April 2023: Into The Chamber, Back on The Campaign Trail & The CRF

The month started off as all great months do, campaigning. I was thrilled to join Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Grant Shapps MP and Councillor candidate Neil Harvey Bradbury, in the Haldens of Welwyn Hatfield.

I always enjoy canvassing in Welwyn, as it is a well oiled operation and the energy of the activists and MP is boundless. It was great to canvass a brand new housing development, the council has introduced with local developer, Ashtons.

I was delighted to be given a tour of the garden city centre by Councillor candidate Brian Seeger and to lend my support to delicious local businesses Linda Bakes Cakes and Soul Food.

Next I travelled to Woking to help local candidate Melanie Whitehead in Knaphill. The following day I dashed over to Herne Bay to help Rachel Carnac in the Canterbury City Council elections in Reculver.

It was my first time in Herne Bay and it is an oasis of calm, with all of the thrills of the seaside and a real sense of community spirit. The residents who all knew Rachel personally were incredibly happy with everything she had done for the ward in her previous term.

The following week it was back to my home patch of Brompton Hans Town, in my role as Deputy Chair Political for the Kensington & Chelsea ward. For a weekday lunchtime session we were thrilled to be joined by a team of super women and our superb MP Felicity Buchan.

For the weekend, I headed over to Broxbourne, to lend a hand to the Councillors and candidate Tony Siracusa. It was my second time in Cheshunt and a wonderful opportunity to discuss local issues with residents.

In a long and strong weekend of campaigning I travelled up to Oxford to support my friend Louise Brown who was standing to be the candidate in Steventon, The Hanneys and Denchworth, in the White Horse District Council elections. Myself and Sarah Payne, had a fab time knocking on doors with Martin and the feedback on the doorstep was extremely positive.

To round off the weekend, I ventured back to Fulham, in my role as Vice Chair and officer for training and development for the Kensington, Chelsea and Fulham Association, to train one of our newest and most spectacular activists with a one-to-one session (and as she was so great, managed to get a lot of canvassing in myself!)

I was honoured to be asked by the CFCC to write another report for them. This time it was for the roundtable with ambassadors from the Middle East and North African nations. It was a wholly insightful evening with lots of interesting points made, most significantly the importance of Britain's soft power and the role our educational offer plays in it abroad.

Please feel free to read my report here: https://www.cfcconline.org.uk/news/role-middle-east-rest-world-panel-discussion-middle-east-ambassadors

For the penultimate week of a busy April, I was delighted, as a Vice Chair for the Association, to see Felicity Buchan reselected as our Kensington MP, alongside our fab Chelsea and Fulham MP Greg Hands.

Over the weekend, myself, other members of the board and our keenest activists showed our support to Surrey councillors for an incredibly well turned out Action Day in Esher and Walton.

I was delighted to be reselected as Deputy Chair Political in the Brompton Hans Town AGM and honoured to receive special thanks from our outgoing Chairman Ambrose Faulks, for a successful and well fought local election campaign last May.

A few evenings later I put my questions to former Chancellor and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who shared frank insights on conservatism and the part future MPs can play.

The following morning I was back in Parliament for a roundtable on rural crime with the CRF and Thames Valley PCC Matthew Barber. I am a proud member of the CRF and look forward to contributing to this longstanding advisory group and invaluable voice for rural communities, in my new role as Digital Advisor.

I wrapped up the month helping Hilary Scott in Canterbury on her campaign to be the new Councillor for Little Stour and Adisham. It is a truly dreamy village and I know Hilary, who is incredibly passionate about Canterbury, would do a fantastic job.

It was also an absolute pleasure to help future Three Rivers Councillor Vicky Edwards in her campaign and to speak with local residents on a glorious day, in a beautiful part of the country.

I ended the month with our fifth CWO KCF Speaking Club session, this time with former Hammersmith & Fulham Councillor Greg Smith, now MP for Buckingham.

Greg gave us an insight into his journey and was incredibly generous to offer us a tour of the House of Commons. As the House had adjourned for the day, we were able to enter the chamber and stand by the dispatch box, something I hope to be doing again very soon.