Letter: Do Not Let Us Down On These Key Issues

Published on: 12 Jun, 2017
Updated on: 12 Jun, 2017

This is an open letter from the candidate who stood for the Liberal Democrats last week to the re-elected Conservative MP for Guildford, Anne Milton.

From Zoe Franklin

Dear Anne Milton

In your acceptance speech following your re-election as Guildford’s MP you thanked the people of Guildford for placing their trust in you and stated that “I won’t let you down.”

Theresa May’s decision to form an alliance with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a dangerous and troubling arrangement. This new working arrangements crowns the DUP as the kingmakers of British legislation in order to ensure the Conservatives have a majority in the House of Commons. But at what cost?

The DUP are opposed to equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community, they oppose abortion, do not believe in climate change and have for months been embroiled in a scandal over the misspending of public funds which has resulted in the already fragile power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland coming to a standstill.

We cannot have a situation where the Conservatives agree to roll back any commitments to equality, climate change, enabling safe and legal abortions across the UK, simply in order to cajole the DUP into voting for Conservatives bills.

Also, twenty years of peace in Northern Ireland, an important part of the United Kingdom, will come under threat by your party colluding with just one side while at the same time you are supposed to be negotiating impartially with all sides in to reinstall the Stormont assembly. How can you achieve this while being held hostage by the DUP?

I am writing to you today because, within just over 48 hours of the election result, Guildford needs you to stand up for our British values – Guildford needs you to show them that you won’t let them down.

I ask that you withdraw your support for an alliance with the DUP and request that your party leader does not enter into a deal with the DUP. It seriously tarnishes the values of the whole of the United Kingdom.

I am asking you to stand strongly on behalf of Guildford and Cranleigh residents to ensure that there are no compromises on these key issues of LGBTQ+ equality, women’s rights and abortion, and climate change/environmental policy.

Do not let us down on these fundamental issues.