Beverley Carpenter, election agent for Basingstoke Conservatives, has retired after 17 years as a Conservative Party Agent  Her retirement was marked by a luncheon at the House of Commons on Monday, attended by the Rt. Hon. Maria Miller, MP. Also present were Beverley's other erstwhile parliamentary candidates and several of the many Association Chairmen and Presidents she has served over the years. Michael Mates and James Arbuthnot, both now retired from Parliament, recounted their experiences of working with Beverley, ably supported by her most recent candidates, MPs Damian Hinds, Maria Miller and Steve Brine.
Urged to reply, Beverley said that being an election agent wasn't just a job, it was a lifestyle. She first joined the Conservative Party in 1976 and worked as a volunteer until the opportunity arose in 1998 to turn a hobby into a career. Agent training followed and that, added to her previous experience, had given her the confidence to take on the many challenges of such a demanding position. She had thoroughly enjoyed working for the Conservative Party and would take many happy memories into her retirement. She went on to say that she will stay in touch as a volunteer and looks forward to meeting old friends at the occasional fund raising event.
Beverley had worked for four constituencies during her time as an agent, Basingstoke, East Hampshire, North East Hampshire and Winchester.