CONSERVATIVE prospective parliamentary candidate for Penrith and the Border, Rory Stewart, kickstarted his election campaign with a ‘galvanising’ speech to over 150 supporters.

A crowd of party activists and well-wishers congregated in the sunshine at Penrith’s Cornmarket on Saturday morning to hear Mr Stewart lanuch his battle to become MP at the May 6 general election.

Speaking on a megaphone to the crowd Mr Stewart said: “What the Conservative Party and Cumbria stands for is three things: rural areas, the economy and common sense, and so when we go forwards, when we protect our rural services, we are a party of people who don’t give up. We don’t say farming is finished, we don’t say tourism is finished, we believe in the future.”

He continued: “What the Conservative party believes in is liberty and enterprise and freeing those energies, not micro-managing and regulating, not burrying you in paper work but freeing you to be your best.”

Campaigner Tina Walker of Hutton said: “I have nearly always voted Conservative but this is the first time I have been out there canvassing. I feel very strongly he is what this county needs and his speech was utterly galvinising.”

Next on the agenda for Mr Stewart’s campaign is Super Day on Friday April 16, where he will visit as much of the constituency as he can in one day, starting at a dairy farm at 5.30am.

On Saturday 17 April he will hold a rally in Appleby town centre at 10am.