This morning we published the latest three reports from our panel of candidates on how the second week of the campaign had gone. Here are the other three...
Philippa Stroud - Sutton and Cheam
The biggest electoral issue in Sutton and Cheam is St Helier Hospital. There has been little investment over years. There was therefore much celebration when Andrew Lansley visited on Saturday and announced that, in line with our commitment to the NHS, an incoming Conservative Government would guarantee the newly agreed investment package of £219 million.
To be honest the rest of the week was crazily busy. Postal votes arrived and we did a full knock up; Tuesday was Social Action Day and James Brokenshire joined us for a visit to a local charity - EcoActif - which supports ex-offenders into work; I have spoken to first time voters in a local school; I met with the local Muslim community leaders; there has been another hustings whilst all the time we have been canvassing and building our pledge base.
However, the biggest encouragement was Monday. I had Iain Duncan Smith, Chris Grayling and Andrew Mitchell all testing the strength of the Conservative pledge base. The good news was that it survived and even thrived on the invasion! (For those of you who don't know, Sutton and Cheam is a Lib Dem marginal that we have to win)
Hannah Foster - Exeter
This week the campaign began to feel like the norm. We have had a great week – and not just because the sun shone every day (all the team are a little pink-cheeked!).
All the election addresses started arriving on doorsteps. In Exeter we are privileged to have different lies on Labour’s election addresses including ‘cutting Child Trust funds for everyone’. We have had two more hustings meetings (taking our total to 7 to date). It amazes me how candidates will not answer the questions!
We had David Cameron here on Thursday morning, meeting a group of Exeter people connected to the Forces. I am delighted the Party has published its Forces manifesto – as my husband is serving and currently deployed in Iraq – I know how much Labour has let down our Forces.
Canvass returns looking good and no sign of any big moves to Lib Dems. I spent Saturday night out with Exeter’s Street Pastors, and yesterday attended the Door Security staff pub Olympics and St George’s Day parade. Now don’t you wish you were here?
Lee Martin - Sunderland Central
The trouble with campaign visits is that you have to get shaved. Last week we had two visits to break up the 55,000 bits of campaign material we needed to deliver before the postal votes started to land with Saturday’s post.
So the week begins with worries about the handover of my second election address to the Royal Mail, doubts about whether we can deliver so much material in Sunderland Central while not neglecting our target wards outside, and a shave.
With the Royal Mail handover complete and our delivery teams dispatched Tony, Debs and I head to meet Andrew Lansley and his NHYes bus – it looks more like a van – at Bede Medical Centre on Dundas Street. No sooner had we waved Andrew and his feisty team off and we’re back on the streets leading our third delivery session of the day.
Tuesday is just delivery and Shameless on E4. Wednesday is special. Uncle Eric is paying us another visit. We like Eric. And, don’t even mind having to have a shave. So we cut short the second delivery session of the day to gather at the bottom of Strawberry Bank to await Tory Eric and his battle bus.
Now either I’ve got bigger or battle buses have got smaller. However, Eric is Eric, and he insists it isn’t a van. Eric’s visit – and the appearance of our Hendon candidate Sammy Doran’s campaign Tuk-tuk adorned with our Ambitious for Sunderland livery – really lifts the team.
Thursday is more delivery before the second Leaders’ Debate on TV. I liked the set this week. Sky did much better. Friday and I’m starting to flag. Maybe all this shaving is sapping my energy.
I perk up when I see our latest full-page ad in the Sunderland Echo. BE AMBITIOUS FOR SUNDERLAND. GET LABOUR OUT. Eat your heart out M&C Saatchi.
The weekend starts with me chasing the postwoman around Fulwell at 7am. It finishes with 27,000 letters to postal voters out, people saying they’ve already voted for me, and stubble. If I win this, I’m going to have to buy more razors.
