From Finding Nemo to Matthew Plummer's Beauty Dish

Saturday was a perfect microcosm of the life of a Conservative Party Agent, with a mix of internal bureaucracy, training & development and campaigning, finishing off with dinner with Kent Area Chairman, Andrew Mackness. 

I was up 7am and out by 8am for long drive across the beautiful Weald to officiate at two contested LG selections in Cranbrook area. Both were being held at The Weald Sports Centre in the only room they had available for us -  the creche. It was probably the best attended LG Selection Meeting I have been to for a long time with around 65% of eligible members participating. I was however somewhat strange to see members sitting on Thomas the Tank Engine shairs whilst applicants delivered their well-rehearsed speeches in front of life size cut-outs of Elsa, Anna and Olaf with the blue shark from Finding Nemo hoving into view from stage right. 

All four applicants for the two available seats were outstanding and I look forward to working with Cllr Linda Hall and James Hannam as we head to Thursday 7 May. 

Big turnout to select two Local Government Candidates at The Weald Sports Centre

Next up was Tunbridge Wells where I was co-hosting the Candidates' and Campaign Managers' Election Briefing with Greg Clark MP, TW Council Leader David Jukes and Association Chairman William Rutherford.

The charming Matthew Plummer had come to take the photographs. As he was setting-up his studio alongside the buffet I noticed him unpack a strange piece of equipment. "What's that?" I enquired.  He told me it was a "beauty dish" (I kid you not). Apparently it absorbs excessive light from the flash thus "ironing-out" wrinkles and blemishes and making the subject look better. I did wonder if he should have brought a larger one.

Matthew Plummer Matthew Plummer shows off his large Beauty Dish

Tunbridge Wells is a great Association, still buoyed by last years excellent election results which uniquely in the South East showed UKIP in decline and the Conservatives increasing both vote share and making a net gain of council seats. It was a lively and positive meeting and we have a great team of candidates and organisers. 

Across West Kent we had campaign teams working in Tonbridge, Maidstone and Chatham & Aylesford- in total 30 activiists of the doorsteps on a cold but sunny January Saturday. Here is Tracey Crouch MP and our local candidates Benjamin Walker and Carol Gale working hard in Ditton.

Tracey Crouch MP and the team campaigning in Ditton