Look who spent their Sunday in North Shropshire…
Given positive reception @LibDems have been receiving from voters in #NorthShropshire it’s no surprise @EdwardJDavey becomes first Party Leader to visit for the by-election.
In Whitchurch he joined local campaigner @helenhalcrow & other activists.@mrrobwilson @alex__wagner__ pic.twitter.com/aQUIpBZ5DU— Matthew Green (@MatthewGreen02) November 7, 2021
Ed made around 16 visits to Chesham and Amersham earlier this Summer. He is the first party leader to show up in the by-election caused by the resignation of Owen Paterson over allegations of paid advocacy.
The Lib Dem campaign seems to have got off to a very good start. My spies tell me that we have delivered a LOT of leaflets this weekend. Given that we didn’t know this by-election was happening until Thursday lunchtime, that is impressive.
We haven’t selected a candidate yet, but I suspect that will happen very quickly.
Ed told local activists in Whitchurch:
Boris Johnson’s Conservatives are pumping sewage into our rivers and sleaze into our politics. People in North Shropshire including many lifelong Conservative voters are sick of having their concerns ignored and being taken for granted.
It is clear that the Liberal Democrats are the challengers to the Conservatives in North Shropshire. Labour and the Greens cannot win here.
For too long, the Conservatives have left North Shropshire lagging behind with the local NHS facing real difficulties. A Liberal Democrat by-election victory would send a powerful message to the Conservatives that the people of North Shropshire need to be listened to.
He was accompanied by Helen Morgan, our candidate in the 2019 General Election, who said:
Sir Ed’s visit is a real boost to our local campaign and shows just how seriously the Liberal Democrats will be taking this election.
Speaking regularly to local people, we know just how frustrated they are that they are not being listened to by the Conservative Government. People are very frustrated that Shropshire continues to be left behind with our NHS struggling to cope and real difficulties getting an appointment with a GP.
In May, we proved that the local Liberal Democrats are the challengers to the Conservatives and we are looking forward to welcoming Sir Ed back to North Shropshire to support our campaign for local people.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
6 Comments
At last Caron has admitted what we all have suspected…..she has spies EVERYWHERE!
Jane Dodds has experience of winning a seat off a dodgy Conservative after a successful recall petition in Brecon & Radnorshire to the south – might she be interested in standing for selection in N. Shrops. ?
But this “dodgy Conservative” won’t be standing. Jane won her seat from a Conservative who had been recalled then reselected. There will be a new Tory candidate in North Shropshire, so Paterson’s conduct will be much less salient an issue.
Yokel
Jane is an elected member of the Welsh Senedd.
Alex & Barry – I was aware of all that, I was just thinking aloud late at night and thought I’d toss the idea into the melting pot. We know of Jane’s campaigning track record (been there, done that), and of course she was one of many people who helped Sarah Green on the ground in Chesham & Amersham.
Looking at the photo with all the people holding up those usual placards that say ‘winning here’ – is that really the best slogan to have as your standard text on a placard? In the long run, wouldn’t one or two words that give some indication of what the LibDems actually stand for be more useful/informative to voters? (And less embarrassing in the event that the LibDems don’t actually win).