Plymouth Liberal Democrats

About 250 people attended Luke's 9^th Brexit debate in the Guildhall, which was open to everyone. The MP for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport gave his views, informed us of the current situation, heard a range of opinions and ideas and took questions on all aspects of our changing relationship with Europe.

Tickets are now on sale for our 2018 Christmas raffle draw. You could win one of 30 tremendous prizes, including a £2,000 holiday voucher. Tickets cost just £1.00 each and are also open to family and friends.

The Plymouth Lib Dems is a volunteer run organisation, so the Lib Dem draw is a great way to support us.

Here is a brief summary of the recent party Conference in Brighton, from our local party Chair.

'I spent two days at Conference moving swiftly between the two venues to attend various speeches and learning events. For me the highlights have to be the speeches from three Liberal Democrat MP's.

Tom Brake exposed the chaos surrounding Brexit and encouraged MPs of all persuasions to call for a People's Vote if they saw that their constituents would be harmed by the outcome of negotiations.

Our website has been a little quiet lately, but that is not to say that the Plymouth Lib Dems haven't been busy.

Following an increase in votes at the Stoke by-election in July, we have been putting our plan together for the 2019 local elections (not to mention the ever looming possibility of an early general election). Also, August saw the local party joining up with colleagues from Devon and Cornwall to take part in Plymouth Pride, joining the march and running a stall.

The Plymouth Lib Dems have been out and about in Stoke over the last fews weeks, delivering letters, leaflets and canvassing. Connor has also been addressing local issues from his Facebook page, with a series of videos and other content.

You can find out more by following the link to his Facebook page here here.

Connor Clarke, an ex-pupil of Stoke Damerel Primary School, has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Stoke by-election. Connor, who recently completed his second year at Plymouth University, has lived in Plymouth since he was a boy.

Connor said, "It is humbling to have been selected to fight the by-election on July 26^th for the Liberal Democrats. I lived for over ten years adjacent to Blockhouse Park, in the heart of Stoke, and after Primary School I was fortunate to be a student at Stoke Damerel Community College. I am well aware of the important role our schools have in their communities and how they must receive proper support locally and nationally to continue inspiring our younger generations. It is thanks to my early education and the support I received, that I was able to go to Plymouth University."

On Saturday 30th June some members crossed the River Tamar to meet Wera Hobhouse MP, the LibDem spokesperson on Housing, Communities & Local Government. The event was hosted by SE Cornwall Liberal Democrats and provided an opportunity to exchange ideas with our neighbours and meet the new MP for Bath.

You may have seen on our social media channels that a number of Plymouth Lib Dem members travelled up to London for the People's Vote March on Sat 23rd June.

We joined up with Lib Dem members from across the country to show our support for a vote on the final Brexit deal. Over 100,000 people took part in the march. This included individuals from different political parties and campaigning groups, along with members of the public. A number of speakers addressed crowds at Parliament Square over the course of the afternoon, including Lib Dem leader Vince Cable.

The Lib Dems put on a solid performance in the 2018 local elections, both in Plymouth and across the UK.

We were the only party to make a net gain in the number of councils under our control, gaining Richmond, South Cambridgeshire, Three Rivers, and Kingston upon Thames.

We also successfully held Eastleigh, South Lakes, Sutton, Cheltenham, and Watford.

Our local election campaign has been progressing well over the last few weeks, as the 3rd May approaches. For the first time in several years we have candidates standing in all 19 city wards. We are offering a unique choice for city residents who feel let down by a succession of Tory and Labour controlled councils.