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Dear Members
On Friday 10 December our long serving Agent and Campaign Director, Andrew Kennedy, will be stepping down after over 35 years’ service to the Conservative Party, both nationally and here in Kent.
Andrew fought his first election campaign in 1983 – just after the Falklands War! He has worked and campaigned for the Party ever since. In that time he has been Agent or Campaign Director for 35 parliamentary candidates (of which 33 were elected) and 2,150 local government candidates (with over 2,000 elected). He has also managed 57 by-elections resulting in 17 gains from the opposition, often on record swings. His greatest personal achievement however was taking Chatham and Aylesford from Kent’s safest Labour seat in 2005 to the 16th safest Conservative seat in the UK.
I am sure you will agree, it is a remarkable record.
Andrew was also the driving force in creating the Kent Conservative Group, which was formed in 2012. This brought seven Associations together under one roof, sharing salary and office costs, releasing extra money for campaigning. The Kent Group is now acknowledged as the UK's best example of joint working and is being replicated elsewhere.
And through his fundraising initiatives (the Kent Draw, 500+ Club, An Audience with..… and the Sunday Lunch Club) he has raised an amazing £400,000 for local party funds in the last ten years.
Although Andrew will be retiring from paid employment, he will still be around as an activist and volunteer. He will remain as a member of Tonbridge & Malling and Kent County Councils, where he represents the residents of Aylesford.
I hope you will join me in wishing Andrew the very best of luck for the future, and will help us mark his retirement with a suitable gift to reflect an amazing 35 years’ service to our Party.
To make a contribution to his retirement gift, please click the link below to contribute by credit/debit card or PayPal. Alternatively, please send a cheque (payable to Kent Conservative Group) to William Rutherford, Campaign HQ, Suite 2, Business Centre. Commercial Road, Paddock Wood TN12 6EN
We are hoping to raise sufficient money to help finance a major refurbishment of his beloved narrowboat (Barleywood) to enable him to enjoy many more years pursuing his other passion, navigating Britain’s Inland waterways.
I hope you feel able to contribute.
With thanks
William Rutherford Chairman of the Kent Conservative Group
