Walking the campaign trail is enjoyable.  I get to do something I often do not get to do without having to come up with a clinical solution – that is talk to people.  So out in the sunshine, talking politics with wavering Labour voters, changing conservatives, reliable LibDems or die hard Torys can be pleasurable.    The cut and thrust as they say of political debate is enjoyable.  Some people are never going to change their views and others enter the debate and can either change their position or persuade me to move on mine.  That is what it is all about.  However, even after all my years working in mental health I do not understand why some people think being rude is going to make a difference and is going to get me to change my position.  Worse still being rude behind my back is sure to backfire as was the case when a Conservative voter in Martin told me that she was not voting for me because she lived elsewhere and always voted Tory.  Then going on to inform her husband; out of as she thought my ear shot; she had conned me.  Sadly for her my ever vigilant daughter over heard every word as she walked back to me having delivered her leaflets in a cul-de-sac.  So she is not going to vote for me.  That leaves around 79,000 of the rest of you who can.

It was Bill Clinton who said “Suppose for example you are a voter. And you have got candidate X and candidate Y. Candidate X agrees with you on everything, but you do not think that person can deliver on anything.  Candidate Y disagrees with you on half the issues, but you believe that on the other half, the candidate will be able to deliver. For whom would you vote?  Well I am your candidate Y.  I recognise that there some parts of the Liberal Democrats manifesto you may not agree with but on lots of other parts you do agree.  Are you going to vote for one of the tired old parties in the hope that they might do something for you? Or will you vote for me knowing that I have done much in my time in Lincolnshire.  Be that in the Royal College of Nursing, with the teenager cancer charity MattDotCom or as a local protagonist.

Voting for me will get you a local candidate, who has pledged to give up his current post to work as a full time Member of Parliament serving the people of Sleaford and North Hykeham.