Candidate\'s diary: Alex Deane, Conservative candidate for Finchley and Golders Green

Canvassing all morning and afternoon. Our vote is holding up. In the evening, I participate in an interfaith hustings co-hosted by the Finchley Progressive

Alex Deane is the Conservative candidate for Finchley and Golders Green. Here he gives us an insight into his campaign on the ground.

Monday began with canvassing all morning and afternoon. Our vote is holding up, which is encouraging.

In the evening, I participated in an interfaith hustings co-hosted by the Finchley Progressive and Reform Synagogues and the Somali Bravanese community. These communities came together after an arson attack on the Bravanese centre and they’ve stuck together ever since.

In our association, we know a bit about that as our office was set on fire last year. We know too about the importance of having values that rise above that behaviour – as my opponents and I have sought conspicuously to do in our behaviour in this campaign. Lots of political disagreements to be sure, but by dint of our commitment to democratic resolution of issues we have, to coin a phrase, more in common than that which divides us.

On Tuesday, the Evening Standard did a follow-up round as we canvassed and interviewed me thereafter. The piece is entirely fair and a good example of what local news should do, an in-depth focus on the race in one seat. They are keen to ask about me wearing shorts and flip-flops as I canvass. Am I an unusual, new sort of Tory? Er, no. I’m a Thatcherite, small-state, low tax free-marketeer. It’s just… really, really hot.

On Wednesday I had a double canvass session then did an online Q&A event with constituents. We are trying to do a few of these, to make up for my opponents declining most of the hustings.

On Thursday I did a morning canvass and then two care home visits. The residents ask perspicacious questions, their acuity putting Joe Biden to shame.

The evening featured the third and last of our hustings, at Alyth synagogue. Our Reform candidate joins this one. I wish him well personally but in this two-horse race any support for him makes it more likely they gift the seat to my left-wing Labour opponent.

The Party of Women made strong points from the floor but as I know what a woman is this is just fine by me.

On Friday I canvassed then joined the counterprotest at Swiss Cottage against the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which seems rather more focused on antisemitic abuse than Palestinian solidarity.

In the evening I took part in an event hosted by our local Hindu community. My Labour opponent was meant to join but for whatever reason dropped out at the last minute. More fool her, as this is a vibrant example of excellent community work in action. The volunteers undertake precisely the sort of work we would credit under a national service scheme. The young people there are ferociously interested in politics and if my opposite number wants to gift me a free kick I’m not complaining.

On Saturday I had a double canvass – my agent Rachel Shawcross and chairman Peter Zinkin leading from the front, as always – then a house meeting with a large group of residents. I landed the point that while Sarah Sackman is perfectly pleasant, behind her stand Angela Rayner, David Lammy, et al. A resident asks me if Keir Starmer in office would last the course or be swiftly replaced by someone redder in tooth and claw once they prevail. What a good question.

On Sunday, in the morning, I did street stalls with Mike Freer. People come up to us to thank Mike for all he’s done for the constituency. Everyone has a story about how he’s helped them. These are such big shoes to fill.

The Prime Minister visits. His commitment to the Jewish community in Britain is steadfast, his visit here straight after the appalling attacks of 7 October remembered across the constituency. A break for the football then I have a house meeting in the evening with residents (organised by Dean Cohen, a councillor who seems to know every single elector in his patch!).

I know that they won’t mind me saying that Rishi Sunak’s in-person endorsement in this campaign is more than any candidate can hope for and a fitting point with which to end this candidate’s diary, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing. Now it’s nothing but hard work on the ground for four more days!

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