Former Lib Dem Councillor says “Vote Fergie”

I am very grateful to receive this wonderful endorsement from my friend Simon Harries, who was, until May, a Liberal Democrat Councillor in East Cambs:

I am supporting @borofergie in the election. As this has caused some concern in my own party I want to explain why. Short thread. FPTP fosters a Manichean duality between Big Blue and Big Red. Nuanced views tend to be crushed in between them. And I do get it.

Without parties we would not have scale, resource, investment in policy. Without party discipline we would have a certain amount of anarchy. And yet- We are missing two vital points about democracy here. 1st, we do need MPs whose motivation is to represent their electors.

To be truly a voice of their own locality. I realised how vital this was when listening to @lucyfrazermp at 2019 hustings and noting how like a junior executive she was. Loyal to the boss, not to the people. 2nd, we need a diversity of opinion.

As a country we are dominated by “either/or” in a World of immense complexity, where nothing is black or white, or red/blue, for that matter.

There has to be a future in which diversity and accountability to the electors are priorities. Look at where party discipline has got us so far. Nothing to boast of, is it?

I’d like to free us all from FPTP and enable everyone to be heard and to vote for the ideas they truly believe in. Till then. I suggest people give @borofergie their vote and offer the parachuted-in main party candidates a lesson in the need to dig roots and truly represent the people. END