Thank you, Eltham North


I am delighted to have been elected by the people of Eltham North for a third time, alongside my colleagues Spencer and Dermot, on what was a great night for the Conservative Party nationally. It is an honour to serve local people on the Council, and there is nothing like an election campaign and the tension of the count to remind us how privileged we are. I was very sorry that David Gold didn't win the Parliamentary seat after a very strong and hard-fought campaign, but offer my congratulations to Clive Efford on his success. I will be blogging more on this and the appalling conditions at the count at a later date.

Vote for Change today

An early start today after a frantic final few days of campaigning. Now it's over to you to decide: Five more years of failure and broken promises with Labour, or change with a new team under David Cameron, with the energy, ideas and values to get the country moving again. I and other candidates could almost recite those words in our sleep, but they remain the best summary of the choice in what is one of the most exciting and important elections in modern times. I was proud to cast my vote today, and prouder still that my name is on the ballot paper today too for the local elections. It will be an historic day- I'm pleased to be playing my part, and I humbly ask for your support to bring that change we so desperately need.

Future and the past...

Another street stall session in Eltham on Saturday saw us head to head with Labour. It was good to be able to meet local people, and answer their question and concerns. Two people I met had been concerned by Labour's scare tactics about tax credits and benefits for pensioners, and I was able to show them our manifesto proving Labour is lying. We're sadly used to this now, but it still upsets me and makes me very angry. Let's have a debate, but playing on the fears of the vulnerable is as low as it gets. My photo above shows David Gold in front of Labour's Clive Efford - we'll be working hard to ensure the election result tomorrow is the same...

Willetts turns the tables

My first political campaign was standing as Conservative candidate in my college's mock election, which coincided with the General Election of 1997. Not a great year for the Conservatives, that one - and indeed I came third after the Lib Dems and Referendum Party (but beat Labour and the Socialist Labour Party...).

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My local MP then was David Willetts, and I helped out on his campaign in the Havant constituency. Despite the Labour landslide nationally, David held his seat, and I later worked for him in Westminster. My parents still live in his constituency, and I usually make a point of going to help him out for a bit at every General Election. This has been the first campaign since 1997 I haven't done that, given the tough fight we've got here in Eltham, so I was delighted that David came to us yesterday to support David Gold and our Council candidates. He may be the last Shadow Cabinet member to come to see us before voting begins tomorrow, and I'm pleased to have had a reminder of where it all started for me.