General Election Result Shows Lib Dems Will Never Win Here

Published on: 14 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 14 Dec, 2019

From Matthew Smith

So, all the deceitful leaflets did the trick and many Labour voters were persuaded to vote Liberal Democrat so they could keep out Tory Angela Richardson.

It’s easy to see why many have been tempted by the argument, the “Winning here” signs and distorted bar charts that hammered home the point over the General Election campaign.

Yet we still have a Tory MP and it’s now evident that even in the most helpful circumstances the Liberal Democrats can’t win here in Guildford.

The Lib Dems had a local and experienced candidate running against a Conservative who was unknown at the start of the campaign.

They were aided by a friendly press who talked up their chances despite them finishing only 2,700 votes ahead of Labour last time, and 17,000 behind the Tories.

And they were the only party with a crystal-clear, anti-Brexit stance in a constituency which voted heavily for remain in 2016.

The presence of former Tory MP turned Independent Anne Milton on the ballot paper took more than 4,000 votes which would have otherwise gone to the Tories.

But the Liberal Democrats didn’t win in Guildford despite these incredibly helpful circumstances and it’s now clear they will never be able to overhaul the Tories.

Near my polling station, I overheard what seemed to be a mother telling her son that they should vote with their Labour values but this time it was worth lending their votes to the Lib Dems.

Next time, I’d implore the growing number of people in Guildford who share Labour’s values to vote with their beliefs and support Labour to ensure we see a genuine challenge to the Conservative candidate.