On the Front Line of the Election

I was privileged to campaign with the Liberal Democrats this weekend, which as one of the youngest in my year, meaning I will narrowly miss out on the eligible voting age for this election, I feel gives me a much needed voice in an election that will have an astronomical impact on my future. I was welcomed by a warm campaign team, who were working tirelessly on their weekend to fight the Liberal and European fight, and I was struck by the trust that the campaign team placed in me, a child, to take a role in leaflet delivery. Fitting for a party that campaign for votes at 16.

Poplar and Limehouse. My London constituency with a 67% Remain vote and a Labour MP who followed Jeremy Corbyn’s line and voted in favour of Article 50 in the relevant parliamentary election. Perfect territory for the Liberal Democrats to target in order to improve on the 2’149 votes they received from the constituency in 2015, and overturn a Labour’s 17’000 vote majority in the seat to deliver a blow to Theresa May’s Brexit government. It sounds like a tall order, and under normal circumstances it almost certainly would be. But this is a Brexit election in a constituency where the businessmen of Canary Wharf fear the full force of its impact, while those living with the highest rate of poverty in London see the Labour party as hapless and the Conservatives as heartless.

Make no mistake; this is a winnable seat for the Lib Dems on paper, but this cannot match the spirit shown this weekend at the Tower Hamlets Lib Dems office, with more and more of the boroughs 700+ members signing up to volunteer, the party is becoming increasingly visible and rapidly creeping upon the Labour heartland. Over 1’500 leaflets were delivered by a team of just myself and two other fellow “Remoaners”, not to mention the endless canvassing that the bearer of the yellow rosette, Elaine Bagshaw completed in the week. So much was achieved, that the Tower Hamlets took a well earned break from campaigning in the East of the city, and head down South to campaign for Sarah Olney, the victor of the Richmond Park by-election in December, that ended Zac Goldsmith’s political career and kick started the Lib Dem fight back.

If anything is going to deliver a blow to the Conservatives in an election that they expect to take in a landslide, it is grassroots campaigning from willing, passionate volunteers a there is certainly only one party in Poplar and Limehouse at least, who are managing to recruit so many. I truly believe that the Tower Hamlets Lib Dems will give Elaine Bagshaw a new job in Westminster after June the 8th and I will proudly continue to campaign to give the Remain voting seat a Liberal voice.