WITH the eyes of the world on the US presidential election next week some residents have taken their interest to the next level by flying over to America to join the campaigns.
 

The race between incumbent Democrat Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney is one of the tightest in living memory ahead of the vote on Tuesday November 6.
 

“It matters because America is the last superpower where who wins a leadership election really matters - it affects the whole world,” said Simon Redfern, chair of the Walthamstow Labour Party.
 

The 39-year-old has just returned from ten days of campaigning for Mr Obama in Cleveland, Ohio, as part of a 30-strong British delegation.
 

He explained: “I was given the opportunity and I just jumped at it. In the Labour Party we're trying to emulate many of the things the Democrats have been doing with community activism, so it was a real education.


“Getting people involved and battling cynicism has really been [Walthamstow Labour MP] Stella Creasy's mission. Things like the pop-up respite centre during the riots last year are an example of that type of community, grass-roots involvement.


“We also see the Democrats as a sister party.”
 

Mr Redfern, who is hopeful Mr Obama will “edge” the election, said he generally got a good reaction from the American public, even if many mistook his accent as Australian.


“I think people are much more engaged with the political process there," he said.

"In Walthamstow when you're door-knocking there's people who are not very interested in politics and who are very distrustful of politicians, but there's less of that where we went.


“We went to some quite deprived areas so I think people respected us for that. I only had one person questioning why I was there as a Brit, and he seemed to accept my explanation.”
 

Leytonstone activist Shumon Rahman, 34, has just flown out to Virginia to help the Democrats, having previously campaigned for Mr Obama in Ohio in 2008.


He said: “I went because I wanted to play a part in getting the first Black President elected.


“But also I feel the UK will always have a special relationship with the US and always stand 'shoulder to shoulder' with them, so it makes sense to go out there and try my best to ensure we have a 'friendly shoulder'”.