Giles Oakley writes: I got to know David Tench (obituary, 23 March) through his involvement in the Labour party in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, where he was an inspirational figure in the 1960s and 70s, standing for election locally and doing everything he could to keep the flag flying in a massively Conservative area. I was impressed by the energy and good humour with which he and his first wife, Judith, got younger folk like me involved. He was the embodiment of certain values, including social justice, fair play, community cohesion and public service.
As a man of integrity, he may not have approved of some of my campaigning tactics over the years, such as ripping down posters or accepting Tory offers to pick up frail voters by car and take them to the polls. I remember the look of surprise on David's face as I rolled up at the polling station chortling in the back of a swish black limo driven by some party loyalist who had just assumed without asking that I would be voting Conservative.