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.

I enjoyed my first hustings this week!

As a new candidate, hustings are a new experience for me and over the last week I've taken part in four of them to debate the key issues of this election with the other candidates in the district and give you the opportunity to get to know me better.

I'm not one for nervousness anyway and actually I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The debates took place at Hempnall, Framingham Earl High School and the Langley School Loddon and I also took part in a live radio debate at South Norfolk Youth Alliance Radio.

I was delighted to see how many people came to the hustings and I hope that the excellent turnout was in part due to the massive surge in popularity of the Lib Dems that has really got people interested in this election and given us all the hope of real change.

Questions asked included voting reform and cleaner politics, policies vs personality, immigration, religion, the environment and each party's proposed spending cuts.

You can see the Lib Dems stance on all these issues in our manifesto which can be found at www.libdems.org.uk or post a comment to me here and I will be happy to discuss with you.

Thank you to all those who turned out to take part in the hustings. It's not long now until 6 May and I hope I can count on your vote!

I'm backing the pub

In an area like South Norfolk village facilities are vital for those who do not have a car, for everyday essentials and easy access to goods and services which help communities to thrive. That's why "I'm backing the pub" campaign by the British Beer and Pub Association. See video for details.