Congratulations Seema Malhotra

I think that I managed to say what was required on the platform when the result was declared but I do congratulate her again and wish the very best for 2012 and up to the next General Election.  From the perspective of my party, I do not believe that there was anything else that we could have done in order to get closer.  The turnout, as commented on by others elsewhere, was the most disappointing thing.  It hurt all parties!

I am going to have a little rest and then make progress with the casework picked up during the campaign!

Vote Conservative Today

Less than 7 hours to go.  It has been a very different campaign to others I have fought but I have enjoyed it and all those who have contributed to the campaign have been brilliant.

I wish the other candidates well but hope that a majority will vote for me the Conservative, and local, candidate.

Great fun yesterday

Mayor Boris Johnson, Philip Hammond and Lord Tariq Ahmad, along with a large number of Conservative MPs came to the constituency yesterday.

As I commented before the General Election, Politicians cross the road to meet the people.  With Boris, people cross the road to meet him.  It really is incredible just how many people want to say hello and have their picture taken with him.   I am uncertain whether there are many people like him and it is great to have someone like him on my side.

One of the differences between this by-election and the General Elections I have fought is the amount of media interviews.  A great experience.  Yesterday was no different with me talking with Hayes FM and Sangat TV.

Today and tomorrow to go and all to play for!

Hustings organised by Hounslow Chamber of Commerce

I attended earlier this evening.  All candidates were invited and 7 of the 9 attended.  I thought it was well-mannered and interesting.  I enjoyed it.  I think that there was around 35 people listening but hardly any of these were not aligned to one of the parties.  But it did not take away from a decent session.

I thought that all candidates spoke well.  It was nice to see Jim Fitzpatrick MP in the audience.  I found him very pleasant.  I made reference to him a couple of times.

Many thanks to the Hounslow Chamber of Commerce for organising the event!

What the other side is saying (Que?)

There is a claim from the Lib Dems:

“The Conservatives that ran Hounslow from 2006-2010 gave us more tax rises and poorer services”

Which were these?  The Lib-Dem candidate will know about this blog and is free to post the answer.

There is a claim from two people on different forums that I used to report this and that via my blog when previously a candidate and then afterwards, “zilch”.

Three responses:

1. See link to archive (by month) on the right;
2. One of these two people was challenged to submit a Freedom of Information request on how much casework I do.  He is free to forward the response he had to me or comment on his findings via this blog;
3. The same person who had also accused me of being on holiday since the election was asked what – using the blog activity to make his claim – meant for 98% of Councillors who do not blog at all?  Never seen an answer but then he is not obliged to give one.  Thankfully, I answer questions when they are put to me.

I suppose next one of my opponents will claim that leaflets are only going out in Feltham North because there is a by-election and I have never delivered one, unless there is a vote coming, before?

One week to go

One week to go and all to play for.

What happened yesterday

Started the day outside handing out literature outside Feltham Train Station.  UKIP arrived around the same time and the Lib Dems quite a while afterwards.  I shook hands with both the UKIP and Lib-Dem candidates having not met them before.

I then met Hugh Robertson MP, Minister for Sport, and we went along to Feltham Community College and saw some of the brilliant approach to sport at the school.  We met Hounslow Kickz who have previously been to the West Area Committee.  Both Mr Robertson and I were then interviewed by BBC southeast BBC London News.  I understand that this was shown on tv today but I have not yet seen it.

I then did some campaigning in Hounslow West, Bedfont and Hanworth.

What happened today

Damian Green MP, Minister at the Home Office, visited Feltham this morning.  A number of residents raised Labour’s failure to control immigration when it was in power.

I could not believe it when I saw Clive Everton who is a respected Snooker commentator.  He seemed impressed when I recognised him.

Whilst this was a great visit, the highlight of the day had to be the visit from the Prime Minister.  He and I went to DHL and he took a wide range of questions from their employees.  I genuinely thought that it was the Prime Minister at his very best.  Here is a write up from the Chronicle.

This afternoon we visited Heston businesses.  A number of MPs visited.

Back out this evening.  A great campaign and one we are winning.

6 December 2011

Yesterday was certainly the most busy day of the campaign thus far for me:

• Interviewed by one newspaper
• Interviewed by one radio programme
• Interviewed by a Somalian TV Station
• Canvassing throughout the day

Picked up the following on a brief walk to meet someone earlier:

1) Graffiti outside 16 Harlington Road East

2) Very offensive graffiti on disused notice board against wall opposite number 9 Becketts Close
No picture included because of the nature of the graffiti

3) Graffiti near 36  Harlington Road West

4) Cabinet that needs to be secured – opposite 20 Harlington Road West

Will report later this morning.

5 December 2011

An important contribution today was in getting my haircut at my barber’s in Bedfont earlier in the morning.  Badly needed.

Hit the streets in Feltham and did some canvassing in the afternoon, during part of which I was joined by a national journalist.  I enjoyed the canvassing and I enjoyed the interview.

Evening spent in Cranford!

The Campaign thus far

I realise that I have not updated my blog with campaign news to the same extent as I did at the previous General Election.  I also realise that I am not a Twitter user either!

By Elections are incredibly different to General Election campaigns.  The obvious difference is that there is a lot more focus on a seat at a by-election than there would be with 650 or so other constituencies having elections at the same time.  I will possibly have done half a dozen tv interviews by polling day.  This is a by-election of a very short duration and that is different to what I have experienced previously also.

I can honestly say that I am enjoying it, even though I can not shift my cough.  I am really grateful to all of those people who are helping with the campaign.  It is a by-election that no person wanted with it being caused by such sad circumstances but like the other candidates I am fighting to win.

My superb Party Chairman, Baroness Warsi, has been a number of times already.  She is excellent with people and very sound on the issues.

All candidates will be saying how they are getting a great response from the people etc but what is clear to me is that the vast majority of opinion is on the side of eliminating the deficit and balancing the books.  We need a future in this country with no deficit and much less debt!

Statement of Persons Nominated

Here is the list.

And, here is to a fair & clean fight!