A NEW CAMPAIGN STARTS

Back in May 2012 I sat in front of the CS&NI Conservative Association's local government committee, a panel of nine prominent local party members, after I had put myself forward for selection as the Conservative candidate for the Gipping Valley Division in the 2013 County elections.  Afterwards I felt confident I had acquitted myself well to their questioning but I was still pleased to later receive their letter advising that I was through to the next stage.  Two candidates had put themselves forward for the division and therefore the next stage would be a ballot of party members in the division.  We both had to write an A4 length paper "Why I would like to be the County Councillor for the Gipping Valley Division" and these were then circulated, along with the ballot papers.  The ballot papers were opened on 29th June (co-incidentally, my birthday) and I was relieved to hear that I was selected.

One of the questions I had been asked at the selection interview was "If you were not selected for your own division, would you be prepared to stand elsewhere?"  I had answered that quite honestly by stating that I was putting myself forward to represent my neighbours and my locality and that I would much rather do that than stand elsewhere in a 'Safe Conservative seat'. 

That all seems a long time ago but now the campaign is about to get underway.  A couple of weeks ago I submitted my nomination form signed by ten local residents and on 22nd March a letter arrived from Electoral Services advising me that my completed form "is a valid nomination".  And meanwhile I had written the wording for my first leaflet and then collected those from the printer yesterday lunchtime.

Now begins the task of sorting all these into a series of delivery rounds and then getting them through all the letterboxes of the Gipping Valley Division.

So let battle commence!  Last time in the County election [2009] I received 739 votes which was just 59% of the votes the winning candidate achieved.  So it is a very big ask - a 'seismic swing' needed.  And what I don't know yet is which other parties will be putting forward candidates.  As well as my Lib Dem opponent, will Suffolk Together and Labour field candidates again and will UKIP enter the equation for the first time?  That will have to wait until 9th April when the 'Statement Of Persons Nominated' is published.

All I know now is that I'm going to have a very very busy April!