This is the first time I have stood for election and I have enjoyed it immensely. From buying too many cakes at Chalgrove's May Day fete to the hustings at Dorchester Abbey it has been a whirlwind of meetings, discussions with residents, radio interviews and school debates.
Plaudits must go to the students of the Henley College, who managed to stump me with two questions which I had to answer after the meeting. My thanks should also go to my Labour, Green and UKIP opponents for engaging fully with the election and giving residents a chance to grill us and learn more about what we all stand for. It is unfortunate that some parties have chosen to limit their exposure and I leave it to you to decide why that might be.
I must also thank the numerous people who have joined the Liberal Democrats, or volunteered to help with delivering leaflets or simply offered their endorsement for our policies and pledged their support on polling day. There are few nicer moments than having people come up to you in the street to tell you that they have voted for or are going to vote for you.
This election has got people talking and interested in politics, which is good for our democracy. I haven't had an easy ride from everyone but I have been engaged and argued with about the policies of the Liberal Democrats.
The best outcome of this election generally will be a large turnout which can help to upset the status quo. My experience over the past few weeks is that there is a strong appetite for change in this constituency and I hope that residents will not be scared off by threats from tabloid newspapers, banks or old parties. We can all wake up on Friday morning with a once in a generation opportunity for real change or we can stick with the same old politics.
Thank you for your support and I hope we can achieve real change for Henley constituency on May 6th
No comments:
Post a Comment