Meet Richard Flowers, our City and East London Candidate for the 2020 GLA Elections. We've asked Richard for an insight into his busy life campaigning for the Liberal Democrats locally, in London and nationally.
Campaign Update – City and East London
By Richard Flowers, GLA 2020 Candidate, City and East London
We started the month with our City and East Campaign GLA 2020 Launch event at the Tokenhouse in the City, bringing together members from across the whole of City & East – City of London, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Barking & Dagenham.
I set out how every vote counts in this election and that we have a real chance of seeing Siobhan Benita as London’s first Liberal Democrat Mayor.
Our campaign aims are to talk about our Liberal Values to find new voters, to grow and strengthen our local parties, and to get set for the next round of London local elections in 2022.
Our launch was quickly followed by the announcement that Chukka Umunna would be contesting the seat of Cities of London & Westminster for the Lib Dems. I joined Chukka at his launch event and we are hoping to set up campaigning opportunities together.
Parliament returned on 3rd September only to be told the government were going to shut it down again for five weeks. Unlawfully, as the Supreme Court would later rule. I joined Helen Cross of London Region and hundreds of others protesting outside Downing Street.
While Parliament was suspended, the Liberal Democrat Conference went ahead.
The conference highlight was the vote on the Party’s updated Europe policy - to campaign to revoke Article 50, either by winning a People’s Vote Referendum or in the event of the Lib Dems winning a general election.
I worked with Alisdair Calder McGregor to amend the motion to include mention of the Liberal Values being why we campaign to remain in Europe. In a packed debate, I didn’t get to speak, but recorded the speech outside the conference centre later.
London Mayoral Candidate Siobhan Benita delivered a powerful speech drawing on her background and experience and how she will be campaigning on our values: “immigration is good” and “no child should be permanently excluded”.
I did get to speak on the motion to curb the powers of the Home Secretary to take away the citizenship of people deemed a “threat”. This illiberal power was brought in by New Labour, who promised it would be rarely used, but has seen a huge increase with over 100 people stripped of British citizenship in the last year, including the notorious case of Shamima Begum from East London.
Other policies agreed include decarbonising our power, transport and industry; scrapping benefit sanctions; ending no fault eviction; making further steps to equal marriage – including an inspired speech from my husband Alex.
Key Events
Campaign launch
- Chukka Umunna for Cities of Westminster and London
Liberal Democrats Bournemouth Conference - London
- Siobhan speech
- Richard speech
Local Campaigning
GLA Action Days: Putney, Greenwich, Maryland
- Delivering letters with Jo’s message to target voters
- Delivering Siobhan’s Hope leaflets
- London Assembly surveying talking about our values
Would you like to support the Liberal Democrats Campaigning in Newham, Barking and Dagenham?
Learn more about Richard Flowers, GLA Candidate, 2020
Learn more about Siobhan Benita, London Mayoral Candidate, 2020
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