Big surprise for Labour hopeful

Tuesday 13th April 2010, 10:29AM BST.

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The thing about going out on the doorstep is this: you never know who you’ll meet.

Take Jon Tandy, Labour’s parliamentary hopeful for Shrewsbury & Atcham.

Yesterday, the candidate arrived at 2pm for an appointment with the Shropshire Star.

“Let’s go to Heath Farm,” he’d said, 30 minutes earlier, when confirming the details. “I’ve not been there yet.”

Mr Tandy duly arrived at the appointed time – only to bump into his mum.

“Hiya,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied, before endorsing her son and promising to show support on May 6.

Next up was another figure who could be instrumental in shaping Mr Tandy’s political career – Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Ordinarily, you’d have expected the meeting to have been a contrivance. However, Mr Tandy’s reaction made plain it was not.

When Mr Darling arrived, he was incredulous. “Blimey, it’s all happening today. I knew he was in Telford later, but we didn’t know anything about this.”

Mr Tandy button-holed the Chancellor and enlisted his support.

“We want investment, we want jobs, we want good health and education and we want to clean up Parliament and boot out MPs who abuse the expenses system,” he said, belligerently.

Mr Darling nodded in agreement. “I wish you well. I hope you will be successful,” he said, before posing for a photograph.

View more: Election 2010 news.