Mark Coote grew up and was educated in Cheltenham, and he was selected as Conservative candidate for his home town in November 2006 (having contested Hastings & Rye in 2001 and 2005). Here he looks forward to welcoming many ConservativeHome readers to the town this weekend as the party gathers in Cheltenham for its Spring Forum.
A record number of delegates are due to attend this year’s Spring Forum in the beautiful Regency Spa town of Cheltenham, centre for the Cotswolds.
I am bound to say, I am delighted the Spring Forum is coming to Cheltenham. Amidst the doom and gloom of localised news late last autumn, Caroline Spelman’s arrival in the town to announce that Cheltenham had been chosen to host the Spring Forum was a huge boost for morale. I have to admit, I kept the pressure on, asking both David Cameron and Caroline Spelman to consider Cheltenham as a venue. We are already a successful and renowned Festival town, so why not a Conference town, too?
2,000 delegates will descend upon the town this weekend, bringing a shot-in-the-arm to the local economy, much to the delight of local hoteliers and restaurateurs. For those who have not visited Cheltenham either recently or at all, they will find a hugely attractive town with a café society, excellent theatres, shops, parks and a warm welcome from residents.
This will also help lift our political fortunes in a town we have not won at a General Election since 1987. The flamboyant and much-loved local man, Sir Charles Irving, was the last Conservative incumbent of Cheltenham. I drove his election battle-bus in the 1979 contest, one of the most memorable elections of my life.
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