Photo by Helen Duffett on Flickr.
Eastleigh Liberal Democrats have selected a local Business and Development Manager as their candidate for the upcoming Parliamentary by-election in the constituency.
Mike Thornton, a parish and borough councillor since 2007, plays an active part in the community. He is involved with the annual Bishopstoke Carnival and is a member of the local church.
Mike lives with his wife and daughter in Bishopstoke and the constituency has been his home for nearly twenty years.
In his spare time, Mike enjoys playing squash and tennis.
As Eastleigh MP, Mike Thornton will:
- Fight to protect green spaces from Tory development and gravel extraction
- Work to bring more jobs and investment to our area – the 500 jobs and £60m a year into the local economy at the Lib Dem Council backed Ageas Bowl are a good start
- Campaign to cut income tax for local workers – that’s on top the £600 a year tax cut that the Lib Dems have already won
Commenting after his selection, Mike said,
I am absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Eastleigh. I have lived here for 20 years, and it is an incredible honour to have the opportunity to represent the constituency.
I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support so far, and I am excited for the campaign ahead.
Over the many years I have lived here with my family, I have got to know the key issues which local people want me to fight for. I have loved every minute of being a councillor and being part of the Liberal Democrat team.
We have been delivering locally for two decades, and we’re now also delivering in Government. I’m confident I will continue with that incredible record, and ensure we have another Liberal Democrat MP.
To help elect our excellent candidate come to Eastleigh – campaign HQ is open all weekend, and every day until the election. Or you can donate or make phonecalls from home.
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39 Comments
Can you help me understand the third bullet point? I’m (mis?)understanding this as having a local rate of income tax for those resident in Eastleigh. I’m sure that can’t be right but can’t fathom what is!
Apologies for being dim etc.
Would he care to share his personal views on Secret courts??
My thoughts exactly John, but I suspect there is a degree of terminological inexactitude for campaigning reasons – after all, any new national rate would no doubt apply to Eastleigh’s ‘local workers’.
Can someone change that ‘local’ income tax thing before the Tories read it. It is on the Eastleigh LibDem site as well.
Congratulations to Mike Thornton.
I would like to know where he stands on the benefit cuts.
@John -I took that to mean that he supports the Lib Dem campaign to further increase the basic tax threshold, benefitting ordinary workers in Eastleigh as a result.
Lgbt rights and abortion positions for me please
We have a brand new candidate with a brilliant local reputation, about to fight a vital by election for us and rather than messages of support we give sceptical scrutiny! Only in the lib dems! 🙂
Fair point Henry. Eastleigh is a good local party and I should trust they select a good candidate. I would still like to know what he stands for, but so will the media no doubt and I guess he will have to pay safe.
What on earth are Geoffrey and Jennie on about. He is our candidate in a vital by election. Get suporting, not carping
We continue to add to thealmost all white male parliamentary party – assuming he wins. Another chance missed to rectify the gender/racial make-up of the party.
Daniel, Simon, you would have more of us supporting if you didn’t sink to using political spin. It’s the same with the voters, perhaps something to think about…
Let the local candidate campaign on what is relevant to the constituency that is what we are good at. The Tory candidate has already shown her position on the right of her party so give her enough rope, if that is not what Tories want!, and she will upset the liberal wing of her party if it exists in the constituency.
Yes, it would be nice if we sometimes thought about what the voters might want
Great to see a strong local candidate chosen and best of luck to Mike!
I’ll do some calls tomorrow, we are just venting our frustrations (I don’t mean to speak for everyone).
@Geoffrey Payne
” Eastleigh is a good local party and I should trust they select a good candidate.”
I’m sure the candidate is far better than the photo-selection! Do they still really take these wrestling handshake shots?
Simon I’m simply wanting to know so that I can answer when I get asked by voters. Given that I work 6 days a week in the lib dem phone bank this is not just likely is a certainty.
I’m glad the Eastleigh local party have selected a local candidate – I think that’s our best chance of retaining the seat.
I spent weeks at the last Eastleigh by-election. I was younger, fitter and, I suppose, less cynical. I want us to win this by-election, but I also want us to win with a Liberal candidate. If my health’s up to it, I’d love to come and campaign for one. I don’t think it’s unfair to just ask, first, if that’s possible.
We’ve just had one MP resigning, so perhaps the ‘my party right or wrong!’ commentators might like to consider that asking questions of his putative successor is hardly inappropriate.
Four of our MPs were shameful in their votes this week. Many Lib Dem members said there were no circumstances under which they would ever campaign for them.
Many members were gleeful that the Tory candidate is an anti-Cameroon who would have voted against equal marriage this week.
I don’t want to know every single thing about Mr Thornton, but I would like to know how he would have voted, unwhipped, on that issue. I imagine a lot of other people would, too, before they turn up. If Chris Huhne’s shown us one thing, perhaps it’s that the party label is a great thing, but a moral choice can be important as well.
“I bet they select a local councillor”, I thought a few days back. Sounds like a good choice.
Talking last night about him with Louise Bloom, who knows him very well, Mike sounds like an excellent candidate not only on paper but also in the eyes of those who know him well such as her. Good news.
@Jennie I’m sure there are ways you can find that out if you think you need to know it for ‘profesional’ reasons without posting here.
I for one am all in agreement with Simon, lets stop talking about stuff and get down there and help.
With the new Survation poll putting us ahead & UKIP 3rd a lot of Tory backbenchers will be encouraging their candidate to release her inner bigot & emphsise her negative attitudes to gays/foreigners etc. If we do win big parts of the Conservative Party will conclude, wrongly that they need to move right/drop Cameron, good news for us in 2015.
for the sake of transparency – (and it is hardly confidential surely?), can we see the shortlist please.?
Am I beginning to suspect by the defensive comments that your candidate is anti-SSM? He will not get away with going through the campaign saying nothing. Or will he do a Teather and imply support only to vote against when the time comes?
Paul
Those of us who “question” are doing the party a favour. We are showing that a “new politics” is something that some in the Lib Dems strive towards. “Party right or wrong” is singularly unhelpful in the context of public attitudes to politics at present. I write this in the abstract – I am not in any way criticising this candidate, who I do not know, either in person or by reputation. It would be nice to see Mike himself answer some of the questions raised on here.
Peter – I am sure the shortlist is confidential – but they often leak out!!
“Those of us who “question” are doing the party a favour. We are showing that a “new politics” is something that some in the Lib Dems strive towards.”
Well, yes indeed! Meanwhile, the Tory candidate happily reveals herself as a real un-spun person, with opinions of her own. Not pleasant opinions, admittedly, but, at least they have clearly been freely expressed, without being silenced by minders.
So it would seem that the Tories, at least this time, have managed to achieve a simple thing, which is “What you see is what you get”. Are the Lib Dems still only “striving towards” that?
What a lot of silly comments on the basis of no information at all.
If I were fighting the by-election in Eastleigh I would ignore all you lot and concentrate on the campaign there. there is little enough time.
Tony Greaves
@David Allen “Meanwhile, the Tory candidate happily reveals herself as a real un-spun person, with opinions of her own. Not pleasant opinions, admittedly, but, at least they have clearly been freely expressed, without being silenced by minders.”
What a daft comment. As yesterday’s World this Weekend piece on Eastleigh from Norman Smith show, The Tory candidate is being silenced by minders. The only information the media has been able to find are unguarded quotes from the past.
Mike Thorton was only selected on Saturday evening and I’ve to see any evidence that he’s been silenced by minders. He was out and about with Vince Cable yesterday.
Google Eastleigh Lib Dems and it takes you to http://www.eastleighlibdems.org.uk/ with a picture of Eastleigh Lib Dem candidate Mike Thornton at the top of the page.
Google Eastleigh Conservatives and its take you to the Eastleigh Conservative website, no mention of their candidate and in the “Coming soon” box it states “Sorry, we haven’t got any upcoming events”!
In order to make a sound vote, I am keen to learn more from all parties. Please can you confirm what you mean by “fight to protect green spaces from Tory development”. I ask because the LibDems are in Government, and the Lib Dem controlled EBC is proposing to build many homes on greenfield land. So what do you mean?
Mr Thornton said yesterday he was ‘puzzled’ by his rival’s campaign tactics, condemning her opposition to gay marriage. He said: ‘I’m surprised she hasn’t been co-opted by UKIP.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276665/Mike-Thornton-Lib-Dem-wants-replace-Chris-Huhne-hell-battle-Tory-Sarah-Palin.html#ixzz2Kb8SHxWL
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Somebody from the Eastleigh team please answer Mr Wiseman. We clearly need to be more specific.
I’m a voter in Eastleigh. I voted Lib Dem in 2010. I’m undecided now. Equal marriage is a crucial issue for me. I won’t vote for a candidate who is against or refuses to state a position. How would mike gave voted?
I am so pleased to see the Lib Dem candidate is LOCAL. My pet hate is when candidates are not even from anywhere near the area they are chosen to represent. I voted for Chris as I voted for David before him. I am an undecided voter now due to the coalition so need convincing on who I should vote for.
Just to answer the last question, Mike has tweeted his clear support for equal marriage. As for all the others, I suggest everyone gets down to Eastleigh and asks him in person in between canvassing and delivering, not by posting comments on here that will only help the Tories. See you there everyone!
I have previously voted Lib Dem. Today, I was regaled with both a letter and later a further leaflet. The start of the letter proclaimed “The countryside that separates our towns & villages are vital to the character of our area….”. The leaflet promises (Number 3 ‘Protecting Green Spaces’) “As our MP, Mike will fight to protect the vital green spaces between our towns & villages.” WRONG. Since I’ve lived here I’ve seen our ‘village’, Hedge End, mutate from 9,000 inhabitants to a town of 23,000 and growing! The Lib Dems have dominated local government here for decades so this expansion has happened under their watch – all the time proclaiming that they oppose house development. Hypocritical! Currently, there are extensive plans to build some 10,000 (is it?) more homes in Eastleigh – a vast proportion of these on greenfield sites around Hedge End. There has been a sham procedure of democratic consultation. I don’t think it’s cynical to conclude that the decision has already been made and that our meetings, demonstrations, and consultations have all been in vain. We must brace ourselves for a frenzy of building with infrastructure lagging far behind, of course. I hope that a change of political leadership might be able to change course.
Quote – •Fight to protect green spaces from Tory development
But it’s alright to build an industrial estate on the green fields separating Boyatt Wood and Allbrook because it wasn’t the Tories that suggested it? Double standards here.