ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

Robert Jenrick gives a flavour of what he is doing in his campaign to become the first Conservative MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme in 100 years

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Robert Jenrick, who was selected in November 2008 for Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, where is seeking to overturn the 8,108 majority of sitting Labour MP Paul Farrelly and become the seat's first Conservative MP for over 100 years. He studied History at St. John’s College, Cambridge before qualifying as a lawyer and working for City law firms in London and Moscow, and is also involved in managing his family’s local manufacturing business. He took leave from his legal career in December 2009 to fight to win the seat. Read more about him and his campaign on his website.

Monday 8th March
Monday morning is a chance to catch up after an interesting weekend. Newcastle’s General Election campaign began in earnest on Friday with our first election hustings. We answered good-humoured questions from staff and students at Newcastle College, although I’m not convinced the debate truly engaged the sceptical students in the audience. I wonder whether the national debates will prove as electrifying as the media suggest – I certainly never met many who were thrilled by the Presidential debates whilst living in the U.S.

Sir John Major was in Staffordshire on Friday, supporting our six target seat campaigns (Newcastle, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands, Burton, Tamworth and Cannock Chase) as well as the work being done to re-establish ourselves in Stoke-on-Trent. Speaking after dinner in the evening, Sir John was eloquent and laid out a damning critique of Labour’s record. I said in the vote of thanks that if all Conservatives presented themselves with such clarity we would be assured of a new government in May.

A weekend of canvassing followed. Dropping my wife off at Stoke station on Sunday night for her train back to work, it had been another exhausting weekend.

Monday morning I make some calls to colleagues who are campaigning to change the unfair regional quota system that has arisen, whereby 65% of sand and gravel extraction across in the entire West Midlands falls upon Staffordshire. Inevitably this means beautiful Staffs countryside being torn up. I write a letter to members of the West Midlands Regional Assembly who make these decisions (a quasi-democratic body that is thankfully on the way out), urging them to support us and end this crazy system.

Unexpectedly this afternoon, a legal contact calls. He’s an environmental lawyer in Washington D.C. who is co-ordinating efforts in the U.S. to develop the first Green Investment Bank with the Obama administration. I put him in touch with the Shadow Environment team, some of whom it turns out will be in D.C. tomorrow and may be able to meet up. This follows on from bringing together the Environment team with Better Place, an Israeli company developing an electric car system that will soon be on the streets of Tel Aviv and San Francisco. Better Place’s CEO, Shai Agassi is one of the most impressive men I’ve met: he is pragmatic and not a climate crusader and he puts privately-funded technological advancement at the heart of tackling climate change.

Gareth McKeever reports on how campaigning is continuing apace in Westmorland and Lonsdale after his campaign office was burnt to the ground in a suspected arson attack

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Gareth McKeever, who was selected in July 2008 for Westmorland and Lonsdale, a beautiful constituency covering much of the Lake District. Belfast-born Gareth was educated at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and quit his job as a stockbroker on his selection to move to Kendal and campaign full-time. The seat was gained at the last general election by the Liberal Democrats, who will defend a notional majority of 806. ConHome recently reported the news that his campaign office had been burnt down in a fire. You can contribute to his campaign and read more about him on his website.

Monday 1st March
Monday morning is admin, press releases and phone calls; Monday afternoon is canvassing. I much prefer the latter and this Monday we are in Kendal.

In aftermath of our fire (a suspected arson attack - click here to read the local newspaper's report) there is even more correspondence to deal with and happily much of it brings offers of help and good wishes. Local people have been tremendously supportive.

The canvassing response is very encouraging and we find many people who voted Lib Dem in 2005 switching to us as they realise that a vote for the Lib Dems only serves to keep Gordon Brown in No.10.

Monday evening I have a church group meeting. We have a great night and the evening flies by.

Tuesday 2nd March
Our March leaflet is starting to hit doorsteps and a large number marked for hand-delivery have just arrived at our temporary office, my house. I will be glad to move into our new offices next week. We have delivered a piece of literature to every home in the constituency every month for seven months. All the money to do this has been raised locally and they have proved a big hit with many local people glad to hear from us so regularly. When I was selected back in July 2008 one of my priorities was to get us communicating on a more regular basis. We have a great team of deliverers across the constituency and everyone is working incredibly hard to win the seat back.

I spend the first few hours of the morning drafting campaign literature and making a few calls before joining the canvass team. We are once again campaigning in Kendal and we have a great day. There is disbelief on the doorstep that the polls have narrowed as much as they have and everyone is understandably very worried about the prospect of a hung Parliament, where nothing would get done.

Tuesday evening I have dinner with senior management from the Lake District National Park and we have a very productive catch-up, discussing a variety of important local issues such as affordable housing and green transport within the park.

Ed Northover reports that he finally has a Labour opponent in Leyton and Wanstead - a seat which Labour can no longer claim to be "safe"

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Ed Northover, who was selected in March 2009 for Leyton and Wanstead. He comes from Liverpool, read History at Merton College, Oxford and is now a corporate lawyer in the City. He is also a Waltham Forest councillor. It was only at the weekend that a Labour candidate was finally selected to defend the party's notional majority of 7,253 (see entry below for Sunday) since sitting MP Harry Cohen is retiring. Read more about Ed on his website.              

Monday 22nd February
The week begins with the fallout from the “bully Brown” allegations. The co-founder of the Bullying Helpline has added fuel to the fire, whilst Baron Mandelson of Foy and Hartlepool has been wheeled out to extinguish the flames. The whole episode is very distasteful but, with such negative headlines, I think that the one thing that will be extinguished is the prospect of a 25th March poll.

It’s a busy evening after an equally busy day in the office dealing with my private equity clients.  I start the evening by leading a delivery session in Forest ward in the Waltham Forest part of my seat.  It’s cold and damp but there is a very pleasing turnout of activists at Leytonstone tube station. I know virtually every paving stone in this part of the constituency having stood (and lost) here in a Council by-election back in 2008 in which we greatly improved our share of the vote.  In fact, given the number of by-elections I stood in around here before I finally got elected to the Council in March 2009, there aren’t many wobbly paving stones in this part of my constituency that I haven’t stood on!

Council work takes up the second half of the evening as I dash up to Walthamstow Town Hall for a Conservative Group Meeting. We have 15 councillors in Waltham Forest, an authority run by a Labour-Lib Dem coalition which has pretty much brought the borough to its knees.  We have a lively debate about our budget proposals. We propose that, if in power, we would cut Council Tax by 2.3% by, amongst other things, reducing the Council’s monstrous communications budget, axing the propaganda rag known as “Waltham Forest News” and removing the much hated CCTV spy-cars that roam our streets like hyenas.

Simon Reevell uses his PPC Diary to file an update on how his campaign to oust Shahid Malik in Dewsbury is going

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Simon Reevell, who was selected in February 2009 for Dewsbury in West Yorkshire. He is a barrister who was chairman of Beverley and Holderness Conservative Association prior to his selection. He is challenging Labour MP Shahid Malik, who will defend a notional majority of 3,999, meaning that Simon needs a swing of 4.5% to win the seat, which last had a Tory MP between 1983 and 1987.

Monday 15th February
The week begins with the newspapers full of talk of an ‘early’ General Election by which they seem to mean March 25th. This seems to be on the back of opinion polls which may not have changed if you allow for their inbuilt margin of error and which certainly ignore the fact that Northern marginal seats are running ahead of the national figures. In Dewsbury we are ready for the election whenever it is called. In fact there is that feeling of having done the revision and just wanting the exam to begin. Spending this afternoon writing to thank people who have offered to display posters brings home the fact that whenever the election is it will be soon!

This evening was the Mirfield Branch’s regular meeting. The Chairman, Patricia, is an ex-Labour councillor who became disillusioned with Labour and joined us. Mirfield provides some really committed volunteers; in the last three weeks they have delivered nearly 8,000 pieces of campaign literature. We discuss the details of a linked General and local election campaign assuming 6th May.

Tuesday 16th February
I spent this afternoon dealing with some delay in compensation payments following a disruption in the gas supply, for up to a week in some cases, in part of the constituency over New Year. It is the usual tale of recorded messages and call centre staff who can only work to their script. Eventually I get to speak to someone who can make a decision and some progress was made.

This evening I attended a presentation by the Army at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Defence and in particular the way the Armed forces have been treated since 1997 got me into politics (search my name and ‘Blaymire’ on a full web search and see if you still think Chilcot has unearthed anything new!!). The presentation was impressive and it whilst was good to hear re-assuring comments about kit, it is a disgrace that it has taken so long.

Victoria Ayling gives a flavour of the energetic campaign she is fighting in Great Grimsby

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Victoria Ayling, who was selected in February 2009 for Great Grimsby, where she is mounting an energetic challenge against the veteran Labour MP, Austin Mitchell. A qualified barrister who has also worked in the sale and marketing of fish oils, she has served as a parish, district and county councillor and needs a swing of 11.6% to gain the seat.  Read more about her and here campaign on her website or her blog.

Victoria writes: Since I got selected on Valentine's Day 2009, I have put my heart and soul into campaigning to win Great Grimsby. It has become a way of life and my whole family and many friends are giving me enthusiastic support. With a great campaign team and Campaign Manager it is looking very good for the General Election although every vote counts and we will not stop until the polling booths close!

Saturday
I have a regular monthly stall in Freeman Street Market which means that I can listen to peoples’ concerns. Employment is the main issue in Grimsby followed by anti-social behaviour. These issues have come up time and time again at the 25 public meetings I have held around the constituency and are the main topics of discussion on my stall. Along with Phil Dumbrell, the ward Candidate, we attract a lot of interest, and our site adjacent to the serving hatch of the Pea Bung chippy is very popular - a bit too popular with me! I adore fish and chips and my visits to this wonderful serving hatch are a bit too frequent. Memo to self: next month only two visits allowed and only one portion of chips and cheese.

On my way home I asked the family what they wanted for supper... ah well, another visit to the chippy didn’t hurt anyone.

Sunday
As a family we often leaflet together.  Hunter, our youngest (8) who has Aspergers, fortunately loves letter  boxes and enjoys pushing the leaflets through, while I hold the flap open. He loves to comment loudly sometimes, usually about nothing much, but at one house today he utters the immortal words: "man without hair in house mummy!" Pity my leaflet hit the floor at the same time...

We finished distributing my end of year leaflet. With my campaign team we have managed to blanket the whole constituency. These would have been out much sooner but for the snow which made the pavements treacherous. The last thing I want is any of my team or family injured whilst delivering for me!

Finishing the day I cooked a traditional roast meal then enjoyed the delights of the mountain of ironing.

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Victoria Ayling, who was selected in February 2009 for Great Grimsby, where she is mounting an energetic challenge against the veteran Labour MP, Austin Mitchell. A qualified barrister who has also worked in the sale and marketing of fish oils, she has served as a parish, district and county councillor and needs a swing of 11.6% to gain the seat.  Read more about her and here campaign on her website or her blog.

Victoria writes: Since I got selected on Valentine's Day 2009, I have put my heart and soul into campaigning to win Great Grimsby. It has become a way of life and my whole family and many friends are giving me enthusiastic support. With a great campaign team and Campaign Manager it is looking very good for the General Election although every vote counts and we will not stop until the polling booths close!

Saturday
I have a regular monthly stall in Freeman Street Market which means that I can listen to peoples’ concerns. Employment is the main issue in Grimsby followed by anti-social behaviour. These issues have come up time and time again at the 25 public meetings I have held around the constituency and are the main topics of discussion on my stall. Along with Phil Dumbrell, the ward Candidate, we attract a lot of interest, and our site adjacent to the serving hatch of the Pea Bung chippy is very popular - a bit too popular with me! I adore fish and chips and my visits to this wonderful serving hatch are a bit too frequent. Memo to self: next month only two visits allowed and only one portion of chips and cheese.

On my way home I asked the family what they wanted for supper... ah well, another visit to the chippy didn’t hurt anyone.

Sunday
As a family we often leaflet together.  Hunter, our youngest (8) who has Aspergers, fortunately loves letter  boxes and enjoys pushing the leaflets through, while I hold the flap open. He loves to comment loudly sometimes, usually about nothing much, but at one house today he utters the immortal words: "man without hair in house mummy!" Pity my leaflet hit the floor at the same time...

We finished distributing my end of year leaflet. With my campaign team we have managed to blanket the whole constituency. These would have been out much sooner but for the snow which made the pavements treacherous. The last thing I want is any of my team or family injured whilst delivering for me!

Finishing the day I cooked a traditional roast meal then enjoyed the delights of the mountain of ironing.

Former policeman George Lee describes a busy week on the campaign trail as candidate for Holborn and St Pancras - including a visit from David Cameron and George Osborne

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by George Lee, who was selected in March 2009 for Holborn and St Pancras, where he is challenging for Cabinet Minister, Frank Dobson.  Born in Hong Kong, George came to the UK as a child and served in the police for seventeen years, and was the first Chinese officer to reach the rank of Inspector. Since then he has worked as a management consultant and served as executive Vice President at T-Mobile. Read more about him and his campaign on his website.

Saturday 30th January
We were out canvassing in the Brunswick Estate in Bloomsbury. The area is not natural Tory territory but as in other parts of the constituency we get positive reception. I am followed by a London-based Chinese TV crew. Our campaign has been blessed with excellent support from the Chinese community and my aim is to encourage them to become more active in politics. Part of the reason I’m entering politics, as with my service in the MoD and the Metropolitan Police, is because I want to break the mould of traditional expectations and show that we are not all quiet, studious types who don’t speak out or integrate with our neighbours. If I can raise our profile as committed British citizens who make a valuable contribution to society, I’ll be very happy.

Mid-way through the morning I attended the flower laying ceremony at the Ghandi memorial in Tavistock Square with the Indian High Commissioner and Foreign Affairs Minister. During the ceremony I wondered what Ghandi would have made of the 7/7 bombings on the square and the current revelations at the Iraq War Inquiry.

Sunday 31st January
Spend the day telephone canvassing from home. We were incredibly lucky that Geneva [the CCHQ call centre] agreed to canvass the whole constituency before Christmas and results were excellent. We are now sweeping up numbers that Geneva had not been able to get an answer. Canvassing from home, especially on a Sunday, allows me to spend the day with my wife and two children.

Nick Hillman continues to highlight the folly of voting Lib Dem in Cambridge and gets celebrity backing for his campaign

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Nick Hillman, who was selected in December for Cambridge, where sitting Lib Dem MP David Howarth is standing down and he has his sights on gaining the seat, which last held for the Conservatives by Robert Rhodes James until 1992 (at which election it was gained by Labour). You can read more about Nick's campaign on his website, donate to that campaign here and follow him on Twitter.

Monday 25th January
We welcome a new volunteer who is joining us for six weeks to learn about politics. Our first task is a canvassing session. We find many supporters, though we also find the Labour vote holding up. At least Labour voters often willingly say who they support, so we get clear information. We also chat with a former Lib Dem activist who complains his old party runs Cambridge like a one-party state. He may not vote for us, but he certainly won’t vote for them.

In the evening, I speak at a Burns Supper fundraiser. It is only my second full speech since becoming the PPC and my nerves show, but I get the chance to thank the outgoing PPC, who is an old friend. The dinner is to help get a second Tory councillor in Coleridge ward, and we have a strong candidate in Andy Bower.

In my speech, I express hope that election day 2010 will be more successful for me than the last one. In 2005, I was mugged while getting out the vote and – after leaving the police station – found the front wheel and saddle of my bike had been stolen! I also mention the time I met Margaret Thatcher which, as she was rather rude to me, won a laugh.

Tuesday 26th January
Our Association Chairman, Dr Sarah El-Neil, and I have been working hard to get our first proper piece of literature for 2010 ready. We are in essay-crisis mode. The biggest problem is that we have so much to say that it is hard to boil it down to the essentials.

It's been a week of campaigning, court appearances and a christening for Erewash PPC, Jessica Lee

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Jessica Lee, who was selected in March 2007 for the Derbyshire constituency of Erewash, where Labour MP Liz Blackman announced earlier this month that she will not defend the seat at the general election. Jessica, who grew up locally, is a family law barrister. The seat was held for the Conservatives by Angela Knight until 1997 when the seat fell to Labour and, on paper, Jessica requires  a swing of 7.83% to gain the seat - although the arithmetic here is slightly confused by the fact that Robert Kilroy-Silk stood under the Veritas banner at the 2005 election.

Monday 18th January
I am off to a flying start to my week with a run of meetings and some campaigning on Monday. I spend the morning at the Association office writing election literature, planning constituency visits and reviewing our canvassing strategy with my agent, Allison Maguire. The sitting Labour MP has recently announced that she will stand down at the general election, but there is no decision as yet as to who will run as the Labour candidate. We are joined by the association chairman, Geoff Smith, for his input too.

This is also a useful opportunity for me to consider the latest batch of survey replies from local residents and consider what issues are raised. Issues such as fear of unemployment and helping young people in Erewash feature in the replies. We have delivered and sent thousands of surveys in the last year and the response rate has been overwhelming. People are replying and saying that they fed up with Gordon Brown and are ready for change in Erewash.

I have a meeting with Cllr Chris Corbett, the leader of the Conservative-run borough council in Erewash to review borough matters. I drop in at ProStart in Long Eaton today. This is a much-needed skills and training resource in Erewash. I am keen to support ProStart and similar organisations in their efforts to help people get back into work. I am returning to ProStart soon for a meeting, which will hopefully enable me to channel some further support and guidance for the work that they do.

The afternoon is a visit to the Erewash Partnership organisation in Ilkeston. This is a successful umbrella organisation that links together the local business community, the local authority and the voluntary sector. They have an Enterprise Centre for training and they offer many courses and networking opportunities throughout the year to help the business community. The organisation is politically neutral and will host visits across the board, but the Partnership are helping to host a visit from Adam Afriyie MP, Shadow Minster for Innovation and Science, next week. A meeting with Ian Viles, the Chief Executive is a useful review of the details of the visit and general preparations for next week.

Next stop for me is a meeting with the campaign fundraising team all of whom have done a sterling job in the last year, raising the thousands of pounds that are needed to run the general election campaign. We plan the structure for the final main fundraising event and I leave the finer details in the capable hands of the team: Pam, Julian, Rosie (my mum!) and Lynne. The rest of the day is a drive into work to collect the final papers for my trial the next day and then home for homework! It’s a case of burning the midnight oil tonight in preparation for work tomorrow.

The future of Dungeness nuclear power station, remembering WWI veterans and judging the local sloe gin all feature in a busy week for Damian Collins in Folkestone and Hythe

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Damian Collins, who was selected in July 2006 for Folkestone and Hythe, where Michael Howard is standing down at the general election and bequeathing a notional Conservative majority of 12,446 to Damian. A former political officer of the Bow Group, he contested Northampton North in 2005 and has worked in the advertising and communications industry for over a decade. He is married with two children and you can read more about him and his campaign on his blog. Here's his diary of the last seven days...

This week we have been battling with the elements in East Kent, but a week which started with thick snow on the ground across Folkestone and Hythe ended with a warming debate in the BBC South East studios.

The previous weekend we had had heavy snow, which had closed roads and made it difficult to get out. At home in Elham the temperature one morning was as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius, and my daughter Claudia's snowman was enjoying a longer than expected life in the garden.

Snow disruptions, particularly when they affect the Channel Tunnel, the car and lorry entrance for which is just outside Folkestone, can cause lots of problems. Lorries are 'Stacked' on the M20 motorway leading to complete closures between junctions. We have an urgent need for investment in the general road and rail freight infrastructure around the Tunnel and also the Port of Dover. I have written about this issue before on my blog.

However, the bad weather hadn't been enough to deter the contestants for the annual Romney Marsh Sloe Gin Competition at the Ship Inn in Dymchurch. I had been asked once more to join the panel of judges and on a blind tasting. The winner's cup went again to our local County Councillor, Willie Richardson, and the funds raised from the event went to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Dungeness appeal.

Willie has also been closely involved with one of the major issues which has recently affected the constituency: the future of Dungeness and the prospects for a new nuclear power station there. The Dungeness 'B' power station is due to come to the end of its operating life in 2018 and the site had been on the Government's shortlist for a new generation station to be built. However, following some questions raised by Natural England on the environmental impact of the new station on the shingle beds that form the Dungeness peninsular, the plan was dropped. This decision is still part of a consultation process that will close on 22nd February and there is considerable local support for a new power station which could create up to 2,000 local jobs. It could also supply more than enough clean energy to power the the whole of Kent.

Diary of a PPC: The Year for Change begins for Adeela Shafi in Bristol East with a campaign launch with Theresa May and lots of disruptive snow

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Adeela Shafi, who was selected in January 2008 for Bristol East, where she is seeking to oust Labour MP Kerry McCarthy, who will be defending a majority of 7,335. Born and brought up in Bristol, she is a lecturer in Psychology at the University of the West of England and is married with four children. You can read more about her campaign on her website and can click here to donate money to her campaign.

Monday 4th January
Today is the first day back after a great Christmas break.  Big campaign launch today with Theresa May who I do get on with very well.  Many of us turned up for the launch with a backdrop of a David Cameron poster on the NHS.  It was a good move to kickstart the campaign with this important issue that affects us all either directly or indirectly – there is always someone you know who is being treated by the NHS at any given time.

Back to our home office where my husband works from home - which is great as it means we can truly share the childcare and we do a great deal of campaign work together. I spend the afternoon getting my website updated, addressing the post and emails accumulated in the break and talking to the local press about an online twitter campaign against the incumbent Labour MP in Bristol East, even though I am not a twitterer… thank goodness!  My job is to focus on the real issues on the ground.

I also put together the first copy all my General Election early action items such as the first few leaflets.  Bedtime reading is the Draft Manifesto released today.

Steve Baker settles in to his new home in Wycombe and makes the most of Christmas events as he prepares to step into Paul Goodman's shoes

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. This is the last Diary of 2009 but if you are a candidate and would like to be featured in the New Year, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week's diary is written by Steve Baker, who was selected on 31st October for Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, where Paul Goodman - who is joining ConservativeHome as Contributing Editor - is standing down at the election and bequeathing a notional majority of 7,597. Steve is a professional aerospace and software engineer whose career spans the Royal Air Force and a variety of software-related businesses, and is married to Beth, a general practitioner who will shortly be leaving the Royal Air Force. Steve is an Associate Consultant to the Centre for Social Justice and Corporate Affairs Director of The Cobden Centre, an educational charity for honest money and social progress. Steve finds that being PPC for Wycombe is "both more awesome and more magnificent than opening the door of an aeroplane in flight and jumping out".

Monday 14th December
We are now happily ensconced in High Wycombe, close enough to the M40 that I am developing my affinity for the M40 Chiltern Environmental Group and their aims. Aside from campaigning for Wycombe, I develop The Cobden Centre, which seeks to widen the debate on economics and society, so I spent the morning writing about the legal status of banking contracts, illustrating the peculiar status of demand deposits.

After reviewing the closure of Holywell Mead pool, I met Paul Goodman MP in Parliament to discuss local issues and Wycombe Hospital in particular. As Paul said recently, "no other single issue compares to it in terms of the interest, concern and anxiety it arouses."

Claire Perry demonstrates that she has hit the ground running as Michael Ancram's successor in Devizes

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Claire Perry, who was selected at the beginning of November for Devizes in Wiltshire, where Michael Ancram is standing down at the general election, bequeathing a notional majority of 12,259. Claire is married with three children and prior to her selection worked in the office of George Osborne, developing policy on jobs and value for money for the taxpayer. She says that the selection six weeks ago now seems "like a lifetime ago" and maintains it is a complete honour to have been chosen as Conservative candidate for "the most wonderful seat in Britain".

Monday 7th December
Drive up to Pewsey from South Wiltshire for my regular weekly meeting with Michael Ancram where he passes on as much information as he can and we plan our campaigns on local issues.  A big local problem is the lack of a primary care centre in Devizes (which was promised when the local hospital was partially closed) and I went to a very unsatisfactory “public consultation” on a proposed new site last Friday, so there much to discuss.  Set up three walkabouts for early in the New Year.  Michael has a huge personal following here and I am so fortunate to be working with him

I then head over to Chippenham to campaign for Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones whom I met last week.  To form a government we must win Chippenham and other marginals across the country and Wilfred is a fantastic candidate.  Deliver letters in the pouring rain with other stalwarts from my Association until it gets dark and then back to Devizes.  There is a public display of the Wiltshire Area plan in the Corn Exchange and I want to talk about the traffic and spatial impact of the new PCC in Devizes with the council bods – most unsatisfactory answers.  This new location is being rammed through and while it might make financial sense, there is no clarity on the numbers. 

Meet up with local councillors there (Cllr Mayes is in the photo with me here) and review the plans together.  I’m still in my wet weather campaigning gear and feel distinctly underdressed.  Rapid change in the loo of the Bear Hotel and then off to Marlborough for an evening meeting of the Marlborough Area Board, which is a brilliant forum for understanding the local issues, meeting local activists and being seen.  Drive up to London at 10pm, M4 shut so it takes hours.  Dog tired tonight.

Tuesday 8th December
Based in London today.  Write a letter to the local paper for Devizes called “Give us the Facts”.  The consultation over the location of a new Devizes Primary Care Centre is marked by a complete absence of facts and figures and is very reminiscent of what happened when NHS Wiltshire shut down the minor injuries unit at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough.  NHS Wilts, like most quangos, acts in a completely unaccountable manner and takes the public for fools.  Pick up the children from school which is sadly a very rare event.  Eliza announces that she needs 45 Christmas goodie bags for Holly House at school (of which she is Captain).  I respond that surely we should use the money to give an Oxfam goat called Holly to Africa and she gives me a withering look.  Dash out, cursing, to get sweets, cellophane and ribbon and organise a bag-making party.  Take five calls from candidates interested in Salisbury.

Jackie Doyle-Price's would-be Labour opponent joins her social action project in Thurrock

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Jackie Doyle-Price, who was selected in July 2007 for Thurrock in Essex. She requires a swing of 6.5% to overturn the notional Labour majority of 5,358 in a seat where the popular Labour incumbent, Andrew Mackinlay, is standing down. His successor as Labour candidate is yet to be selected. Jackie, originally from Sheffield, now lives in Purfleet and is a policy adviser at the Financial Services Consumer Panel where she works on behalf of consumers to get fairer treatment from financial institutions. Read more about her campaign on the website of Thurrock Conservatives.

Saturday 28th November
As usual Saturday is spent out knocking on doors.  Thurrock is classic swing territory and consequently we need to chase every vote if we are going to turn this seat blue at the forthcoming election. The Conservatives are currently in minority control of the council, thanks to the support of two independent councillors, So the political situation is neck and neck.

Despite Thurrock being seen, for Essex, as good Labour territory – it has after all only returned a Conservative MP for one Parliament in 1987-92 – it is noticeable that on the doorstep the Labour vote is in freefall. We have found some fantastic new candidates to fight our target seats which gives me considerable freedom to shore up the Conservative vote in our good areas.  Today I led a team in South Chafford.

Sunday 29th November
On Sunday I led a Social Action project with Charlie Key, our candidate in the Labour-held ward of Grays Riverside.  We set out to clean Grays Beach of rubbish and flotsam and jetsam washed up from the Thames.  We were supported by the charity Thames21 which works to clean up the Thames foreshore throughout London – obviously Grays is outside the London boundary, but I begged a favour.  Thames21 provided wellies and kit and we set to work.

We had a fantastic turnout including Council leader Garry Hague, and councillors Rob Gledhill, Ben Maney, Eddie Hardiman and Danny Nicklen.  Rob provided home-made soup which went down very well on a cold November day.  Our 20-strong team managed to shift many bags of rubbish, including gas pipes, tyres and the ubiquitous shopping trolley. The most interesting find was some empty shotgun cartridges, although Vic from Thames 21 had told us that in the past they had found a human skull so we came off quite lightly.

Charlie has well and truly rattled Labour’s cages with his campaign so no-one was surprised when we were joined by Labour councillor and their would-be parliamentary candidate, Carl Morris. Here he is trying to avoid being pictured with the ‘Win with Jackie’ team!

A visit from Shadow Defra Secretary Nick Herbert is the highlight of a busy week of campaigning for Trevor Ivory in North Norfolk

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Trevor Ivory, who was selected in November 2006 for North Norfolk. Trevor is a solicitor who has lived in Norfolk for over a decade and is married with a young son. He requires a swing of 8.6% to unseat the Liberal Democrat MP, Norman Lamb. Read more about his campaign on his website.

Monday 23rd November
This morning almost felt like a rest as my alarm went off at 05:50 to get me into work on time.  The weekend was a busy one.  Saturday was nothing unusual – an advice surgery in Mundesley in the morning, a working lunch with the campaign team and then meeting local people in Stalham to talk about the old Station Yard site, which has been blighting the High Street for too long.  Sunday was the killer though, and it had nothing to do with politics.  Instead the trouble came in the form of a very cute eight-week-old black labradoodle puppy, Ebony. A day with a new puppy and a very excited three-year-old meant that I was unusually relieved to get up and go to work this morning!

As a candidate with a full-time job I have to try to juggle the competing pressures and today was a good example – after a busy morning I managed to snatch some time over lunch to canvass some people by telephone.  Then after work it was on the train up to Cromer for a meeting with the Association’s Deputy Chairman Political to finalise my literature for the general election.

Tuesday 24th November
I am working from home in North Walsham today so that Lisa and I can go and look at a local primary school for Alex, who will start school next September.  Being at home also gave me the chance to join a group of elderly people in Wells over lunch to discuss their concerns.  North Norfolk has a large number of elderly people and I am always struck by the number of them who are scared about growing older.  Today’s discussion centred on the problem for elderly people in the area who are not cash rich but who have seen the second home market drive up the value of their homes.  These elderly people are living in fear of having to sell their home in order to pay for long-term care.  Needless to say our plans to make sure that no-one has to sell their home to pay for nursing care went down very well.

This evening I am having a quiet one at home doing my share of the puppy-sitting and catching up on constituents' emails and letters...

Diary of a PPC: Melanie Hampton (Mitcham and Morden)

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Melanie Hampton, who was selected in November 2008 for Mitcham and Morden. Angela Rumbold gained the seat for the Conservatives at a 1982 by-election and held it until the 1997 general election when she was defeated by Labour's Siobhan McDonagh, who Melanie will be challenging at the general election. She needs a 16% swing to gain the seat. Melanie is a wife and mother who also runs her own Insurance Broking business.  She describes herself as "fun, feisty and formidable and more than up for the challenge of this seat".

Monday 16th November
Being a female politician is an advantage because women tend to be good listeners and that is exactly what I have spent the last year doing, knocking on thousands of doors and listening.  Today we took the fight against the expansion of a recycling plant to stage two.  The community don’t want this and I agree with them.  Months of hard work tramping the damp and windy streets, but 535 concerned residents signed the petition and a number came with me to hand this in to Councillor Diane Neil Mills.  Diane is smart and effective.  She pulled off a new train station in 22 months, she gets the job done and yes, she listens too.  The “other man” in my life was also there - Richard Hilton, my hard working chairman, canvass companion and now friend. 

This is politics at its very best identifying those local issues, championing the cause and believing that People Power does work.  It will be some fight to prevent this project but Melanie is in terrier mode and is not going to let go or give up!

Tuesday 17th November
Dog tired today.  Let no one pretend that fighting a challenging seat is easy, it is hard, hard work.  I am always chasing the money to fund the next round of literature, fitting in the admin and nurturing a growing number of activists, squeezing in as many events as possible and the endless round of canvassing.  Another advantage of being a female candidate… multi-tasking is in our DNA.

Tonight we had out Executive and I remember why I love M & M.  All I promise them is months and months of hard graft but we all sense that this is our time and that we will gain council seats and that the parliamentary seat is within our grasp.  A long but lively meeting covering a lot of ground and with some really good ideas coming out of the group.  Can’t resist it… women are very good team players.

A year after his selection, Rahoul Bhansali gives an insight into his campaign to regain Streatham for the Conservatives

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Rahoul Bhansali, who was selected in November 2008 for Streatham. Streatham was a Conservative seat until 1992 when it fell to Labour. The sitting MP, Keith Hill, is retiring at the General Election and last month, Betty Evans-Jacas, a Labour councillor for Brixton Hill, defected to the Conservatives, signalling an end to Labour’s domination of the Brixton area. Rahoul has been actively involved in politics in South London for over eleven years and was Deputy Chairman of Bermondsey Conservatives.  He holds down a full time job as a management consultant.

Sunday 8th November
Start the day laying the wreath at the Remembrance Sunday service on Streatham Common.  It was good to see so many people from across the community groups paying tribute to those fallen.  The end of the service had a local finish with the magnificent drums of the Brixton Pathfinders. 

Quick lunch and then out to lead our regular Sunday afternoon canvassing, firming up the vote in Clapham Common: big hopes here after a great win in the mayoral elections last year. 

I meet a local teacher who, despite having voted Labour all her life, is very impressed by Michael Gove’s proposed education reforms and so is tempted to vote Conservative in 2010.  The message in Streatham is: “If you want to get rid of Brown, you have to vote Bhansali".

Spent the evening at a debate organised by the Streatham Baptist Church on the subject of War and Peace.  I was asked to give an opening address on whether “pacifism is untenable”.  PPCs from the other parties took part in the debate as well as two theologians and a serving RAF engineer.  The debate was great fun and saw some fantastic and often soul-searching questions from the audience.

Chris Philp gives a flavour of the campaign he has been waging for three years in Hampstead and Kilburn

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Chris Philp, who was selected in December 2006 for Hampstead and Kilburn, a newly-drawn seat where he is challenging sitting Labour MP, Glenda Jackson. The Hampstead section of the seat comes from the existing Hampstead & Highgate constituency, with Kilburn being taken from the existing Brent East seat. Chris is a successful entrepreneur who has set up three businesses from scratch. He set up the first company at the age of 23, grew it to £100 million in turnover and floated it on the stock market within four years. He is a Camden councillor, a former chairman of the Bow Group and also has a First in Physics from Oxford.

Monday: Kilburn Dragons’s Den – the Final
The Kilburn Dragon’s Den is a scheme I have set up to nurture and encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs. I started by recruiting a small team of mentors from business backgrounds. Over a period of several weeks, we worked with 16-18 year olds from Kilburn and Harlesden, who come from some of London’s tougher backgrounds, to develop business ideas and business plans with their mentors. The business has to be capable of being started with no more than £1,000.

The teams then pitched their ideas at the final, held at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn. I also bought in some actors and actresses to help the teams hone their presentation skills. The panel of Dragons, which I chaired, selected the winning team (pictured).  The winning team got £1,000 and they are now starting work to set up their small business, with guidance from me and from their mentor.

The Dragon’s Den programme is designed to encourage and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. It’s also designed to give them the self-confidence and the skills to build tomorrow’s businesses. I was really impressed by the ideas, energy and creativity that the teams showed. The Kilburn Dragon’s Den showed that with the right encouragement, the next generation is capable of achieving great things.

Below is a short YouTube video all about the scheme.

Immigration and Unemployment are the big issues of the week for Margot James in Stourbridge, as she also finds time in her schedule to begin preparing for Christmas...

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Margot James, who was selected in December 2006 for Stourbridge, a seat where she requires a swing of 1.5% to overturn a notional Labour majority of 1,280. I'll let her introduce herself...

"I spend most of my time out and about in Stourbridge, I still do some business consultancy but most of my time away from the campaign is spent with family and friends.  I am passionate about hanging on to some ‘normal life’ despite the all consuming nature of the election campaign. Stourbridge is Labour’s most marginal seat in the West Midlands. Number 25 on our list of must wins it is actually the seat that, arithmetically speaking, will sink Labour’s overall majority if we win.  The BBC have clocked this and are housing a production team here who will broadcast the Sunday version of the Politics Show throughout the election from Stourbridge as soon as the Election is called. Here's my Diary of the week..."

Saturday 17th October
I had quite a late night with friends on Friday at the Red Fort restaurant in Wollaston so got off to a slower start listening to the weekly Farming Today round up on Radio 4. Made me resolve to try and eat organic meat whenever possible. Off to meet the team in Amblecote. We normally canvass on a Saturday morning but today we had to prioritise delivery of our addressed survey, 80% done now so not much longer to go and we will have surveyed every home in the constituency for the second time since I arrived. We delivered over a thousand surveys and leaflets and met up afterwards at the Robin Hood Pub, one of Stourbridge’s best.

I couldn’t stay long as next up was the Stourbridge Bonded Warehouse Open Weekend, to give it its full title. Saturday is a day of stalls, dancing, vintage cars and steam engines alongside the canal. I met lots of people I knew and some I didn’t on my way to join Cllr David Caunt, ex leader of Dudley Council, on his beautiful boat ‘Cornelia’. We chugged up to Wordsley Junction and back and it was a lovely ride. Each year I resolve to spend more time on the canal – but the nearest I have got in the last twelve months is walking Lotus (my old black Labrador) up the towpath a few times.  The canal is one of the many things I love about Stourbridge.

Left late afternoon to meet friends in the Cotswolds. My partner, Jay, is working all weekend, so I’ve got a friend, Julie, who has just heard from CCHQ that she has a PAB early in November, coming round for supper to pick my brains about the interview process. Julie brings her divine two year old retriever who is completely manic.

Robin Walker welcomes Ken Clarke to Worcester as he translates the messages from party conference into local campaigns on the ground

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Robin Walker, who was selected in August 2006 for Worcester, a seat untouched by boundary changes where he requires a swing of 3.4% to overturn the Labour majority of 3,144. You can read more about his campaign to win back the seat once represented by his father, Peter Walker, on his website.

Sunday 11th October
Sunday is for resting, but I always try to spend it thinking through the lessons from the previous week’s campaign and assessing what can be done better in the week ahead. Canvassing over the weekend has shown that some people were inspired by what was said in Manchester at the party conference, but it was a salutary reminder that our here in the real world, many more had heard little or nothing from it. One of my main focuses for this week will be translating the great speeches and the strong policies from Manchester into campaigns relevant here in Worcester.

Monday 12th October
Like many candidates, I keep up a full-time “day-job”, working four days a week to make a living. Combining being a PPC with being a partner of a leading financial communications company, I’m lucky to have two jobs that I find fascinating, challenging and exciting. Being in business means I speak with more conviction and substance to a business audience, but work doesn’t let up just because it’s a busy time in politics and most of this week I am starting at 7am, leaving the office after 6pm.

In lunchbreaks and evenings I work on my next leaflet, bringing the themes from conference home to Worcester and picking up some of the highlights that will play well here.

"Getting Britain working" has real resonance as it's only too often nowadays that I meet people on the doorstep who have recently faced redundancy: they almost always want to work and want a government that will help them into work, rather than keeping them on benefits. Other key themes are providing care for the elderly, supporting our armed forces and restoring public finances, which sit alongside local campaigns for cancer care and opposing the Regional Spatial Strategy.

Affordable housing matters in Worcester. We need new houses to meet local need, but the Government’s top down plans call for tens of thousands in a short space of time - far more than the local need - including building on green fields and flood plains. They are undemocratic, and driven by unelected regional assemblies and Whitehall departments which seem to ignore local feedback. I’m campaigning for local choice and using brownfield sites to meet real local needs.

For this reason I was keen to attend a briefing for PPCs from the National Housing Federation, but unfortunately I have to cancel: my father is currently in hospital being treated for stomach cancer. Being part of a big family it is wonderful how everybody has rallied round, but there is no substitute for visiting personally. I decided that family must come first and sent my apologies. I have met with my local housing associations many times and have good relationships there, which are important when it comes to helping constituents living on their estates.

A week in the life of Susan Wade Weeks, PPC for York Central

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Susan Wade Weeks, who was selected in March 2008 as PPC for York Central, a slightly redrawn seat based on the existing City of York constituency. Labour MP Hugh Bayley gained the seat from the Conservatives in 1992 and Susan requires a swing of 13% to overturn the notional Labour majority of 10,344. Since the Conservative conference was taking place last week, Susan has written her diary about a week in mid-September...

Tuesday
I leave my rented cottage in the wilds of West Sussex at 7am on Tuesday morning and hit the snarled-up, caterpillar traffic on the M25 and the M1 aiming for a 12.30pm meeting at York St John University with Vice-Chancellor Professor Diane Willcocks, CBE.

Arriving with 10 minutes to spare, I do a quick change and make-up in the Mini – tinted windows good for this - before meeting for a sandwich lunch and an in-depth tour of the impressive premises. A small, vibrant University with around 3,500 - mainly local - students on a diverse range of courses, entering at many different levels, York St John lies within my potential constituency, just outside the City walls. It is important to me to get to know the place, meet the students, understand how it is run and find out what York St John might expect from an incoming Conservative Government.

I am struck by the Peace Garden and its tree: a direct descendant of the one found still standing among the ruin of Hiroshima.

Back at the Ash Street Conservative office, I spend the afternoon telephone canvassing strong Labour ward Heworth, with mixed results, but no actual insults. Encouraging. Many are still undecided about how they will vote at the general election, even though they voted Labour in Heworth.  I do find some very keen supporters in every street I try, just not all that many of them. 591 in total.  In the evening, I pick up stuff left behind from my flat move in May from ex-landlords Guy and Jacqui Ward, who promise to introduce me to York Chamber of Commerce. Transfer luggage to lodgings in Carl Street down by the caravan park in Clementhorpe and fall asleep reading Boris Johnson…

Diary of a PPC: In the week that the Labour Party converged on Brighton for its conference, Simon Kirby and his team deliver 32,000 surveys across Brighton Kemptown (whilst Gordon Brown fails to make any impact whatsoever)

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Simon Kirby, who was selected in November 2006 as PPC for Brighton Kemptown, a seat that the Conservatives haven’t won since 1992.  Simon has a notional Labour majority of less than 2,000 to overturn after some minor boundary changes. Simon writes about his week as the Labour Party converged on Brighton for their last annual conference before the General Election.

Sunday 27th September
As the Labour Party arrive in Brighton today, the KIRBY for KEMPTOWN team are limbering up for a massive survey delivery across the whole constituency.  We have had teams of volunteers folding and stuffing envelopes since Thursday and we now intend to deliver over thirty thousand surveys during the Labour Party conference.

I am starting the day as usual - out at 7am in East Brighton Park walking the dogs and thinking about my very busy week ahead.  Several other dog walkers recognise me from a dog show that I was asked to help judge in last week.  One of the great things about standing for Parliament is that it gives you an opportunity to meet lots of different people from different walks of life - there’s never a dull moment!

I spend the whole day delivering with my small but enthusiastic team of helpers.  Sunday is a great day to talk to people who are washing their cars, doing their gardens or just enjoying the autumn sunshine.  Brighton Kemptown is nearly all hills and many of the houses have steep steps – I arrive home exhausted at 7pm.

I watch the film, This Is Endland on Film4 with my two oldest two children – it’s a film about skinheads in 1983 and is a lesson to all of us about tolerance.

Diary of a PPC: As the Lib Dems converge on his town, Conor Burns marks a year as PPC for Bournemouth West in a week that includes a plethora of meetings and a birthday lunch with Margaret Thatcher

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Conor Burns, who was selected a year ago as PPC for Bournemouth West, where Sir John Butterfill is retiring as Conservative MP at the next election. Sir John bequeaths Conor a notional majority of 2,766 after some boundary changes.  Conor writes about his week as the Lib Dems converged on  Bournemouth for their annual conference.

Saturday 19th September
Most Saturdays we have some form of street presence but for a change we don’t this week.  I have breakfast with an old friend, and a new one, at a popular cafe in Westbourne.  Then walk around Westbourne.  Spend some time talking to an elderly veteran of WWII who is collecting for the wings appeal.  It’s always humbling listening to their stories and remembering how much we owe that generation.

Before heading to the local office to check on post I pick up a copy of the Daily Echo.  Nick Clegg has launched an extraordinary intemperate attack on David Cameron calling him a ‘Conman’.  I’m sure this is a mistake from their point of view.  People tell me on the door step that they want to know more about David – but they don’t dislike him.  This is the sort of language that really turns people off and I’m not sure Clegg has earned the right with the public to say it.  Dash off a quick letter the Echo saying that while people are worried about so many things people want politicians to raise the tone of debate. Use one of my favourite quotes from Lord Denning, “Two reasonable persons could perfectly reasonably come to opposite conclusions on the same set of facts without forfeiting their right to be regarded as reasonable.”

Head over to one of the Poole Wards which will be in Bournemouth West under boundary changes to do a bit of delivery.  I’d printed a leaflet for one of our Councillors who had got some work done on a roundabout near the University. Vital that when we do good work we tell the public.  Later get a couple of emails from people who had got the leaflet. This is when I feel I’m making proper contact.

A week in the life of Lee Martin, the man campaigning to be Sunderland's first Conservative MP since the 1960s

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Lee Martin, who is PPC for the newly-created seat of Sunderland Central. The sitting Labour MP for Sunderland South, Chris Mullin, has already opted not to defend the seat's notional  majority of around 9,000 in the wake of considerable Conservative successes in local elections - where Lee is Leader of the Opposition on the council.

"In the past I have to admit to being ever so slightly irritated by the diaries of those candidates lucky enough to be able to devote themselves full-time to their campaigns. However, having juggled being candidate for the newly-created Sunderland Central seat with working full-time heading up the CRM account for mobile phone giant Nokia at a Leeds-based marketing agency for the last 18 months, I too am now a full-time candidate (at least when not leading the now 22-strong Conservative opposition on the city council). Here's my diary of the week..."

Monday 14th September
Had planned to start the day delivering some of the ‘donate a fiver’ letters we’re sending out to pledges but drizzled off so head into my office at the Civic Centre calling at Sainsbury’s on route for healthy sandwiches.  I’m on a diet. Look through my morning post.  I’ve been sent the latest annual report from Urban Regeneration Company, the Sunderland Arc.  Looks expensive.  Even feels expensive.  They have a ‘this is’ theme this year.  I turn to the page about the city centre wilderness that is the Vaux site.  ‘This is Vaux’ says the headline above an artist’s impression that none of us think will never be realised. ‘This is Vaux’.  No it’s not, I think!

I’ve got an hour or so before Ram from Young Asian Voices comes in to meet Tony Morrissey, my council ward colleague, and me so check my emails. Emails from parking campaigner Neil Herron saying that the Council might have breached EU procurement regulations by failing to properly transfer their contract with NCP and from some of my councillors telling me about a BBC article asking whether bringing Nissan to Sunderland was Margaret Thatcher’s greatest legacy.  I can’t resist forwarding the BBC story to all Sunderland councillors.  Chaos ensues as councillors re-fight the battles of the 1980’s.

Meeting with Ram, Jay, Maz from Young Asian Voices goes well and Tony and I agree to help them with a bid for funding to build on the work they already do to give local kids, Asian and white, something better to do than hanging around street corners.  I also promise to use my work contacts at the English Cricket Boards’ Chance to shine project to see if they can help out. Brightened up a bit outside so stop off to deliver some of our pledge letters on the way to the gym.

A typically relentless week of campaigning in Swindon North for Justin Tomlinson is punctuated by a trip to see England play at Wembley

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Justin Tomlinson, who is PPC for Swindon North. A local councillor for the Abbey Meads ward in the constituency since 2000, he contested the seat at the 2005 general election when he reduced the majority of Labour MP Michael Wills from over 8,000 to barely 2,500 on a swing of nearly 7%. He now requires a swing of around 3% to finish the job.

Saturday 5th September
Relentless campaigning is the key in North Swindon, and a weekend never goes by without a flurry of deliveries and canvassing of some description.  Today we’re targeting three separate wards which means quite a bit of logistical juggling.

We’ve got a tried and tested system here.  We operate a kind of ‘flying squad’ of volunteers who are parachuted in wherever they’re needed at quite short notice.  This gives us maximum flexibility, which is far better than fixing sessions weeks in advance and has been crucial in helping us secure 43 of the 59 Councillors in Swindon.

Sunday 6th September
Unless there’s a specific event organised, Sundays are often a bit of a ‘play it by ear’ affair.  Today, buoyed up by our frenzy of activity yesterday, we decide on another delivery session.  A flurry of text messages gathers the troops.  I’m coordinating the activities this weekend and flying solo.  Our agent, Peter Heaton-Jones, has managed to fracture a rib and tear a couple of muscles in some bizarre gardening-related incident.  He’s dosed up to the eyeballs on prescription painkillers so I’m leading the day’s activities with Cllr Dale Heenan, our Deputy Chairman Political, so it’s his ward we concentrate on.

Monday 7th September
Back to work – paid work, that is.  Running my own company is the perfect arrangement for being a PPC.  It gives me the flexibility to drop things at a moment’s notice if something crops up, as it often does!

We are currently working through our various Swindon Conservatives websites, refreshing the design.  Today we have finished off the main site.  We will be working on a number of our ward sites throughout the week.  The - internet through websites, online forums and Facebook - are becoming an increasingly important part of our campaign mix.

The local paper has just published a league table of the attendance record of councillors at council meetings, so I have drafted a letter to the editor, pointing out that my 100% attendance record is an important part in restoring trust in politics.

In the evening it’s our group meeting at the Council offices.  Future policy and tactics are discussed and possible motions debated.  We follow that with a campaign team meeting, discussing plans for the general election, the local elections next May and our campaign priorities over the next month.  I am lucky to have an excellent team of helpers in Swindon.

Diary of a PPC: Karl McCartney (Lincoln)

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Karl McCartney, who contested Lincoln at the 2005 general election and was reselected for the seat in February 2007, having cut sitting Labour MP Gillian Merron's mahority in half. He now requires a swing of 4.7% to overturn her notiona majority of 3,806 and gain the seat for the Conservatives. Karl is Campaign Director for the Sir Keith Park Memorial Campaign.

Friday 28th August
Day started well on opening the Lincolnshire Echo with both sides of the letters page dominated by two lengthy and detailed letters both supporting issues with which I am closely involved.  Had to buy a second copy, not to please my vanity, but because our dog totally chewed our first copy.  The main letter covered recent Park and Ride announcements (Lincoln has none) that will impact on our campaign to return professional flat horse racing to Lincoln. The letter made quite helpful points which should help at the forthcoming meeting with local Community Forum on Tuesday evening.

After yesterday in Newcastle, I spent the day Magistrating in Lincoln so was able to be home at a reasonable time to be with the family.  A great way to start the Bank Holiday weekend topped off with a take away and a family film night watching Star Wars.

Saturday 29th August
Our eldest son was up first today and he managed to retrieve the newspaper before the dog did, hence I was able to read some more positive comments without trying to guess the missing words.  Good canvassing weather in Skellingthorpe but not as many canvassers as I would have liked, however, this is understandable since it is a Bank Holiday weekend.  Still, people were pleased to see us and had a lot to say about the Government – none of it good.

Finally had to force myself to break apart our Hornby train set which had been used in a recent Plains, Trains and Automobiles (and R/C Helicopters) fundraising event held at our house.  It was great seeing grown men and women reliving their childhoods, and hence my reluctance to put it all away again.   My wife put her foot down and said that she wouldn’t mind sitting in our sun room at least once whilst we still have some sun rather than looking at my recreation of Lincoln’s station in miniature.

Julia Mulligan's week in Leeds North West includes lots of campaigning, a night of ten pin bowling and lunch with Jonathan Isaby...

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Julia Mulligan, who has been candidate since November 2006 for Leeds North West, a three-way marginal which will be fiercely fought. A Conservative seat until 1997, it was then won by Labour, but gained by the Liberal Democrats in 2005. The Conservatives are well-placed to take the seat, having polled the largest share of the vote across the constituency in last year’s local elections. Julia is a local businesswoman.

Saturday 22nd August

Over eighty per cent of businesses in Leeds are small businesses. I run one of them and we’ve felt the impact of the recession. On the doorstep people relate to my business background but practically work is demanding, so evenings and weekends are always full on.

I get up early to spend time with my girls before picking up volunteers for the day’s campaigning. Josie, my 8-year old, is an expert deliverer. I started delivering at about her age in Otley (which is in my constituency) with my mum – I really love it when Josie comes out with us.

Today we’re in Otley delivering my latest newspaper and canvassing. We are getting a good response on the doorstep now – people want change and despite the expenses scandal, they appreciate a personal visit, particularly outside an election.

We’re also supporting a local children’s charity by delivering leaflets promoting one of Otley’s most popular community events of the year – the Otley Vintage Transport Extravaganza, which raises funds for ‘Hang on to a Dream’. I’ll be on the gate selling tickets and we’ll also have a stall.

Alex Story runs a half marathon and spends the rest of the week continuing to pound the streets of Wakefield in his campaign to be the town's first Conservative MP since the 1930s

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Alex Story, who has been candidate for Wakefield since June 2007. Aside from having represented Britain at the Olympics as a rower, Alex has worked as a financial journalist and an investment banker. Although Wakefield has not elected a Conservative MP since the 1930s, favourable boundary changes mean that Alex now requires a swing of 8.8% to overturn the notional Labour majority which will be defended by the Labour MP, Mary Creagh.

Friday 14th August

Arrived in Wakefield on the 10am train for a meeting with my agent. The Alan Duncan story is running its course and the public aren’t in the mood for anything that sounds like MPs being unremorseful. And neither should they be. They make life on the doorstep immensely difficult at times because they can’t sensibly be defended.

Our meeting at the Wakefield party's Zetland Street HQ mainly involves dealing with mail and the inevitable glut of conference fringe invitations. By afternoon we are out on the street in Crigglestone with a few activists for a canvassing session. We have been doing this for over two years now and we really enjoy it. It never ceases to amaze me how much we learn from people.

At 7pm we are back at Zetland Street for a meeting with local councillors about how the campaign is going in their individual wards and how resources will be used over the remainder of the campaign. It goes well and there is general agreement. By 9pm we are in “Harry’s Bar”, the Real Ale drinking HQ of the Wakefield campaign team. I can’t really drink too much as I have a half marathon to run in eleven hours time...

Alan Wright hits the ground running in his first full week as PPC for Hartlepool

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Alan Wright, who was selected as candidate for Hartlepool earlier this month. Alan is Hartlepool born-and-bred, with a high local media profile as a former BBC presenter in the area and as a columnist in the Hartlepool Mail. He now runs his own media consultancy business and is an accomplished after-dinner speaker. He will start in third place, with Labour MP Iain Wright currently enjoying a majority of 7,478 over the Liberal Democrats.

Sunday August 9th
It’s been a full four days since my (pleasingly) unanimous selection by the Hartlepool Conservative Association and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. We made the front page (and most of page 2) of the Hartlepool Mail last Thursday and the response since has been fantastic. I’ve even had a complaint from my local Civic Centre that their switchboard is melting with calls from well-wishers who want to talk to me. There’s obviously a belief around that PPCs automatically get an office suite and a team of staff supplied by the local council – dream on.

Bit of time off today with a trip out in glorious sunshine to Durham County Cricket Ground with our two grandsons, Joshua (9) and William (5). They love it – cricket coaching, a picnic in the park next door, and then watching the big match. William (pictured) soon gets into the swing of raising his 4 and 6 boundary card at frequent intervals. I love coming back here to the Riverside Ground at Chester-le-Street. In a previous life in the early Nineties, I was Chief Executive here when we built the new ground. Then, it was just a pitch and a portakabin; now it’s a glorious international ground. Even better, three Durham lads (Collingwood, Harmison and Onions) are in the England team – even though they are getting roundly stuffed by Australia. Without the Durham set-up though, they may never had aspired to the top.

Carnivals, canvassing and tackling binge-drinking all feature in this week's diary from Caroline Righton, PPC for St Austell and Newquay

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Caroline Righton, who has been candidate since Decmber 2006 for the newly created Cornish marginal of St Austell and Newquay, which comprised parts of three existing seats - Truro and St Austell, North Cornwall and South East Cornwall. She is not up against an incumbent MP and at the elections in June this year, the Conservatives were marginally ahead of the Liberal Democrats. You can find out more about her campaign on her website.

Saturday August 1st

The weather sets the agenda and torrential rain has made everyone involved in tourism fretful. Mark and I get up early and help serve breakfast to sodden cliff-top campers. Later, our day will end with an incognito walkabout in Newquay to see the problem of late-night revellers.

In between we canvass with regular teams in St Austell in the morning and Newquay in the afternoon. I love canvassing. It’s the most affirming “what it is all about” bit of the job. We do a couple of hours every day. You can’t come away from canvassing in any doubt about whether you are doing well or not, especially in Cornwall, where people are very political and very un-apathetic.

Canvassing sessions take a theme. This morning it is ‘faith” and I’m asked several times if I am a Christian? I am. Where do I worship? All over, but especially on the beach in the early morning, walking the dog. In the afternoon, in Newquay – it’s Europe and whether Mandelson wants Blair to be EU president.  

At lunchtime we drive across from the south to the north coast dipping into St Dennis village Garden Show. St Dennis is in the heart of Clay Country and has a strong community. We’ve recently fought off the imposition of a huge mass burn incinerator on the edge of the village. Today though that threat is not present and young and old provide produce, bakes and makes.

Later we witness Newquay at night. Local residents feel under siege as the town’s population grows from 21,000 to more than 120,000 and local services such as police and fire struggle to cope. The town is at the frontline of a national epidemic of binge-drinking and we see youngsters trying to buy booze when they are clearly under-age. I feel for the staff in shops and bars dealing with abuse and as a mother I worry about the safety and health of the lads and lasses heading out on the town, clearly with their drinking heads on. I worry too about Newquay’s reputation taking another kicking from the national media as it seeks a solution.

It's another week of campaigning for Nigel Huddleston in Luton South as Esther Rantzen announces her intention to contest the seat

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Nigel Huddleston, who has been candidate since November 2007 for Luton South, a seat where he has to overturn a notional Labour majority of 5,698. Nigel says that it is the most reliable bellwether seat in the country, with the winning party going on to form the government in every election since 1951.  Mired in the expenses scandal, sitting Labour MP Margaret Moran has announced she will be standing down at the next election and Labour are in the process of selecting a replacement while Moran remains on sick leave - although rumours persist that she may yet stand down and trigger a by-election. Meanwhile, just last week Esther Rantzen has indicated her intention to stand in the seat as an independent. If you would like to help Nigel's campaign or just want to stay updated on how things are going, please email him or sign up to his mailing list via his website.

Saturday July 25th
The fun part of politics. Attending a local village day with the family (Luton South covers part of rural south Bedfordshire as well as the town).  Bouncy castles, hook a duck, raffles and Pimms!  Local community coming together, having fun and raising £4,000 for good causes.  Sun shone, kids enjoyed it… A good day all round.

Cllr Ruth Gammons informs me of increasing concern about a proposed nearby housing development.  She suggests we begin a campaign similar to the successful one to protect the green belt to the east of Luton from unwanted, central government imposed development.  Our policy of scrapping regional spatial strategies and putting development decisions back in control of local authorities is striking a chord with voters.