Lib Dems Get Head Start As Guildford Candidate Confirmations Still Awaited

Published on: 2 Nov, 2019
Updated on: 5 Nov, 2019

The front runner Parliamentary candidates for Guildford

Rumours are circulating that Anne Milton has now decided to stand as an Independent but confirmation from the former Conservative is still awaited.

Any likelihood of her being reinstated to her former party seems to have gone. Now the question is, will the Tory candidate be a local figure or a candidate sent down from Conservative Campaign Headquarters? Whichever, Guildford is, this time around, not the safe Tory seat Anne Milton had re-established.

Bob Hughes

Bob Hughes the Guildford Conservative Association chairman, responsible for overseeing candidate selection, and known to be an ally of Anne Milton, told The Dragon earlier this week: “This can only be resolved when Parliament rises having finished its outstanding business… the decisions will be made democratically in a meeting of all local Conservative Party members.”

Ms Milton’s decision is likely to be crucial to the result. Even if she does not win as an Independent, she is likely to divert Remain favouring Conservative votes that might have gone to the Lib Dems and perhaps some soft Leavers too.

Once selected, the stance the Conservative candidate takes on Brexit will also be significant. A pro-Leave stance might alienate the majority Remain supporters in the electorate but squeeze the Brexit Party vote while taking a softer Brexit, pro-Boris’ deal position might convince some to stick with the Tories while persuading others to vote Brexit.

Mr Hughes said: “The local Conservative Party represents the range of views on Brexit, and officers of the Party were prominent in both the Remain and Leave campaigns. We are united in wanting the verdict of the people respected.”

Asked to confirm his position the nominated Brexit party candidate, Joe Domican, said: “At this time the answer is yes [he will stand], as per the 14-day “offer” to Boris. I am attending a team meeting in London on Monday.”

Guildford’s 2017 general election result

Meanwhile, the Lib Dems, whose candidate, former borough councillor, Zoe Franklin was nominated back in January, are enjoying a head start. Ms Franklin interrupted her campaigning today to tell The Dragon: “Since the election has been called we have been out knocking on doors and we’re received a very good reception. We are hearing again and again that people are deeply unhappy with Boris Johnson and the Conservatives’ policies and they will be switching their vote to us.”

Howard Smith campaigning in 2017

Along with others, an announcement on the selection of a Labour candidate is still awaited. In the 2017 election, local man Howard Smith increased their vote to nearly 20%, close on the heels of the Lib Dems, but it is understood that family commitments mean he is unable to stand this time and Labour might suffer a squeeze between the clear Remain and Leave positions, offered by other parties.

There is also a question about the Green Party’s position and there have been calls for some sort of agreement between the Greens and the Lib Dems in order to maximise the Remain vote. Both parties would like to stop Brexit. But there were similar calls at the last election and the Greens still stood separately.

Mark Bray-Parry, the nominated Green Party candidate for Guildford said: “I am acutely aware that the First-Past-The-Post voting system is no longer fit for purpose and means that minority parties, like the Green Party, are always under-represented in parliament. So I have always been open to having conversations with other progressive, pro-EU Parties that promote Green Party values, particularly those of climate change action and electoral reform.

“But it is important that these discussions are done by other parties with reciprocity in mind. Time will tell if their public rhetoric will lead to the ambitious national alliance needed to ensure that the Tories cannot deliver a hard Brexit.”

Interestingly, the single Green Party councillor at Guildford Borough Council, Diana Jones, decided to join the Residents for Guildford & Villages Group which she felt was more in line with her views than the Lib Dems.

John Morris

And we can also expect our doughty Peace Party candidate John Morris to be throwing, once more, his hat into the election ring. He intends to stand, he said: “Because we need to see our country based on the values and principles of Peace: doing unto others as you would have them do to you. And to ensure elected members of Parliament and councils are guided by kindness, love, respect, tolerance and compassion in all their deliberations and actions.”