Stuart Andrew: Robocouncillor

Ladies and gentlemen, please meet Cllr Stuart Andrew, the next Conservative Member of Parliament for Pudsey (if I have anything to do with it).

If you read my post first thing this morning, you will know that the Whites and our neighbours were about to spend the next four days and three nights without gas and, therefore, proper cooking facilities, central heating and hot water. And neither I nor any of my fellow Bradford Road residents (especially Barrington at No. 33) were very happy about it.

But then we got Stuart involved.

I've known Stuart for three and half years after he came along to personally assist my own ill-fated efforts to become a Pudsey councillor in May 2006.

Stuart's one of life's good chaps. He works hard, he's bright and wants to help people solve their problems - such as those faced by us lot preparing for the production of A Nightmare on Bradford Road.

And as of mid-afternoon today, that was what we were still facing.

But then Stuart called the lovely Laura at United Utilities (Tel: 07778 048008).

Following their conversation, I received a text from him. Laura claimed that she had always said it was going to be Monday before our gas was switched back on (a lie because she originally said Sunday) and that no-one had complained to her about the situation (another lie because both Barrington and Vanessa did so). So I pointed this out to Stuart who got immediately back on the case.

My phone beeped again. It was Stuart to report that the contractors now intended to work on Sunday rather than have it off on holiday and that the site manager would be calling him tomorrow.

But that wasn't enough for our hero who was having a blinder. So much so that, with the wind now blowing in his sails, he decided to lace the gloves back on and return to the ring.

A few minutes later, my phone beeped again. Another text from Stuart:

"Just missed call - message says works not happening this weekend now due to 'site problems.'"

('Site problems' - aye, right).

"Have rung back and left message to call me."

And ten minutes after that, yet another text from Stuart:

"Cutting off Monday am, back on Tuesday pm."

So, instead of an entire long weekend of four days and three nights with no gas, we are now to be inconvenienced for little more than 24 hours - and we'll be at work for much of that time anyway.

I call that a massive result - and a massive result that would simply not have been achieved without the intervention of Robocouncillor (my term, but he's very welcome to use it).

I work in politics but, in the wake of the expenses scandal, I've become just as disillusioned with politicians as everyone else.

But Stuart's actions have graphically underlined that there are people out there - in all parties - who enter politics for the right reason i.e. they want to make a positive difference to people's lives. And, crucially, are prepared to get stuck in when malevolent forces (such as gas firms and cowboy contractors) try to throw their weight around and trample over others (like the residents of Bradford Road).

Stuart has long had my full moral support for his campaign to become the new Pudsey MP at the coming General Election.

But after what he's done for my neighbours, Vanessa, Jamie and I today, I'll have to have a think about what else I can do to help him out between now and Thursday 6 May 2010.

If you do live in Pudsey, I would ask that you put a large cross beside his name when you get that chance. We'd be very lucky to have him.

And if you don't live in Pudsey, just send him cash! http://stuartandrew.com/donate.php