Nick Herbert seeks aide to support his constituency work

Mr Herbert is advertising on his website (http://www.nickherbert.com/) for a "bright, personable individual" to become his full-time constituency aide or researcher.

The MP says that he requires help to organise and attend his surgeries and village meetings, liaise with councillors, community groups and individuals to ensure that local concerns are taken up, and manage local communications, including with the press and through his website.

Mr Herbert says that he hopes to recruit someone who is based in or near the constituency and would be able to work locally for at least some of the week, accompanying him on Fridays and Saturdays when he holds surgeries and attends local meetings and events.

The new constituency aide will complement Arundel & South Downs Conservative Association Agent, Russell Tanguay, who is based in Steyning.  Mr Tanguay will continue to focus on party matters, while the new aide will support the MP's constituency duties.  The position will also involve close liaison with Mr Herbert's Westminster office.

The MP specifies that candidates will be "extremely well organised, with good communication and writing skills and the ability to empathise with people and community issues."  They should be "natural campaigners, with good political instincts, with the skills and enthusiasm to manage my website and develop new forms of e-campaigning and communication."

Mr Herbert says that he is expanding his office following his appointment as Shadow Justice Secretary last month and is also recruiting a Chief of Staff and a Parliamentary Researcher to work at Westminster.  He commented:

"I hope to find someone who will share my commitment to represent the interests and concerns of the local community effectively and do the best possible job for constituents.

"This is a large constituency and there is a lot going on, especially at the moment with the threat to all three of our local hospitals.  I really need more help to ensure that I can provide a first class service for the public."

Mr Herbert said that the salary for the position, which would probably be full-time, would depend on the aide's experience.  He added that he hoped to be able to appoint someone in September, to be in place before Parliament resumes in early October.

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