...and no, I don't mean David Cameron.
I've made the point on this blog a few times before but the reason I first got the bug to campaign for action on empty homes - nearly four years ago now - was all down to one man: the inspirational, indefatigable David Ireland.
And one phone call in the summer of 2006.
Fast forward to 2009...
- Lib Dem councillors in Reading are actively campaigning in Redlands, Katesgrove and across Reading to bring the numbers of empty private properties down.
- Empty homes is a standing item on the HHCC Scrutiny Panel agenda and we are making progress.
- RBC employs a full-tme officer dedicated to reducing the number of empty homes, working to an agreed empty homes strategy.
But it was not always this way.
Some background.
It was a call from David Ireland (who I had never heard of at that point) to me back in 2006 just after I was elected that orginally spurred me into action and it was his support and encouragementwhich motivated me to keep going.
He motivated me to challenge the status quo - officers and councillors in Reading - to revive our long-dead (and buried!) empty homes strategy and to get real action taken to reduce the overall number of empty homes in our town.
David, who started life working as an environmental protection officer has been Chief Executive of the independent campaigning charity the Empty Homes Agency (EHA) for a number of years.
It was David who first came up with the idea for empty dwelling management orders (a newish power that enables local authorities to take possession of empty private houses) which thanks to his campaign became law in the 2004 Housing Act. Pretty cool stuff.
Somehow, through eras of both Labour and Conservative rule in this country' David has managed to keep empty homes top of the political agenda.
Earlier this year he got Inside Housing - the main housing trade magazine to run a highly successful 'Empty Promise Campaign' that included a petition on the Number 10 website and which resulted in the then housing minister - Margaret Beckett pledging more government support for this worthy cause.
And I have David to thank for getting me an audience with the Minister responsible for empty homes policy earlier this year in which I was able to bend his ear for quite a while!
One of the EHA's recent successes was to help get action taken to bring 400 homes abandoned for over 40 years on the edge of the A406 (North Circular Road) back into use after decades of neglect by local councils and agencies.
As a politico with a keen interest in housing issues I have been following what has been said at the three party conferences and I'm delighted to say that all three major parties are now echoing the EHA's call for further action to bring empty homes back into use.
It's fair to say the Lib Dems are leading the way in coming up with radical solutions to the empty homes problem, but it's good to see a consensus forming across the political spectrum around the need for action.
As I've shown in Reading - the reality of the housing sitution we face is this: massive council house waiting lists, overcrowding, lack of affordable housing...and hundreds of potential homes lying empty.
Sadly this picture is reflected across the country.
So I am hugely grateful to David and his campaigning.
And I'm glad that I'm now able to repay the favour - hopefully.
A couple of months ago I was invited to join the Board of the EHA and I'm delighted to say that as of today I am now a Board member.
I won't get any additional cash for taking on this position - my aim is to try and help this amazing, much-needed charity in it's wider campaigning activity.
CLG recently cut the EHA's grant so we will need to work hard to secure funding to plug that gap elsewhere.
Let's hope we can believe what we are hearing from the national politicians about empty homes.
I know that Sarah Teather MP is personally very committed to the cause.
One thing's clear, come the next election and beyond neither David Ireland, nor the Empty Homes Agency nor I will stop campaigning to ensure that all empty homes that can be brought back into use, are brought back into use.