It is hard to believe now that, a year ago, I was deep in the heart of my District Council campaign. The sun had beat down relentlessly, making canvassing and delivery easy, the bank holidays were timed so as to minimise the need to take annual leave - a campaigner's dream scenario, really.
Of course, the Party wasn't wildly popular, and the AV referendum caused Conservatives voters who don't generally come out for local elections to turn out, but I'd given it my best shot. Heavens, my Conservative opponent came out to canvass my village, which was nice given that she'd never come other to attend Parish Council meetings for the previous four years.
And, of course, I didn't win. Yes, I did achieve a 12% swing from the Conservatives to me, I even squeezed the Labour vote a bit, but I still lost, saving future generations from a series of posts agonising about how difficult it is to balance the books on a District Council and how so few of them are really viable.
We don't have elections in Mid Suffolk this year, and that sense of freneticism is a distant one. But, reading the news, and the blogs, I am reassured by the reports of Liberal Democrat campaigns. It will be another tough year, I don't doubt, but whilst there are people willing to fly the flag, and to work for their communities, Liberal Democrats and liberal ideas have a future.
So, as we enter the last week of the campaign, let me wish each and every Liberal Democrat candidate, agent, activist and supporter the very best...
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