Avon & Swift By election

Today is polling day and I have spent a fair amount of time our canvassing in the villages that make up Avon & swift ward with our candidate, Helen Walton. Helen has worked hard and been well received on the doorstep and I know she will make a very valuable contribution at Rugby Borough Council. But this has been one of the most unpleasant elections I have been involved in. There have been inaccuracies in the literature of one of our opponents and in addition false information has been given to local newspapers about Helen leading to The Warwickshire Telegraph printing an acceptance of an assurance by Helen yesterday and the Rugby Observer printing an apology to Helen today. Perhaps both have come too late to correct a wrong, being published on the day immediately prior to, and the day of the election, at a time of year when many will have voted by post. I do hope this won't set the tone for coming elections in Rugby. I wouldn't be in politics if I didn't enjoy a debate with people whose views are different from mine, and I will be very keen to put forward the Conservative case in public hustings when the time comes. At the same time I will call my opponents to task over their party's record or proposals. That is what an election campaign is for. What we have seen over the past few weeks in Avon & Swift has been a long way away from open and honest campaigning, and all decent people will hope that we don't see it's like again in Rugby.