Conservative Campaign Kicks Off in ‘Grand’ Style

Shepway Conservatives officially kicked off their election campaign on Wednesday night at the Grand Hotel.

Attended by local party members, long-serving MP Michael Howard gave a speech thanking the local party for their support and friendship during his 27 years as MP for Folkestone and Hythe.

Giving a glowing introduction to Damian Collins, Mr Howard said; ‘In Damian we have an absolutely first rate candidate who is going to be an absolutely first rate Member of Parliament.

‘I announced my decision to stand down 4 years ago to give Damian time to dig in and get to know the constituency. The way [Damian] has got to know the people and the area has been absolutely outstanding.’

Paying tribute to Mr Howard as a ‘great mentor and friend’, Mr Collins said the Conservatives ‘have often been called on in a time of great crisis to come to the aid of the whole country and pick up the pieces of a Labour government.

‘There has probably never been a more serious time for the election of a Conservative government.’

Vowing to fight for the ‘law abiding, tax-paying, hard working people of our country...[who] feel the government cares least about them and looks to them to pick up the tab for government failures,’ Mr Collins repeatedly attacked Labour failures and outlined key Conservative pledges.

Thanking local activists for their hard work, Mr Collins vowed to immediately start working should he be elected, promising to continue Mr Howard’s scheduled surgeries without break.

To murmurs of ‘hear hear’ from the audience, Mr Collins said ‘Everything I do as a MP will be grounded in this constituency and the interests of the people here, which is why I will be lobbying the government for a new power station.’

Mr Collins vowed to support the council over their decision to grant permission for Lydd Airport expansion, saying ‘we must send a message that this council and constituency are open for business.’

Mr Howard and Mr Collins also highlighted the ‘absolutely key’ seat of Dover. Although Mr Collins is viewed as a near certainty for the Folkestone and Hythe seat, current Labour MP for Dover Gwynn Prosser is defending a slim majority of around 5,000.