Martin Salter's Westminster Diary, December 17, 2009

Martin Salter MP • Published 17 Dec 2009 10:00 2 Comments

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The run-up to Christmas is a ridiculously busy time in my constituency office.

As well as the usual seasonal engagements, there is the official Christmas card to be designed and printed along with my Annual Report to constituents, listing what I've been up to both here in Reading and in Parliament.

As it is my last report, I asked my staff to dig out pictures of past campaigns and, to my horror, they uncovered a photo from 1987 of my first Parliamentary election with me sporting a "pudding bowl" haircut.

I included it because also pictured was my good friend and Whitley councillor John Cook, who sadly died shortly after I was first elected to Parliament in 1997, along with the late Doris Lawrence, a former Mayor of Reading.

In those pre-internet days, I liked to bring a carnival flavour to my election campaigning. In my own council ward, I had specialised in hanging banners, usually made from old bed sheets, from the windows of particularly enthusiastic Labour supporters bearing party colours and slogans. We took this approach into the general election campaign and covered large areas of the constituency with the message "Martin Salter Lives Here". This emphasised that none of the other wannabe MPs lived in the constituency. Unfortunately it left some people a little confused and to this day there are those who swear I used to live in their street because of an old bed sheet flapping in the wind some 30 years ago.

Like many people I was saddened to hear of the death of another former Mayor, Bob Green. I was only speaking to Bob a short while ago. His mind was as lively as ever, even though his health was failing.

Bob was an absolute gem and a pleasure to work with as Liberal Democrat group leader on the council. He was intelligent, kind, caring and lacked the pettiness of many local politicians. Bob would work across the political divide for the town's benefit and for the causes he cared about. I suspect there will be a big turnout for his funeral on Monday as a measure of the respect so many of us had for this lovely man.

Despite the nostalgia of doing all sorts of things for the last time as an MP, from turning on Theale Christmas lights to school speech days, I remain excited and optimistic about the future.

On a personal level, I have some great projects lined up for when I step down in April and politically, with the opinion poll gap closing, it seems the next election is no longer the foregone conclusion those smug, complacent Tories would have us all believe.

Have a good Christmas!

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Tony
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Dec 20, 20:47
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Dear Martin, as a smug complacent Tory can I thank you for your article, which shows what I have always known, viz. that you are a decent caring and tolerant man. It's a shame I can't vote for you next time - but do have a very Happy Christmas and good fishing in the New Year. You will be missed.

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Barry
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Dec 23, 16:41
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This is why Labour will lose the next election Martin: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1237988/Failed-asylum-seeker-killed-12-year-old-girl-wins-court-bid-stay-Britain.html

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