A Lib Dem candidate in Lichfield says he is looking forward to a hustings debate featuring his Reform UK rival.
Candidates standing in the constituency are due to face each other on the campaign trail at the Lichfield Cathedral event on Friday (28th June).
Among them will be Liberal Democrat hopeful Paul Ray, who said he was keen to highlight issues in the national Reform UK plans when he faces their candidate Richard Howard.
He said:
“So Nigel Farage has entered the General Election – and I agree with him on one point that the UK is not working. But he has wrong solutions.
“I say to Reform and to their candidate Richard Howard, bring on the debate. The Lib Dem approach is very different. It’s honest and sound.
“You can only rebuild our economy by fixing our relationship with Europe. We need to bring our communities together and not create division – and we need an honest debate about immigration and have to accept the reality about this issue.
“Yes, we need controls but sensible ones. With our population getting older and massive vacancies in our economy, we need some immigration to run our NHS and businesses.”
Paul Ray
The Liberal Democrat candidate added that he also hoped to see changes to discourage people from crossing the Channel in of gaining asylum in the UK.
“We need a system that sets controls but also clear rules – which is just not the case now.
“We need to restore the safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to apply. Then we will have a system that works so that people do not risk their lives crossing the Channel.
“The Lib Dems offer a different and positive vision compared to the divisiveness of Reform and the Conservatives and I look forward to debating that on Friday.”
Paul Ray
Mr Howard said Reform UK was the only party that could be trusted to deal with immigration.
“In some ways Reform UK agrees with the Lib Dem approach about the Rwanda plan and that honest debate is needed. However, it is only Reform UK that is being both honest and realistic with regard to the immigration issue.
“The Lib Dem manifesto doesn’t want to contain immigration – it wants to increase it by making immigration easier on various levels. This is not in the best interests of our country economically.
“With regard to the economy there are numerous reasons why it is failing, one of which is the half-hearted attempts by the Conservative Government to work with Europe and get Brexit implemented fully.
“Reform UK is the only party committed to getting Brexit done.”
Richard Howard
Seven candidates will stand in the Lichfield constituency:
- Sir Michael Fabricant – Conservatives
- Richard Howard – Reform UK
- Pete Longman – Independent
- John Madden – Independent
- Heather McNeillis – Green Party
- Paul Ray – Liberal Democrats
- Dave Robertson – Labour
Given this is in the ‘House of God’ we can trust then that no lies will be told.
Why is John Madden not listed as an independent on my postal vote form. Is this permissible or not.
@AnnS: Sadly, in my experience, being in the Cathedral does not deter Michael Fabricant from telling lies. I attended a debate there just before the Referendum and pointed out that UK citizens would lose their EU freedom of movement as part of Brexit. Our MP dismissed my argument saying that we would ‘automatically’ remain members of the European Economic Area (EEA) after Brexit and still be free to live, work, train and study throughout the EU/EEA. This was, of course, untrue, and Michael Fabricant would have known this.
It doesn’t matter whether he’s on hallowed ground or speaking in the House, you can’t trust a word the man says.
@Johnneo – Maybe he couldn’t spell it.
He is Not Nigel Farage I met farage
I fryed him fish and chips from my van @ his place in Kensington Nigel not popular with the fish industry
Is Michael Fabricant attending the hustings on the 28th?
There has never been any honest debate about immigration, and certainly not from Farage or any party associated with him. For a start immigration is not a single thing. EU immigration before Brexit was a very different thing to Commonwealth migration to economic migration from the rest of the world to refugees and asylum seekers and illegal immigrants. The reasons for each, the rules around each, the benefits and problems and costs associated with each were all different and they remain different. No-one has ever wanted a grown up conversation that acknowledges that.
Farage admitted after Brexit that the truth did not matter, what mattered was emotion, and so that is what he has always campaigned on. Truth is irrelevant to him. It is what people feel, what people fear that matters.
Democracy only works with an informed population. Unfortunately there’s no money to be made in making sure people are well informed. Tribalism is far more lucrative. Everyone needs an enemy.
@Chris… Your initial paragraph is very measured and sensible but perhaps your follow up reasoning requires more explanation.
Truth can be whatever you want it to be and is often based on contradictory facts. One argument is that immigrants are needed to staff the NHS, the Nursing homes, Leasure Industry, and agriculture. Well yes this may be true but most of these are really looking for cheap labour with no questions asked. Some indeed have been likened to modern slavery. Many ploys, like no contract workforces, have been employed to maximise profits.
Such influx has had the knock of effect of swamping all services. I don’t blame the immigrants. Many Brits have gone abroad to better their life chances, but there has to be control. What the parameters of that control is should be rigorously enforced to cover the many nuances. This is very clearly not happening and, probably, never will be. I rather think the Tories will be glad to be relieved of those decisions.
@chris : I’m sure the people of lichfield, burntwood and the surrounding villages are fully up to date with immigration crisis we don’t need any debates or lectures from the globalists and the Liberal elites. The left and the elites don’t believe in Democracy if they did they would have accepted brexit.
The ‘Liberal Elites’ are back! Always a pleasure to welcome the return of old friends. Can readers of LL thintrk of was a globalist commodities trader and went on to be majority shareholder in a privately owned political party?
When did democracies stop allowing people to change their mind?