Sir, – Considering that the new Conservative candidate appears to be the latest hot topic for your letters page, I have decided to bite my tongue no longer and offer my rather controversial opinion.

I like the man. I have lived in this house for 30 years, back to the days before William Hague, and Rishi Sunak is the first politician to knock on my door, answer my questions and give me 15 minutes of his time on a cold January day.

In my eight General Elections since living here no one has bothered to come and ask what I think once and I have a bit of respect for someone who gets out and speaks to the angry old men with a permanent bee in their bonnet. I was rather grilling him and did not expect to be impressed, but I am a straightforward man and willing to admit when I am wrong.

He was polite, intelligent and took an genuine interest in what I had to say.

Some are suspicious of his selection, others have said that he won it fair and square – on this I cannot comment. But as for someone coming to my door and having a cup of tea with me while I give him an earful? He's got my vote.

TREVOR MAINHOLM

Cutpurse Lane, Richmond.