Nothing is not an option....

I met Tom Tugenhat  at a so-called "networking evening" earlier this week which was being hosted at Martin & Co. letting agents, on Tonbridge High Street. I can't say that I got to know him at all well but, from the brief conversation we had he seemed okay to me. Not much of an accolade for anyone is it but that really is all I can say at this stage. He didn't grab my attention with his dynamism, nor did he fill the room with his presence. Maybe that's a good thing in a politician though. As I suggested to him in not so many words, he is a virtual shoe-in for the parliamentary seat of Tonbridge and Malling (following the retirement of the erstwhile Sir John Stanley btw, if you haven't kept up with local events.) I suggested to him that, in a way, he'd be better off doing nothing for the next year rather that risk tripping himself up by getting drunk at a networking evening or something (not that I'm suggesting he did get drunk, or even a little tipsy, you understand!) To his credit Tom's reply to that was that he wasn't going to take anything for granted before the general election next May. That, it seems to me, is a sensible and mature approach if he is to win, not only the election, but also the hearts and minds of his electorate. Tom you may not have won my vote. Being brought up by working class Yorkshire parents from the villages around Sheffield it'll probably take more years than I have in this lifetime for me to swing to the Tories. But you certainly persuaded me that you're not the type to sit back and do nothing and, as we all know, in politics Doing Nothing should never be an option. Unfortunately Doing Nothing so often is the option which many a career minded politician takes so that they don't face the axe if the reforming actions come a cropper. I sincerely hope that Tonbridge (and let's not forget, Mallings and Edenbridge) see the best years of Mr. Tugenhat.....