Letter: Lib Dem Election Leaflet Lists Many Positive Liberal Democrat Policies

Published on: 22 Apr, 2019
Updated on: 22 Apr, 2019

From George Potter

Lib Dem candidate for Burpham in the borough council elections to be held on May 2.

In response to: Let’s Hear Positive Reasons for Support from the Lib Dems

I don’t understand Matthew Smith’s complaint.

He should have taken note of the fact that the leaflet, about which he complains, lists many positive Liberal Democrat policies.

There is only a very small section of the leaflet which points out how close the result was between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats last time and how the Labour vote share is such that they have a very, very low chance of winning.

Giving information to voters about the recent state of play is hardly negative campaigning and Labour’s complaints about it would have more credence if they didn’t themselves use misleading bar charts on their leaflets which present the 2017 general election results in other constituencies to support a claim that the Lib Dems can’t beat the Tories in Guildford.

So if Mr Smith is that deeply concerned about what he perceives as “negative” campaigning then he should put his own house in order first.

In the meantime, voters will have received numerous pieces of literature outlining not just our goals for Guildford but the action we will take to achieve them.

By contrast, one piece of literature that I received through my letterbox from Labour this campaign said that they would tackle the housing crisis by supporting “a moderate increase in the percentage of affordable housing on new developments”.

Given that the Lib Dems are proposing real action such as a Help to Rent scheme to assist young and first-time renters, as well as a plan to build new council houses, I would suggest that, rather than writing empty words and angry letters to The Dragon, they might want to try turning their attention to coming up with real policies for change instead, as the Lib Dems have done.