My First Letter

As well as delivering the manifesto, we’re also going to include a letter from me introducing myself as a council candidate. I’ve been a relatively late selection so although I stood in 2008 it seemed sensible to say something about me and why I’m standing. The letter is here..

It took some thought to try and capture why I want to stand and what’s important to me in a way that was readable, concise and genuine. It’s accompanied by a photo; although (because?) I like photography I have very few pictures of me; I sent the local Conservative office the two or three I had and they selected one of me on the beach in a pink sweater (unthreatening, apparently).

There’s a big logistical effort in getting the manifesto and leaflet out to every household; there’s over 2,000 of them so it means carving up the area and persuading people to help; although I want to do as many as possible, it’s just too big an area to cover individually by Easter.

I looked out of the window on the first planned day of delivery to see snow on the ground  - that plus cold weather doesn't help the logistics. And almost inevitably, as I started to deliver leaflets I saw Alan Beith had just posted one of his own: he is lucky to get funding to post them, I thought, as I stepped in another puddle.