One thing that Sean isn’t is a “fruit-cake”

On one of the Syrian threads last week long-standing PB regular, Sean Fear, announced that he’d switched from the Tories to UKIP.

Sean’s relationship with the site is a long one. Back in 2004 he became just about the first regular Tory poster here at a time when the threads were totally dominated dominated by Labour supporters.

He built up a great reputation for his courtesy, his detailed knowledge of elections and his first hand experience of campaigning going back to his student days. Sean knows what’s involved in winning elections and he’s good at it.

All of this was was reflected in his comments and in the regular guest spot “Sean Fear on Friday” that appeared on PB for several years.

He’s also been a councillor and was on the CON list for the Greater London Assembly.

Facing an election when the ground war could be critical in the marginals the Tories can ill afford to lose someone with Sean’s great commitment and expertise.

That people of his calibre are switching highlights the challenge facing Cameron as he seeks to remain at Number 10. He’s a big catch for UKIP

Over the past few years Sean has become a personal friend as well as my solicitor. We have talked politics a lot and this move does not surprise me.

I don’t know whether Sean harbours parliamentary ambitions but he’d make a good MP.

Mike Smithson

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