What a long day. We did all the High Streets today with balloons and leaflets and lots of talk.

Started in New Malden and then moved to Tolworth Broadway, Surbiton, Hook Parade, and then back to Surbiton. In the afternoon we did a large delivery across the constituency.

I am exhausted this evening. It has actually been quite warm and muggy today and it does sap your energy when out walking.

Southborough School hustings and dog bites

Last two days we have spent working in Old Malden. Actually getting a very good canvass return from there.

This morning I had another school debate, this time with the Southborough School Council. Another set of interesting questions. Despite the best efforts of all the candidates we have yet to have any real spark to these debates.

We had our first dog bite of the campaign this week. One of my deliverers found more than expected when he put a leaflet through a box in Norbiton. Incidentally the same deliverer was then a witness to some kids taking drugs in a car on the roadside. He called the Police and it took them 20 minutes to get out to the offence. This is not just talk when we say we need more Police.

From IDS to Kramer via Tiffin

Had a visit from Ian Duncan Smith this morning. He came to Kingston to visit the Kaleidoscope centre. It was not especially a political visit. He has an interest in the work of the centre because of his new activities leading the Centre for Social Justice. Actually I was pretty impressed by the extent of his knowledge of the drugs issue, not just from a UK perspective but from what he has clearly seen around the globe.

Then paid a visit to the Newent Centre in Browns Road to meet some of the elderly residents. I think they might have been a little more interested in the Bingo I interrupted but nevertheless they had some good questions on pensions and tax and even one on road humps!!

After this was the Tiffin Boy’s School hustings. Some really intelligent questions around the subjects you would expect – Iraq, tuition fees etc. Actually turned into one of the best hustings we have had to date.

This evening was another hustings, this time at the Kingston racial Equality Council. Ed Davey did not turn up to this but instead we had Susan Kramer in his place. She seems a good person but I do wish she would learn when to stop talking! Unsurprisingly there was quite a lot of debate about immigration and asylum and once again lots of attempts to misrepresent our policy by saying we were arguing for no immigration. One of the accusations that is beginning to bore me about this issue is the idea that we are somehow whipping up racism on this campaign. All sides agree that the press are not helpful on this but neither are our opponents when they seek to mislead and spin our policies into something they are not. In fact the Lib Dem policy on immigration is that there should be a skills based quota, as is ours. The difference is that we would let parliament decide the number whereas the Lib Dems would hand control to some pan European quango.

Another hustings meeting this evening. This time it was at the University and organised by the University political society. A fairly wide ranging debate across most of the major issues that face us. Not surprisingly student tuition fees came up. My opponent admitted that whilst they did wish to abolish fees they would levy a graduation endowment tax of at least £2,000 per student once they had graduated. He argued this was a student fee but you must ask when is a student fee not a student fee?

Went to the Spring Grove with some of the students for a drink afterwards.

A huge amount of email and correspondence to catch up on and that is my next priority.

A long day tomorrow ending with a debate at the University for the Racial Equality Council.

Finally, our next piece of literature arrived today. Starts to go out tomorrow. Looks superb and the guy putting it all together has done a superb job.

Took the morning out and did nothing. We all need a break before the final assault and the barrage of leaflets in the final ten days.

After lunch a team of us went up to Norbiton and delivered around that area. It was one of those days when a series of events lightened the load. Firstly one of our deliverers got bitten by a dog. Hand in the letter box, to get the letter through the furry draft excluder, and then 'crunch'. Then in the early evening another deliverer saw some kids pull up in a car and start taking drugs from some foil. He popped around the corner and rang the Police who arrived, twenty minutes later, with lights flashing. Another demonstration that we have not got enough Police if it takes that long for them to arrive.

Some elderly lady said to me yesterday how sad she was that Kingston had declined into the "yobbish" culture around drugs. When you hear these types of things you agree. Something needs to be done if only to save the future lives of these young people taking these drugs.

Spent yesterday evening mopping up deliveries of leaflets in a number of areas. Tiredness starting to set in now. The reaction is still good when you speak to people but there seems little engagement with this election generally. Lib Dems love posters (Conservatives always seem shy about putting them up!) but this time they seem to have had no where near the success in getting them placed than they have in the past. They try hard down my road and had an assault today but it really does not bother me.

This morning we were in New Malden High Street handing out leaflets and meeting people. What has been remarkable is the way that the Conservative message around the five themes we have spoken of has really resonated with people. This is especially true on the issue of immigration. The numbers who speak to me on the doorsteps and in the streets about this issue demonstrates to me that the nasty accusations of the Lib Dems that this is in some way racist is a slur used to try and get us off a subject for which they have no real answers. People are worried about the future direction of our country and rightly or wrongly they see unlimited immigration as a threat to the future prosperity and well being of us all.

This afternoon we were out again in Tolworth and Hook doing some delivering and speaking to those who were in.

Had a very good canvas this evening down Raeburn Avenue. Very solid support and a good swing from both the other parties to us. Then off to another hustings at Kingston URC – CND/Peace Council but with environmental groups riding piggyback.

Lots of questions around international aid, poverty and Iraq. All the candidates were there this evening and this made covering much ground quite difficult. A bit sad we could not have spent more time on environmental issues because although we had one question on global warming I do believe that areas such as recycling are a vital issue. Still no time to cover that and the meeting ended at about 9.45pm.

Even more worried about Nick, the Labour candidate. There seems to be little that he agrees with his own party on. There were times I thought he was even to the left of the candidate from the Socialist Workers Party. Not complaining, very refreshing and makes it easier for me to put a distinct appeal between Conservatives and Labour.

Quick drink in the Druid’s Head and then home for something to eat.

Had a good day on the trail today. Spent much of it in Old Malden canvassing and then on to a hustings meeting with Churches Together in New Malden. The Lib Dem candidate did not turn up as he preferred the comfort of Channel 4 news rather meeting the electors in New Malden. He sent Baroness Hamwee as a sub.

The meeting went well and not surprisingly there was a good degree of concentration on ethical questions around euthanasia and abortion as well as interest in world debt, poverty and aid.

Have to say that Nick Parrot, the Labour candidate, is turning out to be refreshingly “Old Labour” in both his outlook on life and thinking.
The Baroness managed to walk into a few brick walls when she decided to laud the Lib Dem policy of not charging for personal care, despite the fact that in Kingston the Lib Dems, supported by their candidate, have raised personal care charges by 300% and introduced means testing.

What a day! Over the weekend a traveller encampment was moved off a Council site and ended up on NHS land in Surbiton. The local residents were not very happy as you can imagine.

I went over today to try and speak to the travellers but there was no one around and they had already stuck up notices that under such and such act they were now the legal occupiers of the land and would take legal action against those who entered.

The nursery next door were very worried about this, naturally, and we have offered to help with the parents. We also out out about a 1,000 leaflets around the area getting people to write to the NHS trust in Tooting to get them to take legal action now. I am just a little worried that given the bureaucracy that the NHS is that they might take some time to get the wheels in motion. Nothing wrong with a little bit of people power.

One resident who I spoke to tells me that he rang the Lib Dem canidate's office and they asked whether he could make an appointment!!

First hustings are being held tomorrow evening at New Malden Methodist Church at 8.00pm.

Quite a busy day today. Wednesday will be the half way point in the campaign and e are well into canvassing and delivering. Still an enormous amount to get out.

Discovered that the opposition are using professional delivery companies for their delivery which gives them a bit of an advantage. However it seems to be a fairly bland paper going out with lots of pictures of Charles Kennedy. Not sure that will win them much favor as it was their naked localism that won the seat to start with.

We were out in St. Mark's ward doing some final deliveries of recent leaflet and meeting some people on the streets. surprising that during last elections this area would have been awash with Lib posters but hardly any to be seen.

Good stuff on pensions yesterday which once again has really tuned in to local concerns. A lot of people of all ages asking about pensions and what we intended to do about it. I am told there is more Conservative policy to come on Council tax as well which would be welcome to the many who are seeing the Lib Dems Local Income Tax policy as a nightmare for families and middle income earners. Shocking to hear yesterday that a nurse and fireman in the same house would pay significantly more in Kingston and Surbiton than they would under the Council Tax.

Met police chief backs ID cards

It used to be the case that during elections public servants made no comments of a political nature. What happened to that?

It was also the case that during elections Governments were not to announce new long term funding for anything. Where does Rover leave us?

St. George Sunday

Another good day. This morning was at church.

This afternoon we had the St. George's day scout parade with over 1,000 scouts coming together in Tolworth and moving through the area with some great bands. It was preceded by a church service.

This evening had to sing a great piece of music by Britten - "Abraham and Isaac". Went well with a moving silence at its conclusion.

Campaign moves into a new week and spirits are high. Who knows what the result might be but the positive vibes from those I meet point to something interesting happening. I will keep you posted on what happens this week.

What a great day. We have decided that canvassing (knocking in doors) is a bit of a waste on Saturday mornings. Most people seem to shop on Saturday mornings so it makes sense to go where the voters are. Started this morning in Victoria Road, Surbiton. Had about 6 of the team with me handing out leaflets. Really great response and at my happiest so far in this campaign. One lady said to me: “We have had a nice man looking after the constituency for you for the past eight years and it is now time to get a Conservative who can make things happen!”

All went for coffees in Puccino’s before heading off for delivering with the students in Alexandra ward.

This afternoon we tried New Malden. Very quiet. This is probably the norm for these secondary shopping sites but New Malden is probably not helped by the roads and pavements being dug up whilst they put in a new pavement. We were opposite Blockbuster, on the High Street, and I have to say it reminded me how when I was younger the store used to be Sainsbury’s that had a wonderful tiled area where they kept the cold meats. My grandparents would frequently take me in there. Hard to think New Malden has neither them nor Sainsbury’s in it now.

Had a quiet evening at home this evening trying to recharge batteries. Another busy day ahead tomorrow, even on a Sunday.

Early to bed!

Bradford to Alexandra ward

Was in Bradford today on business. Fascinating place with some interesting problems around creating an integrated society in multi racial country.

This evening we were out and about campaigning in Alexandra Ward. Excellent response and my first time of being invited in to meet the family and have them check out whom they were voting for! Very tired this evening after a long week of work and campaigning. Busy weekend ahead and relatively early night needed tomorrow to prepare for the next week!!

BBC and the name game

Had an early business meeting in Broadway with a company looking to engage communities in the development of prisons and offender management. Very interesting that the community is now getting seen as having a role with prisons. We have done a lot of work in schools and health but now prisons!!

The BBC filmed a short piece on this corner of SW London. They were making the point that the lib Dem Local Income Tax announced today would hit very hard residents in Lib Dem seats such as Kingston & Surbiton and Richmond Park. The cameras followed myself and Marco Forgione (Richmond Park Conservative Candidate) for a couple of hours. Was on both the 6pm and 10pm news.

Marco was telling me that he had a letter from a resident who supported him but was worried about the Italian origins of his name. The resident suggested that he might want to change it before the election! You do get some odd requests during the campaign but changing your name is a little extreme.

Canvassed tonight in Beverley ward in New Malden, which was another successful evening. Great response in the Fountain pub afterwards. Approached by a few of the fellow drinkers who were surprised that I go in pubs and drink pints of beer!

Out and about in Tolworth and Surbiton

More campaigning this evening. 8 of us were knocking on doors in the Tolworth side of Surbiton Hill. Tremendous response from a road that you would not normally believe to be Conservative. About 150 houses were prepared to tell us there voting preferences and of those we were getting about 60% of their pledges.

Retired to a pub for a drink. Actually we are getting some real good discussions in the pubs themselves. People come over and tell us they normally vote Labour but are coming across to us. Interestingly there are a number of Labour supporters who were for the war but are fed up with Blair and the spin he put on the reasons for war.

This election becomes more unpredictable as time goes on.

Hospital Motion at Council

I had a full council meeting to attend this evening. I had tabled a motion calling on the Council to appeal to the Minister for more funds for the hospital. The catalogue of problems we have seen over the last few months is very concerning. It was also revealed this week that the hospital funding black hole has widened from £5m to £6.5m. I do not criticise the hospital directly because the staff are doing wonderful work. But there is something wrong when we have seen over 100% extra funding pumped into the hospital since 1997 and yet it still has a crisis in Winter over a lack of beds.

Ending the abuse

This site was set up by me to allow residents and voters in Kingston to gain an insight into my activities and to get an understanding of my views on Conservative policy and my perspective on the policies of other parties.

Part of that process is that voters could then interact with others and question my view.

Unfortunatley, since the election was called last week, this site has been inundated with inappropriate and slanderous comments that are inappropriate to an audience of 300 regular unique visitors a day. It is clear they originate from my political opponents. I have attempted warning people but it has been to no avail.

I am therefore left with no alternative but to shut down the comments section of this blog for a period. I may well open them up again in a few days. You can still email me and I would be happy to reply. I have had a look at some of the other blogs of Parliamentary Candidates and it appears to be a common problem that they are experiencing and the only alternative they have is to shut down the comments. Lynne Featherstone and Iain Dale have had to do the same. I regret this.

The postings I make will continue and I hope they continue to be of interest to you all.

The first weekend

Been a very busy first weekend. Deliveries out in a number of wards on Saturday and finishing up on Sunday before we start expenses on the Monday. Had lunch out with team on Saturday. The Royal wedding made campaigning somewhat low key and really only 'delivery' authoirised by Conservative Central Office.

Had a sackful of Lib Dem lies in a leaflet they decided to issue in Berrylands/Alexandra ward. I have sent a copy off to Charles Kennedy just to get him to confirm whether it is the same clean campaigning he was talking about on TV this morning. We will decide what to do about it next week but I am reluctant to go negative by spilling the beans on the great Davey betrayal of the Post Offices. Do not believe in negative campaigning myself but when your opponent resorts to blatant lies about his opponent rather than fighting the election on policy you wonder what will be next. His chief compliant was I apparently did not turn up to a meeting with a junior Post Office Ltd Manager. This was a meeting that was never going to change the views of the Post Office and was merely a single part in a pretty rigged consultation process and a meeting which I had not said I would be attending anyway. My ward colleague did attend it as our representative. The reason I was not there was because I was attending to my very ill 2 year old daughter; the health of my family being very important to me. Actually one resident thought it made the Lib Dems look pretty stupid if they thought it was a hanging offence.

The Postmaster near me was pretty fed up that when this Post Offices closure in Berrylands was announced and the Lib Dem MP did not bother to ask him what he thought about it before leaping into the press.

Things are good at the moment. Next leaflet starts on Monday and a week ahead of stuffing, delivering, printing, canvassing and public meetings.

Public meeting, the day's news and Lib Dem education

Busy day trying to do the day job. One of the difficulties of being a candidate is life must go on and salaries earnt. The incumbent has the luxury of no longer having a day job, as they are technically not a MP and they therefore have the time to spend on the campaign.

Last night we held the first of what we hope will be a series of public meetings. Weather was pretty foul so I was pleased we got as many there as we did. Was quite worried beforehand as you never know how these things will go but in fact enjoyed the experience in the end. Will now look to lining up a few more.

There has been an odd mood to the campaign so far. The death of the Pope and the royal wedding have caused a ‘stop start’ campaign. We had no campaigning activity at all last Sunday, nothing tomorrow apart from some delivery and the same on Saturday.

I see that at his press conference this morning Tony Blair refused to rule out tax rises after the next election. There are now so many economic organisations that are predicting rises that it is rather difficult for him to spin away from this. I gather that Blair and Brown are both sponsored by Unions who are calling for windfall taxes on banks. The Lib Dems meanwhile are at least coming clean that they want higher taxes.

Of interest to me was the launch of the Lib Dem education policy. Very simply they seem to have got the wrong focus on what they are trying to do. Abolishing faith schools and grammar schools is really somewhat of a nonsense. In fact under this Government, although they would not want to admit it, the number of new faith based schools has expanded through their City Academies scheme. The Lib Dem policy of scrapping GCSE’s and ‘A’ levels is also a mess. Like their income tax proposal this policy is about changing the system without changing the problem. Changing the system is not about driving up standards. The Conservative proposal to tackle the bad behaviour of some pupils that destroy the education of others by their actions is something that schools need. Giving power to Headteachers and school governors to exclude pupils is better than trying to force excluded pupils back into mainstream schools, which is the Lib Dem proposal.

One of the key features of the Lib Dem proposal was the reduction of class sizes to twenty. This might sound very appealing. However, as someone who works in the education sector, the jury is definitely out in terms of the benefits of this. A recent report has shown that when Labour reduced class sizes to 30 for 5,6 and 7 year olds the educational benefits were negligible. In any case I have no idea where they believe they would get the money to employ 2 or 3 new teachers per school as well as build the new classrooms. In fact it is well known we are facing a teacher crisis in about five years time.

I was closely involved in Kingston when we lowered the class sizes from 32 to 30 and the rows and unhappiness this led to in both the schools and the communities was immense. That was only six years ago. So, it would be interesting to hear from the Lib Dems where they would be putting what would be the equivalent of 3 or 4 new infant schools considering the immense problems we had to find space and build on educational land for the reductions in 1999. But as I have said before, because none of their policies would be implemented they can get away with this!

Day 2 - the first opponents leaflet

Another long day on the campaign trail.

Finishing off newspapers in St. Mark’s and now preparing for the next leaflet and targeted letter.

My wife was out doing some delivery this morning as well.

My opponents first piece of literature has surfaced. Seems determined to fight this as being a close race which is of course fine by me. Also very curious that he refers to me as “Michael Howard’s Conservative”, which of course I am, and very proud of it. Considering the most recent polls show that Charles Kennedy comes a very poor third when people are asked who would make a better Prime Minister I am quite happy for them to keep repeating it. Maybe I should start referring to my opponent as Blair's Lib Dem as it is clear that if you vote Lib Dem you are going to get Blair again!

Funny thing – I thought the Lib Dem Colour was yellow, so why has their leaflet become Robert Kilroy-Silk perma tan orange?

Met a couple of pensioners very keen for our Council Tax policy and the rebate for pensioner households. Also a young couple distinctly unimpressed by the Lib Dem local income tax policy. I think what my opponent had to say in The Independent a few months back was what most alarmed them.

"Double income households earning the "early £40,000s" and single income
households with earnings in the "late £30,000s" were likely to be hit, he said'
(The Independent, 1 April 2005)

The fact a couple earning just over £20,000 each will pay more is alarming. By our figures, based on current Kingston Council Tax rates, they would pay 5% on the basic rate. Trouble is that the Lib Dems will not admit how much it would cost for Kingston households.

Marsden makes about turn

Not sure you would want this chap to join you! Still he demonstrates what we have been saying all along; a vote for the Lib Dems is a wasted vote as only two parties can win this election.

We're off

So we have started!

Glad to get on with it after the past nine months of delivering and canvassing.

Immediately priority was sending out a targeted letter which my hard working members have spent the past two days stuffing. We were also at Surbiton Station for a time and a resident said they would not take a leaflet as he had spent the past four hours stuffing my face into an envelope.

We got moved on from the station by the Station Manager. New policy means that we cannot leaflet on railway property. We could do from the pavement but the trouble is you are liable to a fine from the Council. So instead we went and delivered the leaflet into St. Mark's ward. Covered about 1500 properties between the 8 of us. Also had deliveries going out across the other wards.

Also saw the first Lib Dem leaflet. Amusingly they refer to me as Michael Howard's Conservative. I think they believe that associating me with Michael Howard is a bad thing. Does not bother me, after all he is the Conservative Leader. Maybe they should read the polls a bit more which quite clearly demonstrate that irrespective of which party people vote for Kennedy trails a very poor third when asked the question: "Who would make the best Prime Minister?" Given that were there a hung Parliament it would be the Lib Dem's going into coalition with this awful Government maybe I should start referring to the Lib Dem candidate here as "Blair's Lib Dem".

We are holding a public meeting on Thursday to kick off the campaign, all are welcome.

Ended the day with a pint in the Antelope in Maple Road.

Farewell to Jim Bates

Jim Bates was the vicar of Kingston Parish Church, opposite John Lewis in Kingston.

Last night a farewell was held for him at which a couple of hundred people turned up. The Mayor came as well.

Jim has been a fine vicar of Kingston. Outspoken at times, upsetting at others, but always keen to express his view in the most recent debates about Kingston and the way the church functions in the centre of our town. I nominated him for, and he received, a Mayor's award for his work for Kingston.

He will be missed by Kingston as the church now moves foreard to select a successor.

Out delivering and canvassing this evening in Grove ward.

Death of Pope John Paul II

As many of you are aware I am a man of faith. I believe in God and I am a regular worshipper at Church.

I think what struck me most about the death of the Pope is not the "sadness", as some would express it, for ultimately all death is sad, but the dignity of the Pope's dying as he set off from this world to the next. The Pope had a painful last few years but the way in which a modern media enabled us all to see him go through those last days really captured something in the public imagination I had not thought possible.

For those of other faiths and those of no faith to feel an outpouring of emotion at this man's going, despite whatever his views might have been on a range of "conservative" issues such as abortion and contraception, there was deep, and I hope enduring, respect for what he had done in leading the Roman Catholic church these past 26 years.