As mentioned last week, I am back in Mid-Cornwall and
looking forward to spending the next few weeks talking to as many local people
and businesses as possible. I have already had a very positive meeting with
local councillors and Cornwall Council for an update on the plans for the £85m
St Austell-A30 link road, and will be holding Meet your MP events in Newquay
next week on the 25th from 6.30pm at the Godolphin Arms and in St
Austell on 2nd October from 6.30pm at the Carlyon Arms in St Austell.
Over the weekend I was a bit taken aback to see the
headlines coming out from the Liberal Democrat conference. This was newsworthy
for all the wrong reasons. They have finally been honest with the public and
admitted that their primary goal is simply to cancel Brexit.
For a party that has the term ‘Democrat’ in its name, making
your primary goal to ignore and revoke the result of the biggest ever vote
probably isn’t a good idea. I know 17.4 million people, including the tens of
thousands of us locally, who aren’t very happy right now, as well as the many more
who just want to see the fair democratic result following 2016’s vote to be
carried out and for us to move on.
The argument from the Lib Dems is that Brexit is the cause
of the current political situation and that the easiest way out of it is to
just call the whole thing of and cancel Brexit. Firstly, as far as I can see it
isn’t Brexit that is the cause of the current chaos but not delivering Brexit.
It is not the fault of the millions who voted to leave, but it is those who
have refused to honour the result and have worked in every way they can to
undermine and thwart a positive outcome.
Any thought that cancelling Brexit will bring an end to the
crisis we find ourselves in is quite simply ridiculous. Trust is already at a
low ebb and for many seeing the result of the referendum just cast aside would
only further damage their already fragile trust in democracy. It would simply
prolong the uncertainty and deepen the divisions. Many people would
understandable feel that the political establishment is set against them and
their votes count for little.
This was swiftly followed by a car crash of an interview
with the Lib Dem candidate for North Devon in which they said, on BBC Radio 4, that
support for Brexit in the area was down to the fact that ‘it’s 98% white’ and ‘they don’t travel a lot’.
They went on to say that ‘I do not link all leave voters to hate crime’, and
even talked about race as another factor.
This is an appalling attitude to people who voted leave for very genuine
reasons and is quite frankly unacceptable.
It is clear that the Lib Dems in the South West view voters
with contempt, believing that they simply know best. It is very sad that a
party that carries the Liberal tradition of David Penhaligon has come to this.
The only way to bring this situation to some sort of closure
is to deliver on the referendum result, leave the EU on 31st October
and get back to Parliament being able to focus on the things the country really
wants us to address. It is quite clear there is only one leader who is
committed to doing that and this is why I am happy to give Boris Johnson my
full support.
My team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and
work hard to make a real difference to the lives of everyone needing support.
The office is open to the public Monday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm (no
appointment necessary). If there is an issue you would like my assistance on
then please, either visit the office or contact me on either 01726 829379 or
office@stevedouble.org.uk. Additionally, I hold regular, appointment only,
advice surgeries across the constituency. Dates of these can be found at: www.stevedouble.org.uk/events
