Campaign Diary: Day 4 - getting to grips with the mechanics...

It even includes a picture of me
looking warm and friendly...

I'm a rather old-fashioned sort of a political activist. Don't insult your opponents, make yourself visible, listen to people rather than tell them what they want (what you might think they want isn't always what they actually want), those are the sorts of principles I like to try and espouse in my politics.

However, modern campaigning is rather more complex than simply knocking on doors and talking to people. For one thing, people are harder to find, with their busy lives, often both parents working, and, as a full-time employee, I only have a relatively limited amount of time to get around the 1,750 or so voting residents of seven villages, some of them relatively remote, or at the end of farm tracks. In an unexpected four week campaign, it is impossible to personally meet everyone.

A leaflet is the thing, but it has to be designed, and content written. Technology helps, and the emergence of relatively easy to use publishing software makes it all a bit easier. But, it's only a bit easier, and coming up with some clear messages and laying them out so that they look attractive on the eye takes time. You also need photographs, and, luckily, Martin, my agent, has a good camera and an eye for a decent shot of your candidate. Admittedly, I don't offer much to work with - I've never been particularly keen on being photographed and much prefer to be behind a camera rather than in front of it - but Martin managed to get some usable pictures.

And so, a leaflet was produced... It's a big step forward for the campaign, and I hope that voters will find the time to read it.