Conservative leader David Cameron opened up the party’s new offices and took questions from local residents during a recent visit to Watford. In the area for one of his interactive ‘Cameron Direct’ sessions, Mr Cameron met a selected audience at the opening of the party’s new offices in The Parade, Watford, before heading off to the Langley Rooms to take questions from an audience of around 250.

This number would have been far greater had it not been for restrictions placed on the venue, with many who applied for tickets being told they would be unable to gain entry. Mr Cameron arrived at Watford Junction before heading to the party’s offices to meet the invited crowd. On being introduced to the crowd by MP Candidate for Watford, Richard Harrington, the Conservative leader told the crowd: “I congratulate you on having Richard as your MP Candidate – he will be a first class candidate. Let’s be clear, if we want to have a Conservative Government we have got to win constituencies like Watford.” Mr Cameron mentioned Tristan Garel-Jones during his talk, who was the last Conservative MP for Watford after holding the position for 18 years between 1979 and 1997. He continued: “We have one great word on our side which is ‘change’, because people want change and are fed up of this Prime Minister and want people to admit when they are wrong.” After revealing the office’s plaque and taking a few questions from those in attendance, Mr Cameron made his way to the nearby Langley Rooms to take questions from Watford residents who had applied for tickets, whatever their political views. Lights and cameras were certainly the order of the day in the venue as young and old packed out the small room, laying in wait for Mr Cameron to arrive. At 6pm, a purple tied Cameron took to the stage and explained to the crowd why he was in Watford: “The reason I’m here is because I feel politics in Britain has become boring. Politicians often visit a school or hospital and then do an interview with a local paper and then get on a train and go back to London. They don’t meet real people and answer their questions, and that is why I am doing these town hall visits up and down the country.” Mr Cameron then opened up the floor for questions and invited people to ask him anything on any topic, no matter how controversial. The assembled audience did not disappoint as hands were raised throughout, with subjects coming up such as the war in Iraq, the current unemployment levels, school admissions and the shamed former Conservative MP for Watford, Ian Oakley (see page 5). On the war in Iraq, Mr Cameron said he had no regrets over supporting the decision to send troops to the war stricken country due to the way Saddam Hussain was treating his own people. Closer to home, Mr Cameron was asked about the situation concerning school admissions, with one parent claiming her child did not receive one of their three choices and what would he do about it. In reply, he said: “I would look to bust open the education system and make sure there are more good schools. We could argue forever over whether we should have a lottery or whether it be first come first serve, but that doesn’t solve the problem.” Following an hour of questions, which were filmed for a party political broadcast and for the Conservative Party website, Mr Cameron left the stage to a chorus of applause, clearly impressing many of those in attendance.