How political leaflets used to look: a Focus newsletter from Kendal, 1979
With thanks to John Studholme, here’s what one Focus newsletter looked like back in the 1970s. The technology for doing leaflets may have changed and designs altered, but the underlying purpose is still very familiar.
A councillor from 1974, John Studholme stood down in 2006 with the party having grown in the area to include a Liberal Democrat MP, and a majority on both the town and district council.
For more gems from past election leaflets, see my collection How leaflets used to look.
Personal letters showing personal local action are very powerful.
My files start in 1968 and the first AD LIB (the forerunner of Focus) from 1970 is followed by a pretty complete set (including other parties’ leaflets occasionally) and election materials. They are all destined for Hants County Archives in my will. When I lost my seat for the second time in 2003 I deposited twenty years’ of leaflets and Focuses (from West End, my seat) in the county archives, as well as four ring files of correspondence. The archivist positively beamed, telling me ‘We never get stuff like this!’ I told her, ‘Anyone interested in researching local politics in the late 20th century will see that only about 5% of a councillor’s correspondence is about politics and the other 95% is about four issues: potholes, street lights which are out, overhanging hedges and dog shit.’ It also makes you wonder what sort of person wants to spend their spare time dealing with such matters!
Gosh, just look at all that wasted space on the reverse!