Taunton Labour Party have selected Liam Canham as their parliamentary candidate in the next election. Born and raised in Taunton Deane, living in and attending school in Wellington and living in Taunton for the past 10 years, Liam says he is immensely passionate about standing up for the area and ensuring that it receives proper and effective representation.
Liam says “I have spent the majority of my career working in the public sector, predominantly within the field of social housing and local authority service. As a result, I have seen first hand the damage that core Tory policies, such as welfare reform and wider austerity, have had upon our community. I also have experience volunteering with the Police across Somerset as a Special Constable and until recently served on the Board of Trustees of a homelessness charity in Taunton. Again these experiences have brought me face to face with the resulting consequences of years of Tory austerity, which has adversely affected resources within the public sector to provide fit and proper services such as Adults and Children’s Social Care, a well functioning healthcare system and good quality ‘affordable’ housing to name but a few.
I joined the Labour Party approximately 4 years ago following my leaving the Police, having been a supporter of the Party’s values for a number of years. Whilst originally I had not planned to take such an active role both within politics and in the party, in those 4 years I have already stood for election both with County and District elections. This has been as a result of our poor representation within Taunton Deane, both from our MP and our Council and the feeling that the people of Taunton Deane deserves better.
When I look back through the history of Labour governments and the achievements that have been realised, from the establishment of the NHS, ending of the death penalty, the establishment of the Open University (of which I myself am currently benefiting from) and the introduction of the national minimum wage, I feel a sense of sorrow as to where the Tories have taken us over the past 9 years. However, this sorrow ignites a fire within me to fight for the investment in people, investment in services and investment within the country.
I am extremely proud and indeed humbled to be chosen as the representative for Taunton Deane and vow to do my utmost to fight for Labour representation of Taunton Deane and indeed a Labour government.”
Hi Liam. I’m not sure if you will see this but hopefully you will! Although I don’t feel like I know enough about politics, what I do know is the there is a hugggee political generation gap and we need to address it. how can we find ways to get the older generation to see why so many of us want a labour government over tory. i read this article today about it and i just feel that there needs to be a campaign that is neutral and explains the gap and the reasons why we have different political views in different generations! it needs to be easily accessible info as all people see is what is on the news and we all know it is to benefit the tories.
Can I potentially ask, that you are willing to start up some kinda digital campaign to speak to young people /older people ahead of the election and gain traction. I haven’t seen anything on social media about you standing for labour in taunton and it is info that I want to share with my family etc – anything digital you could do would be amazing!
hope to see something soon :) and best of luck
Dear Liam
I do appreciate how hard this will be for you
however
I am emailing this morning the day after the announcement of a General Election to beg the local parties in Taunton to combine in a Remain Alliance to defeat the Rexiteer Rebecca Pow.
I have been in a steady correspondence with her from the days when she was a Remainer, through the days when she completely switched to being a Mayist and more latterly as she has loyally followed the most scandalous and duplicitous Boris.
This is a classic seat where only a Remain Alliance candidate can defeat a good constituency MP now widowed – who will have a personal following but has steadfastly become a Brexiteer of a fairly extreme kind and will not under any circumstances support a second Referendum.
The wedges of Labour and Green (and Change UK?) votes prevent the only possible outcome of a normal poll of the Lib Dem candidate winning.
Nothing is more important than a confirmatory Referendum – Remain or Brexit – Only the People can confirm or reverse the earlier Referendum – Only by this means can there be some hope of bringing our poor divided country back together again
The Lib Dem policy of abandoning a second Referendum if they were to be a majority Lib Dem Government is a disaster for a Candidate in Taunton as most soft Remainers here are Tories who are committed to the idea that because the people spoke once we must do what they said back in 2016.
Ideally such a Candidate should stand on the following Platform
A renegotiated deal but whatever happens a second referendum on any deal
A commitment to provide a full constituency service with all the relevant party structures in support
A commitment to sit as an Independant Remain Alliance MP but to consult on other legislation with all the parties who support locally
The brave and unusual thing to do would be to make a commitment separately to consult with the losing Tory organisation as a subsidiary commitement as a mark of a willingness to try to work together on all things other than the Brexit position above, (this could be very attractive to switchover Remain Tory voters)
A commitment to stand down and force a by-election with all candidates, ideally without the proposed MP, the moment the Brexit matter is resolved and we are either out or in
Finally the ideal candidate for such a position would be Jeremy Brown, who had a strong personal following previously, and who would be known to have retired and therefore not seek to extend his tenure by some later device, and who knows the ways of Parliament and can therefore hit the ground running in terms of working as an MP. I have no idea what he is now doing but if at all possible he should be approached.
Please imagine the impact of the three candidates, Green, Labour, and Liberal Democrat ( 4 if Change Uk stand) supporting such a candidate at Hustings and calling for a vote to remain/have a second referendum for the healing of the country and the defeat of a Rexiteer.
Please please put personal ambition aside and do this
with all best wishes
(and a willingness to come out and work for such a candidate despite being extremely busy as a self employed businessman)
Alex Welby
RA.L. Welby
The Stable at the Lawn
Dipford
Trull
Taunton
Somerset
TA3 7NR