• Ed Davey opens first Lib Dem office in Esher and Walton in bid to oust Dominic Raab
• Surrey oil court case: A victory for local people against the Government and oil barons
• The Government laughed at us while everyone else followed the rules

Ed Davey opens first Lib Dem office in Esher and Walton in bid to oust Dominic Raab

Today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey opened the party’s first ever office in Dominic Raab’s ultra-marginal Surrey constituency.

The Liberal Democrats are under 3,000 votes away from ousting the Conservative Deputy Prime Minister at the next election.

Since the last General Election, the Liberal Democrats have been on a winning streak; gaining a host of council seats in Esher and Walton as well as achieving three historic parliamentary by-election victories in Chesham & Amersham, North Shropshire and Tiverton & Honiton.

The new office in Esher & Walton marks the party’s campaign ramping up in Surrey ahead of this May’s crucial local elections. The Liberal Democrats have re-selected Monica Harding as their General Election candidate, who came a close second in Esher & Walton in 2019, achieving a massive swing from the Conservative party.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

At the next election in Esher and Walton, it will be a two horse race between four more years of Conservative party chaos, or a hardworking local Liberal Democrat MP.

I am delighted to open the first ever Lib Dem office in the constituency, which is a landmark moment in our bid to oust Dominic Raab at the next election.

Every time I visit Esher and Walton, which neighbours my own constituency, I hear from local people who are fed up with being taken for granted by the Conservative party. There is outrage here at local health services starved of funding, sewage being dumped in rivers and taxes being hiked on hardworking families.

The Blue Wall is crumbling after years of Conservative party chaos in Westminster. The Liberal Democrats will be the challengers to Conservative MPs across vast swatches of the South East, especially here in Surrey.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Esher and Walton Monica Harding commented:

Local people deserve a strong and representative voice standing up for them in Westminster.

The current Conservative MP continues to ignore people’s concerns and take our community for granted. He’s never had an office here – which is why I’m so delighted that we’re opening today in the heart of the community, right on the high street.

It is time for change in Esher and Walton. Only the Liberal Democrats can beat the Conservative Party here.

Surrey oil court case: A victory for local people against the Government and oil barons

Today, the High Court has made a landmark decision, by granting permission for a Judicial Review against a new oil field in Surrey’s green hills.

Michael Gove’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities defended the new oil field in Dunsfold (Surrey), but lost to local groups including Liberal Democrat run Waverely Borough Council.

Reacting to the decision in the High Court, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

This is a victory for local people who stood up to both the Government and powerful oil barons.

I am proud of Liberal Democrat run Waverley Council who took this to the highest court in the land and secured a landmark decision for their community.

It is shameful that Conservative Ministers and even Conservative MPs in Surrey have backed this new ghastly new oil field. It is disgraceful that Michael Gove has dragged this to the High Court instead of listening to the concerns of local people across Surrey.

Surrey’s green hills must be protected at all costs. We cannot lose a treasured part of the country to polluting and profiteering firms who have no regard for the environment. The Conservative Government must now listen.

The Government laughed at us while everyone else followed the rules

Responding to the latest news reported by The Telegraph which says Simon Case, the former Cabinet Secretary, said it was ‘hilarious’ that travellers had to isolate on return to UK, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said:

This lifts the lid on the contempt that Boris Johnson and his Conservative cronies had for the British public during the pandemic.

They mocked and joked while breaking the rules we were all required to follow.

The Covid inquiry must be able to get to the bottom of this sorry saga in our country’s history as soon as possible. The public deserves the truth and bereaved families deserve justice.