Lib Dems “Confident that we can come 3rd….”

Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey has confirmed in a BBC interview that he is confident of them being the 3rd biggest party after the next general election. Sadly, that doesn’t help them in Bridgwater where their candidate has been trying to claim ‘only lib dems can win here’. With the latest polls showing lib dems on just 1% in Bridgwater and a Labour gain, that’s not looking likely. Brian Smedley, Leader of Bridgwater Labour Town Council said “The Tories are sinking fast because everyone wants rid of them. If you want that in Bridgwater you vote Labour. Simple as that.” Meanwhile excitement is mounting in the local labour camp as the long awaited shortlists for selection are about to be unveiled and party members given the green light to select their parliamentary candidate. Which Cllr Smedley described as “about time”.

In the light of recent by election victories Labour’s sights are being refocused on new areas beyond their original target seats and in places like Bridgwater the Tories are getting nervous while the Lib Dems are being, well, ‘the Lib Dems’.

‘Hand Delivered’ Tory flyer ‘factually lacking and incorrect’

Somerset Labour leader cllr Leigh Redman notes “It is really interesting to see the latest flyer from our tory candidate, being delivered to every home by our wonderful postal service. It features comments on local police numbers, well actually Avon & Somerset force numbers to be accurate, with pictures of the candidate meeting with the current police and crime commissioner, interesting to note that the PCC election is this year too, I know that our candidate Clare Moody will be great when she wins in May.

The claim made all over the flyer is that the tories “have hired an extra 588 police in Avon & Somerset”. Depending whose numbers you use that could be read as correct, but what they forget to tell you is that since 2010 the net gain is only 158, because between 2010 and 2019 the had reduced police numbers by 419. In March 2023 there were still only 3343 FTE police officers, with almost as many paid staff.

It is also interesting in the same flyer they seem to have forgotten about ILG, as Sir Ashley is being endorsed by Sir Tom, our current MP does not get a mention, it is as if Ian has never existed (for most constituents that is the case) and they are hoping to gain something from Sir Tom King.

It is also interesting to see that Sir Ashley’s 6 pledges are very different from Rishi’s 6.

The whole leaflet is in UKIP colours and rarely a mention of the ‘Tories’ by name.

So it would appear that the only checkable fact is wrong and the Tories are promising the same old, same old.”

Vote Lib Dem, Get Tory

And what about the Lib Dems? Cllr Redman continues “It gets better. On the Lib Dem candidates web page the normal smoke and mirrors trick is being used to try to fool you. Again we have a selective use of election numbers, because if you check out the online polling, for example Electoral Calculus, the picture is very different. So remember to fact check! In the new Bridgwater and Burnham general election seat, the only way to beat the Tories is to vote Labour”

Cllr Tim Mander (Labour Westover) the Chairman of the new Bridgwater CLP adds “There is no doubt that the new constituency boundaries have for the first time in generations created a real opportunity for Labour. The local constituency party has got a committed group of activists ready and waiting to take on the Tories. All the polling points to a straight fight between Labour and the Conservatives so there is no doubt in my mind if you wanto get rid of the Tories the only option is to vote Labour. Don’t be taken in by Lib Dem dodgy bar charts if you do so you will then wake up the day after the election facing the prospect of yet another Tory MP being elected”