Heidi Allen was the clear choice of members of South Cambridgeshire Conservative Association at the special meeting today, 11 October, to decide who should be the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) for South Cambridgeshire in the 2015 general election, when Andrew Lansley, CBE, our present MP, retires.
Support for Heidi was such she won on the first ballot.
That is not to say she didn't face some extremely strong competition from Jo Churchill, Charlotte Vere and Helen Whatley, the three other candidates chosen by the Association's Sifting Committee as our potential PPC – like Heidi, all three spoke very confidently and naturally and answered some pretty tough questions set by the Association's Executive Committee last Thursday and spontaneous questions asked from the floor by members at the meeting.
The feeling afterwards was while the other candidates all had individual qualities, Heidi was the 'complete package' – she's very keen Hardwick should be her constituency office, is already looking to move to the constituency and fully appreciates the need to communicate regularly with all voters through social media, village newsletters and meeting people in every community.
One striking point which came across was that her wide business background (running a pub, working for Royal Mail, now running her own business) and education (she read astrophysics at University College London) has made her a very rounded person able to get on with and motivate people.
With under seven months to go to the general election on 7th May next year, she is also very keen to begin campaigning – first off will be a meeting with the Association's Campaign Committee on Monday [13th October] to devise strategy and a timetable and agree the style and content of our first leaflet, which we want to produce and circulate as soon as possible... and asking SCCA members to help deliver (see below).
Do visit Heidi's own website, which has lots of background information about herself.
Without question, we should celebrate our good fortune in finding a truly first class candidate to take over – we trust – from the good work Andrew Lansley has done for South Cambridgeshire since he was first elected in 1997.
How you can help
It really is important we make Heidi known to all voters in South Cambridgeshire – please offer your help however you can, perhaps by:
- Delivering leaflets.
- Holding a coffee morning, afternoon tea or a wine and cheese party for your local friends and neighbours to meet Heidi.
- Donate to the Association's 'War chest' to help fight the election.
Please contact Denise Smith at the Association's office in Hardwick on 01954 211 444 or e-mail denise@sccf.org.uk to tell her how you can help to get Heidi elected as our MP next year.
Time is short!