The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
John Hayes admits to being “humbled” by the amount of votes he received to return him to the House of Commons.
Six in ten of the South Holland and The Deepings constituents who turned out backed the Conservative. He polled 29,303 votes.
He said: “The share is exceptional and incredibly satisfying.
“It’s actually quite touching to know that so many thousands of people have that kind of faith in me.
“It’s rather humbling to be chosen to be their champion.”
Mr Hayes also did lots of work in marginal seats, including five visits to Thanet South where UKIP leader Nigel Farage stood.
“This campaign has probably been the most well-organised we have run,” he said. “I’ve had over 200 people helping me, with a superb agent in Helen Davies and a great campaign manager in Gary Porter.
“We’ve been looking at every way in which we communicate. We’ve knocked on more doors, pounded more streets and visited more villages than any other party.
“Lots of people said to me ‘you’re the only one we have seen’.”
Mr Hayes felt that his familiarity in the area and his patronage was key.
He said: “People want to vote for someone who they feel is one of them. I made a point of emphasising that I live here, my children are schooled here and I use the baker’s, the butcher’s and other shops here.
“It rather gives a lie to this notion that politicians are remote [from the electorate].
“I go about my work in an opposite way. It’s so nice to have touched so many thousands of people’s lives in a positive way.”
And reflecting on the overall General Election result, Mr Hayes said: “The media is very fond of saying that the days of two party politics are over. It seems from this that two-party politics is enjoying something of a renaissance.”
“The Liberal Democrats have become weak and UKIP even weaker so any thought that those parties are going to break through has been scotched.”
