Could You Be Another Sarah Olney?

December

2

17 comments

A year and a half ago Sarah Olney  wasn’t involved in politics. Sarah only joined the Lib Dems after the last general election, and last night she became our newest MP. As the Political Betting website comments here:

That’s a fantastic result for the yellows and a tragic result for Zac Goldsmith who, of course, was beaten in the London Mayoral race last May.

The seat has, of course, been LD territory in the past and the party has flung everything at it. This has been a huge campaign which I said at the start was an absolute must win for them.

The result cuts Theresa May’s majority by 2 to a theoretical 10.

There was much scepticism when the LDs produced vote projections in the past few days showing they were in the lead. Well these have been proved right.

The main point we’d like to say tonight is that there are plenty of potential Sarah Olneys in our area – we see them on the doorstep and we chat about issues with them over coffee.  They are  women – and men – who share our concerns about local, social and political issues but lead busy lives and haven’t found time yet to get involve with us “yellows”.

Our membership is already growing locally but hopefully last night’s result will encourage a few more people to think “I could do what Sarah Olney’s done….” You might not get into  parliament – but you could get into the council chamber , or to County Hall…

About the author, admin

  • If some of the local electorate don’t like the result can they go on and on trying to overturn it. I thought that was LD policy now, just like Cleggy and the Brexit vote. Luckily for us he is a complete irrelevance as proved at the last election, mind you, it’s a wonder he’s not challenging that….

  • Cynics sneer, but women and men who stand up for what they believe in really can make a difference. That is why the Lib Dems welcome the do-ers, even if that doing is only an hour every month or two. It’s fun to do things, to make a difference. If you are like minded why not contact us?
    Steve Tellis
    Local Lib Dems
    Email: stephent53@hotmail.com

  • Now now Oz , you must accept that we no longer live in a democracy –
    You can afford to give the plebs a token vote because if you don’t like
    the result , you can change it.
    Sorry Admin I will not be taking up the ‘yellow’ , your Leader has turned
    me right off , his “we know better than you ” stance is so patronising .

    • Jim, I understand where you are coming from, and I expect that Brexit will happen sooner or later. But what kind of Brexit is still very uncertain. A lot of the Lib Dem voters last week were actually previously Tory voters who voted to leave, but were unhappy at the kind of Hard Brexit now being discussed.

  • Admin – I agree , and the fact that we don’t know underlines how out-dated ,
    out of touch and self-serving our system of governance is ( at all levels ) . The
    Government ( Tory/LibDem Alliance ) offered an ill defined Referendum because they thought it was a no brainer ( remain outcome ) , the actual
    result illustrating just how out of touch the Westminster Elite ( and their Toady District Councils ) are with the electorate.
    Tinkering around the edges will not suffice, we need radical change , starting
    with actually ruling ourselves , not a dictate from a failing project – which just encourages extremes ( left and right )….

  • I think people will do what they think is right. Obviously we accept what the majority have said, also that the Conservative government, apparently with Labour party support, appear to be carrying out Brexit. However it is reasonable for the Lib Dems to question and challenge the arrangements if they think things are not right or if problems are being covered up.

  • I will be very frank , I am worried as to where we are headed in this world –
    history tends to repeat itself albeit in slightly different guises.
    In 1929-30 the world economics crashed ( a bit similar to 2008 ) , it was followed by years of austerity in Europe/UK ( sound familiar ? ) that gave rise
    to the right wing ( Facists ) in Germany , Italy and Spain ( and Vichy France ) –
    have you spotted the pattern yet …..
    Back then we adopted ‘ appeasement ‘ for Hitler and ‘ non-intervention’ in
    Spain , that encouraged Germany & Italy to back Franco’s coup and takeover of the legitimate government of Spain ( 1936-39 ) , look what happened next!!.

    My point is the EU is’nt working well , it needs to be faced up to and sorted out in order to avoid the extremists offering the only apparent way out for many –
    but like all institutions it becomes self-important and does’nt even recognize the core issue. We need to dictate our own future , not become a casualty –
    yes it will be difficult , but there is a world outside the EU and we need to be part of it – as in the past appeasement ( of Europe ) does’nt work.

    • Added to that Jim , most people have access to the internet,and so have access to a vast world of information – and yet more and more and people are getting their news from friend’s posts on facebook, If you don’t like a friends politics , you unfriend them, so you only end up hearing one point of view. Plus modern debate is becoming more brutal … don’t like someone? Threaten them 🙁

      At a time when people need a fully-informed worldview, they are getting an unbalanced one.

      • I was 70 last month , and in my lifetime the change has been extensive , rapid and is accelerating – I firmly believe that our institutions have been left behind
        and are out of date.
        By that I mean our system of governance , from Parliament / House of Lords
        back through various levels of Councils – antiquated / inefficient and far too comfortable.
        The public at large instinctively know this ,hence the disconnect between the
        politicians and electorate -underlined by examples of incompetence on a weekly basis ( both nationally and locally ).
        Let’s start with the “affordable housing ” concept , the average level of “affordable” being twice what young people can afford via a mortgage -fact.

  • Hypocrisy at its best from the Lib Dems…they don’t like the result of the referendum and are protesting but….at the last election Clagg & co jumped into bed with the Tories to form a coalition. A government not one single person in the U.K. voted for, didn’t hear many protests then. Thank goodness we have PM May in charge, a leader with a bigger pair than Clagg & Cameron put together.

  • And, if you are interested here is the list of Lib Dems who voted against government re: Brexit. ( you know, the democratic vote..,)

    Liberal Democrat

    Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland)

    Nick Clegg (Sheffield Hallam)

    Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale)

    Sarah Olney (Richmond Park)

    Mark Williams (Ceredigion)

  • James, you are so right. If you ever move in the future I shall look forward to seeing your house price massively reduced to allow others, who may be on less income than you, the chance to buy it……or does that only apply to other people’s properties.

  • {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}
    >