I sent the following letter to the Cambridge News yesterday and it was published in today’s edition:
Dear Sir / Madam,
I would like to thank the many residents of Newnham who placed their faith in me as Conservative candidate in the local elections last week.
Although I did not win, I am pleased that my share of the vote maintained historic levels despite the massive turnout among student voters. In terms of total votes cast, my result is the highest for a Conservative in Newnham since 1987 and we remain the main challenger here as in the majority of Cambridge City Council wards.
Cambridge experienced a massive turnout for both local and general elections last week. Democracy can only function when the public participates actively and the resurgence of public involvement is heartening for those, including myself, who feared the MP expenses scandal would lead to wide scale apathy and disengagement. The high level of interest in the many public hustings leading up to the general election also shows that democracy is alive and well in Cambridge!
I congratulate Rod Cantrill on his result and wish him well. For all those who did vote for me, however, I promise that I will continue to defend the interests of the residents of Newnham in whatever way I can and invite you to contact me with your concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Stephen Oliver
Stephen Oliver 