By elections are a warning to Tories

To my eyes the beauty of the North Wiltshire countryside is unrivalled. But that of East Devon, home to the Tiverton & Honiton Constituency comes close. I speak with authority. I have seen a lot of it during the historic Lib Dem Parliamentary By-election victory.

The lovely landscape is not the only thing that Tiverton & Honiton and North Wiltshire have in common.

They like we, are battling to defend our countryside from speculative developers egged on by this Government undermining of agreed Neighbourhood Plans designed to meet real local needs and not the vast profit demands of developers.

Like our residents and local businesses, theirs are being hammered by a cost of living crisis that is hitting harder in rural communities. There was much support on the doorsteps for the calls made by Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey last October for a windfall tax on massive energy company profits and interest in Ed's proposal both for a more major cut to fuel duty in rural areas and a VAT cut to bring down prices and put £600 back into the kitty of the average family.

Both our areas also have the highest standing charges for energy supplies, the worst ambulance response times of any part of England as our NHS and social care systems struggle, and suffer a government led by a Prime Minister lacking in any moral authority and judgement.

As their very impressive, newly elected Liberal Democrat MP, Richard Foord said, "We demand better than this" and the return of the "British values of decency and honesty to No.10".

The people of Tiverton and Honiton have spoken. They have created history. Their votes produced the largest overturning of a Conservative majority in modern history.

The people of North Wiltshire now await their chance to speak through the ballot box. But as Richard Foord said to those MPs like James Gray and his Wiltshire colleagues who continue to prop up this dire Prime Minister, you are now warned. The Lib Dems are coming.

Dr Brian Mathew

Lib Dem North Wiltshire Parliamentary Spokesperson

Wiltshire Councillor

Support for strikers doesn't make you a Marxist

So a man who organises a walk out because of poor pay, working conditions and job security is labelled a Marxist in parts of the media - I refer of course to Mick Lynch leader of the RMT union.

I myself support the RMT and any worker who takes strike action and yes I have been on strike myself in my working life does that make me a Marxist, just a thought.

Mark Webb

Old Town

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