We had a little launch party in Horsham this evening: a chance for members to get together, raise some funds, do a bit of Tory character assassignation, and sign my nomination papers. We have received the necessary certificates from Labour HQ for me to describe myself as “the Labour party candidate” and to use the party emblem, also got the PO approval for the Freepost mailshot, so everything seems to be in order. Just have to wait until next week to submit all the paperwork to the returning officer and get it approved. Meanwhile the invites to hustings and interviews are starting to come in and the diary is starting to fill up. I have even had to set up a Google Calendar for it all. Maybe I should have got a BlackBerry after all.
The day started badly though. A burst water main meant no water in Broadfield when I got up. There was just enough in the kettle to have a cup of tea before going down to Worthing for a candidates’ briefing with the chief executive of West Sussex NHS. That was interesting. Although all candidates in West Sussex were invited, only a few turned up – me, Emily Benn, Simon Holland, Godfrey Newman and a nother couple of Lib Dems. Peter Bottomly sent an extremely posh young girl from his office, but otherwise there were no Tories there.
Came back home and put my suits in for dry cleaning ((See – I *am* taking it seriously!)) and tried to catch up on events on the laptop since the proper PC was inaccessible due to decorating.  Paint was everywhere… even the kitten has a bit more white than she had yesterday and there was almost as much paint on the floor as on the walls. A few splashes on my monitor but Jayne says it will come off and it doesn;t mean I can go out and buy an even bigger one.
The only lasting casualty is my bass guitar, which has a broken bridge.
When the paint was dry I went down to put the shelves back up and finished that just in time for a candidates’ teleconference with Douglas Alexander, before going off to the launch in Horsham.
The day ended on a high when I got home at about 11pm and found my newly-cleaned suits hanging up in the hall – just in time for dress-down Friday at work.
Good luck…is Maude still standing this time? Will he have time to campaign with all his other well paid jobs? He had very little time to actually attend the HoC it appears.
He is standing but seems to be up and down the country on the national campaign. I suspect it won’t do him any harm.
Plenty of those awful Tory Posters along the A264…they love the country side so much they are willing to blight it for a month!!!
Yeah. Acting like they own the place just because… er.. they do.