Yes, I am enthusiastic and positive about the opportunity, and about being able to state the case for why I can represent the people of Hastings and Rye, fight our corner, and why Conservative Government would work better for us all.

But I am also nervous of all the name-calling and "untruths" that often go with election fever.

So I have decided to try to influence the battle here by setting out why we should have a clean fight and what I think that means. I am therefore calling on my political opponents to fight a clean, positive and honest campaign in the forthcoming General Election.

The Country is going through the greatest economic crisis in living memory and, as politicians, we owe it to the public to tell the truth and let them decide which political party offers the most realistic way forward.

I am committed to conducting my election campaign in a manner that I hope will help restore some of the trust and confidence that the public has - quite justifiably - lost in politicians and the political process.

I know cynics will criticise even this initiative as a low attack on other parties. But I can only state and do what I think is the right approach. I am not going to hide how I think it should be done because of an expectation of a dirty fight.

Sadly, the public has never before held politicians in such low esteem and I know that there is a long way to go before we can hope to convince the electorate that politicians (of all parties) are at the very least trying to act in the country's best interests and find realistic solutions to the problems that we all face.

I am however realistic enough to recognise that a clean, positive and honest general election campaign - in which all the candidates agree to respect the intelligence of the voting public, discuss their respective policies in an honest and civilised manner, and refrain from personal attacks and scare mongering – isn't enough on its own to change public opinion.

But I am going to try, and I hope it will be a good start.
 
I have suggested and signed a campaign pledge for an honest campaign. I sincerely hope that Michael Foster (Labour), Nick Perry (Liberal Democrats) and candidates from the other political parties will follow this lead.

For full details of my campaign pledge please go to my website, www.amberrudd.co.uk.