THE LAST time I met Reigate MP Crispin Blunt, the circumstances were very different, writes Owen Evans.

We were standing outside the Houses of Parliament amid the storm of the expenses scandal last June and, like many of his peers, he was feeling the heat.

Fast forward almost twelve months and Mr Blunt cut a very different figure as he canvassed in Netherne-on-the-Hill on Thursday night.

The furrowed brow had disappeared as he greeted me with a smile and a warm handshake as he finished talking to a voter.

"This is invaluable," he said. "It's fantastic for me as this is one of the only opportunities I have to speak to voters face-to-face.

"Netherne-on-the-Hill isn't a 100 per cent Conservative area. You get an idea of where your supporters are and then your focus comes when it comes to the polls."

Watching him you could tell this was a part of the job Mr Blunt really enjoyed.

Going from house to house, with his three volunteers spread over the 12-year-old housing estate like an aerial display team, seemed like second nature to the Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Counter-Terrorism.

It seemed all was well again and the furore of the previous year had been forgotten.

Well, not quite.

"Why do you keep using that horrible photo of me from Westminster last year? Why don't you use a better one?" he asked.

Our photographer Keith was happy to step in and take a new photo before Mr Blunt knocked on a door of a voter who reared up the issue of expenses.

He said: "I'm very conscious that we are not here just to reaffirm our support.

"In the wake of the expenses issue we are having to revalidate ourselves to the general public.

"I know we need to go that extra yard with our campaigning this year because of it.

"It will take a long time, possibly a decade, to build up a collective trust from the voters after this wretched government of 2005-2010.

"I have had to take criticism about the expenses – collectively, not personally – and I don't think there is ever going to be complete trust in politicians.

"People will always have scepticism in politicians, and I understand that. We know politicians are not universally popular.

"However, we need to restore faith as the loss of confidence in parliament is profoundly dangerous, as we are responsible for spending their money."

I left Mr Blunt and his team as they carried on speaking to residents, doing what he seems to enjoy most – face to face contact with the constituents of East Surrey.