Reigate Liberal Democrats have selected John Vincent, an aviation safety expert, as their candidate in the next general election.

Mr Vincent beat four other candidates in a vote of local party members at a hustings held on Friday evening at Reigate College.

Speaking after his success, John Vincent said:

I’m thrilled to be selected for Reigate. People here deserve so much better than the current set-up. We need to move from despair to hope. We need to build a better future for everyone in our community.

On the national political situation Mr Vincent said:

We are in a fight for the heart and soul of the country. Entitled Etonians and Seventies socialists cannot be allowed to tear-away at all that we value. As the old parties divide and fall, the centre ground is vacant and the Liberal Democrats are eager to fill it.

Mr Vincent’s selection comes as incumbent MP Crispin Blunt admits he could now lose his seat if Boris Johnson’s government crashes the UK out of the EU. A year ago Mr Blunt held that ‘no deal’ would not be a problem while in May this year he called for Tories form a pact with Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party (link below) albeit so far without any success.

Recent poll projections (see below) show Lib Dems already a close second to Conservatives in this area and thus best placed to unite voters who want to stop Brexit. The party recently agreed it would cancel EU withdrawal if after the election it forms a majority government.

Graham Burr, local party chair, added:

We are delighted to have selected John for the upcoming general election. He offers local voters a highly experienced, motivated and credible alternative. While other parties are in disarray, we are united. We have clear policies on stopping Brexit, the climate emergency and right across the board. An early election? We’re ready, bring it on!

John was born and grew-up on a family farm in Somerset. After gaining a degree in engineering, he built a successful career in aerospace, including working for 11 years in Germany on improving air safety.

John joined the Liberal Democrats in the mid 1980s inspired by the then leader Paddy Ashdown. During the 1990s he was a councillor for Reigate for six years and has continued to be active with the party ever since.

John also stood in this year’s European elections which saw the party win three seats in the Southeast region and 16 seats nationwide.