You may be aware of a story in the media suggesting that the Liberal Democrats have stood down for Labour in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport. Naturally, this has attracted questions, so we are making this statement to clarify our position.

At the start of the General Election campaign, the Plymouth Liberal Democrats Executive decided that the best use of our resources was to campaign in seats where we either have a chance of returning a Liberal Democrat MP, or where we can challenge a sitting MP who supports Brexit. Consequently, we have not run a campaign on the ground in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport. Instead we have focused on South West Devon, Plymouth Moor View, and neighbouring seats; particularly Totnes. The Liberal Democrat candidate, Graham Reed, is standing in Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, so that voters are provided with the opportunity to vote for the Liberal Democrats.

In addition to our local campaigning activity, Lib Dems from Plymouth and South West Devon have been sending out teams to help the campaigns in seats across the South West. In particular, we have been helping the excellent Sarah Wollaston, so that she is re-elected as the Lib Dem MP for Totnes, but we have also had members visiting seats such as St Ives and North Cornwall. Here are a few recent photos from the campaign trail.

The Lib Dem campaign in South West Devon has made fantastic progress. Sima and her team have been out campaigning with local party members and supporters. Lots of leaflets have been delivered, lots of great conversations with local residents have taken place, and lots of battling the elements has been necessary during this winter election! With two weeks to go, our team is still hard at work.

Sarah Martin is standing against the Conservatives, in Plymouth Moor View, as the voice of remain. Under the Conservatives, our economy will be hit by a damaging Tory Brexit. Furthermore, our public services are underfunded, and not enough is being done to tackle the climate emergency. The Liberal Democrats have a deliverable plan to solve these issues build a brighter future. Read Sarah's leaflet below to find out more.

Lib Dems have been out across South West Devon supporting your local Parliamentary candidate Sima Davarian. Not only will Sima make an excellent MP, but a vote for the Lib Dems is a vote to stop Brexit, solve the climate emergency, and rescue the NHS. It's been fantastic to see so many members and supporters joining the campaign, and we look forward to sharing more news via our website and social media channels.