Campaign Diary: Day 15 - I get by with a lot of help from my friends...

Canvassing can be a bit grim sometimes, especially if you appear to be knocking on a lot of doors without actually meeting too many people. It is, if you like, one of the curses of modern life. We commute further than we used to. Couples both have jobs, and commitments. Their friends and families are further afield than once they might have been. And it isn't just a problem for urban campaigners, it impacts on those of us in villages too.

However, if you're lucky enough to have a group of people who are willing to come out with you, a lot more ground can be covered, and a lot more voter data gathered. And, Mid Suffolk Liberal Democrats, especially members in Bosmere, have been very supportive, as always.

It has also provided an opportunity for some of our newer members to gain some campaign experience, as it can only be easier if you start by working with a more experienced fellow Liberal Democrat.

And so, a group of us met up at Needham Market and headed off into Barking and Somersham. On arrival, we split up into three groups and hit the doorsteps. And yes, there were a lot of people who weren't in, but we met enough people and heard their issues. Speeding, planning issues, people are only to happy to talk about them if you give them the opportunity to do so.

My day ended at Barking Village Hall, where I was attending the Parish Council AGM. Unlike in Baylham, there wasn't a huge crowd, but there was a group of committed Parish Councillors, working hard to serve their community, and our County Councillor, Julia Truelove, who continues to demonstrate her commitment to the myriad Parishes that she represents.

So far, I've been the only one of the four candidates to attend any of the three Parish Council events thus far - Baylham, Offton and Willisham, and Barking (I've made all three). It wasn't because I was invited, it was because I took the trouble to find out when they were taking place, and made time to get to them.

If I am lucky enough to win on 2 June, they'll be seeing a lot more of me...