverage starts the Public Interest News Foundation is asking people in Newington (see map below) to take a quick survey so they can learn about news and democracy in the area.
So if you live in the ward of Newington in Southwark and you are over 18 please click the HERE – the survey will take about five minutes to complete. All questions are optional.
You can enter your email address at the end if you would like the chance to win £250 for a charity of your choice. This email data will be securely stored separately from the responses and deleted at the end of the project.
Thank you for your help.