At last, fourteen years of brutal underfunding, politically-motivated austerity, cronyism and corruption can be brought to an end on 4 July, when we can all exercise our democratic right and vote in the general election.
With so many Conservative MPs standing down and dissatisfaction with Sunak growing in the Tory ranks, let alone in the country as a whole, everyone could see that this was a government that had totally run out of road. Caroline Voaden, the parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats and the winner of the South Devon Primary process in the new constituency of South Devon (formerly Totnes), said:
“I am sure I am not alone in feeling a great sense of relief that the election has been called sooner rather than later. I now have the opportunity to set out my agenda for positive change in South Devon, and the chance to show people that politicians are not all the same and not all in it for themselves.
“Thanks to the outgoing regime, the challenges we face are immense, but there’s such a hunger for positive change and for more kindness, compassion and common sense in our politics, that I feel optimistic that, together, we can begin to undo the damage, restore hope and rebuild our fractured communities.
“I have been knocking on doors for almost a year now and will continue to do my utmost to speak to as many constituents as possible and to listen to their concerns. I am the only genuine challenger in this constituency, which has been Conservative for more than a hundred years. I can’t fix everything and I won’t promise that I can, but it’s time to elect a local MP who will always prioritise people, place, nature and communities above short-term profit. If we pull together, we can achieve an historic victory and lay the foundations for a more positive future.”
The Conservatives have a massive war chest, thanks to fossil fuel, Russian and property-developer donors, amongst others and you can expect to see them throw money at what were, once upon a time, safe seats. With their foot-soldiers downcast and disillusioned by the local election results, Conservative central office will almost certainly be forced to rely on social media and the right-wing press for their campaign and on staging fake encounters with a seemingly supportive public. We’ve already seen Rishi Sunak using Conservative councillor plants in the audience to pose soft questions to make him look better.
Sadly, many politicians desperate to cling on to their jobs will resort to fighting dirty and we can expect to see the gaslighting and lies being pushed through targeted ad campaigns. Be on your guard!
Our strong advice to all those of you who share that hunger for change is to :
a) make sure you and your friends and family are registered to vote;
b) register for a postal vote if you are going to be away on July 4;
c) sign up with www.stopthetories.vote for information on whether or not your seat is one where tactical voting is essential to remove the Conservative and guidance as to who to vote for. We will be sharing their guidance for all the seats in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, too. If you’re in South Devon, we already know that it’s Caroline Voaden and you can help make sure she wins by volunteering here.
d) spread the word!
