Many thanks to all voted for me
I AM writing to thank all those who voted for me in the General Election.
The Lib Dem vote more than doubled, despite the tactical vote organisations asking our supporters to vote for another candidate.
Obviously I and my supporters regret the national result, not least because it will result in this country leaving the EU and thereby ceasing to have an influential place in the world and putting our economy at risk.
I fought this campaign on :
The NHS and Social care crisis. Particularly the collapse in the Mental health service.
The funding of schools, colleges and life long learning. I am particularly concerned about the scandal of excessive pay for heads of Multi-Academy Trusts, some earn £300,000 a year, when their Special Needs classes are taught by teaching assistants.
The disgraceful Universal Credit system, where claimants have to wait 5 weeks for money, causing suffering and reliance on food banks. The Resolution foundation says that government policies will result in the highest childhood poverty in 60 years.
The increase in Homelessness.
The Climate change crisis.
To stop Brexit.
PM Johnson has 60 per cent of the seats in Parliament, albeit with only 43 per cent of the country voting for his party, he has no excuses for not dealing with these critical challenges.
He has five years of untrammelled power, to address these challenges and to ensure his Brexit is not the disaster I fear it will be.
If he succeeds then he deserves our gratitude, if he fails he will have proven to be the duplicitous showman we all feared him to be.
Finally I would like to thank my fellow candidates, for a campaign conducted with decency and in a friendly and polite way.
Ian Sharpe Lib Dem PPC 2019 General Election.