We need you here in Merton. We want you to be one of our two parliamentary candidates. We want the best and that’s why we’re asking you to think about us. We want to be open, transparent and democratic and that’s why we’re getting in touch.

It’s been agreed by our Regional Candidates Chair that we can vote on parliamentary candidates at a members’ meeting on the afternoon of 4^th September.

Well, why us?

The numbers

• At the referendum, the overall borough result was 63% Remain – but it was a fraction over 70% in Wimbledon constituency. Mitcham & Morden was in the 50s.
• Wimbledon’s share of the vote in the 2015 General Election was 13%. If I recall correctly, this reflects the best Lib Dem result outside of a held/former held seat in London, one of only 2 two such constituencies to make it into double figures . . .
• Our (current) target wards got some of the highest shares of the vote for the Lib Dem list on the London Assembly across the whole of London. 54^th and 56^th out of 649 to be precise. Those wards with better results are mainly those represented/formerly represented by Lib Dem MPs . . .
• Merton has a significant creative sector and history – the Bill was filmed here! (And it’s also where William Morris had his textile factory).
• We can’t not mention that Morden is home to the largest mosque in Western Europe, built in 2003, Baitul Futuh Mosque serves as the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at large.
• We’re a diverse borough: it’s not all about the Lawn Tennis Club or Wimbledon Village.

The political context

• We still have a foothold on Merton Council.
• We have a couple of “Remain in name only” MPs leaving us voiceless – for example, on the issue of supporting and reassuring EU citizens. But we know that actions speak louder than words. Our local petition on this began on the Saturday after the referendum vote.
• As an example of our opponents: Labour-run Merton Council is one of the tiny number of Councils to cut funding for adult social care more than they need to by not using the “adult social care precept” (something we led the charge against). In their own words, this is because they are a “business-like” council (?).
• The local Tories put this Merton councillor up as their London Assembly constituency candidate.
• And we’re not bad campaigners (although we know there’s always room for improvement). Amongst other things, we won cash in the party’s “Referendum Pledge Challenge” twice and also beat Haringey and Tower Hamlets Lib Dems in the little internal competition we had over who could canvass the most people in the last month of the campaign. You can read about our integrated referendum campaigning here. Way back in 2010 our activists gained the ALDC “Best Literature by a volunteer campaigner” when we re-established a Council group on Merton.

Any of this sound good? If so, get in touch with us [email protected] and we’ll tell you what the next steps are . . .

* Giles Bailey is chair of Merton Liberal Democrats