Thank you
I'd like to thank all the supporters and residents of Sevenoaks Northern ward who voted for me and the other Liberal Democrat candidates in the Sevenoaks District and Town Council elections.
The local result was stunning, with my fellow Lib Dem Merilyn Canet elected to represent the ward on both councils - a gain for the Lib Dems. Between us we achieved 49% of the vote, an amazing local vote of confidence given the brutal drop in the Lib Dem vote nationally to 8%.
Residents appreciated the hard work that our local team has put in, fighting for the issues that matter locally, speaking up for all parts of our community, putting forward a positive vision for Sevenoaks, and not least talking directly with many hundreds of residents on the doorsteps.
The local result was stunning, with my fellow Lib Dem Merilyn Canet elected to represent the ward on both councils - a gain for the Lib Dems. Between us we achieved 49% of the vote, an amazing local vote of confidence given the brutal drop in the Lib Dem vote nationally to 8%.
Residents appreciated the hard work that our local team has put in, fighting for the issues that matter locally, speaking up for all parts of our community, putting forward a positive vision for Sevenoaks, and not least talking directly with many hundreds of residents on the doorsteps.
Congratulations
I'm clearly disappointed I wasn't quite able to achieve enough votes personally to join Merilyn in representing the ward. However, I'm thrilled that Sevenoaks Northern will now have a strong hardworking Lib Dem councillor standing up for the whole community. Congratulations Merilyn.
I also congratulate the successful Conservative candidates in Sevenoaks Northern and hope they will work constructively with Merilyn in the best interests of all residents. There is much work to be done and I hope the issues we campaigned for will receive the proper focus from the Conservative led councils.
Overall in Sevenoaks District, local Lib Dems won two District Council seats and four Town Council seats, a great local result given the events in the general election.
I also congratulate the successful Conservative candidates in Sevenoaks Northern and hope they will work constructively with Merilyn in the best interests of all residents. There is much work to be done and I hope the issues we campaigned for will receive the proper focus from the Conservative led councils.
Overall in Sevenoaks District, local Lib Dems won two District Council seats and four Town Council seats, a great local result given the events in the general election.
The fightback
It's certainly not an easy time to be part of the Liberal Democrat movement. But the fightback is already underway! The Lib Dems have had 5,000 new members join the party since polling day! And our membership has just passed 50,000. Incredible. It looks like people across the country are coming together to stand up for liberal values.
I end with 3 immediate asks:
- If you voted Lib Dem in this election, consider joining the Lib Dems now. Everyone who joins the party right now will be able to vote in the leadership election. Join by clicking here.
- Support our local campaigns here in Sevenoaks. You can see more about the issues on my blog here, or at Sevenoaks Lib Dems. Get in touch with me, or email [email protected].
- Our current electoral system is not fit for purpose as we find ourselves in the new multi-party reality. With just 37% vs Labour's 30%, the Conservatives ended up with 51% of the seats in parliament vs Labour's 36% of seats. The numbers below further show the insanity of our current system:
- SNP - 1.5m votes = 56 seats.
- Lib Dems - 2.4m votes = 8 seats.
- UKIP - 3.9m votes = 1 seat.
- Greens - 1.2m votes = 1 seat.
We need a fairer system, with no "wasted votes" or "target seats". I urge you to sign Owen Winter's petition here which has already been signed by almost 200,000 people.