Unusual silence!

Well - all I can say is that I've been holding a watching brief since the last General election. Watching the man who won the seat I wanted, watching our MP's who have Ministerial positions. Feeling excited, wary, upset, cautious and ambitious - in equal measure. My immediate reaction to coming second was "Never again" - but, heck, I miss the cut and thrust of politics and I'm arrogant enough to think I have experience to offer - so I'm up for it again!!!

Saturday 8 May 2010

Just what I feared but maybe.........

Well, I tried really hard and came second! I had great support and help from Bob, my agent and Kerri my press officer - no-one could have asked for more.Our party activists did sterling work at HQ - including two ladies in their 90's!! Thanks to all concerned.

What now? Well it's ironical that we have a situation in which, in spite of losing seats, the Liberal Democrats can help this country to get what it deserves - a fair voting system which reflects the votes of the whole population. The price for our support MUST be a referendum so that PR can't be swept under the carpet as it has been before.
I still want to represent Norfolk people and hope to do so in the not too distant future!

Watch this space!

Wednesday 5 May 2010

If you're a Tory voter, this is why you should lend me your vote

Take a look:

http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/2010/05/why-this-ex-tory-boy-is-voting-libera
l.html

This letter sums it all up!

I was delighted to recieve this letter the other day:

Dear Jacky,

Yes, you're right: you are the only party capable of beating the Tories in South Norfolk, and we need to clear out the present incumbents so that fresh attitudes can be nurtured. Your letter was well-worded and sensible without any ridiculous promises and the attendant hysteria, and my wife and I shall certainly "lend" you our vote this time.

If the parliament is hung this time - as the whole nation seems to hope - then you must get proportional representation in place BEFORE the next election, which may come very soon.

We really do need a change to the way we are governed. Politicians are public servants - in the same way that teachers, nurses, doctors, police officers,........are public servants: there's pride in that, not shame, but no one in parliament seems to realise it. Even intelligent journalists still talk about "who will be the next boss". We really do need a change of attitude so that we move to what we should be - a parliamentary democracy, not a presidential democracy where a few people make key decisions.

I have voted Labour all my life (except when I have voted strategically) but the Blair/Brown governments have destroyed socialism in this country for the next 10 - 15 years, and this is the moment for a decisive change to the way we elect our politicians.

All the Best, and I hope you get in and make a difference: if so, you'll have my vote for good,

Terry Cant

Thank you Terry. I hope others will read this and feel the same way!

Election address delivery problems

Please accept my apologies that many of you have still not received my key election communication, the Election Address. My election addresses should have been delivered around the 20th April and when they did not appear we made enquiries and discovered that the printing firm had not kept to the Royal Mail's guidelines and as a result the Royal Mail refused to deliver them.

It took a few days of constant wrangling with the printer to get them to accept the blame for this mistake and rectify the problem at their own cost - which they have thankfully now done, but very very late which means that many parts of the district have still not received anything from me just a day before the election.

Please be assured that this was a situation completely outside my control and it was certainly not my intention to make you feel as if I had neglected to communicate with you. Throughout my campaign I have made every effort to meet people and talk to them - through my 'Ask Howe Roadshow' visiting towns and villages across the district, taking part in six election debates (two of them on the radio) and through the Focus and Chronicle newsletters delivered by my supporters.

This is the best opportunity the Lib Dems have had in a long time to change South Norfolk for the better and the failure of the election address delivery has been a huge blow to me.

I hope that the election address reaches you before tomorrow and hope that I can still count on your vote.

A family photo

A family photo
Sun shining!

Who am I and what's this all about?

Hi - I am a Liberal Democrat, was a Liberal - will always be in this party, warts and all. Lots of us have staggered since the General Election as some compromises are hard to take but, in the end, my beliefs are exactly those of my Party and therefore --- I'm here for the duration (mine that is!!)