Honiton: Lib Dem leader declares they are the ‘only contenders’ in by-election at campaign launch

Sir Ed Davey and the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Honiton and Tiverton by-election, Richard Foord, were in Honiton this afternoon to mark the start of their campaign.

Ed Davey told Nub News: "People here are very clearly saying that only the Liberal Democrats can beat the Conservative. We are the challengers, and everyone is saying it."

Richard Foord has been declared as the candidate for the upcoming by-election, which is scheduled for June 23. It was triggered by the resignation of Neil Parish who admitting to watching pornography in the House of Commons. 

Foord spoke to Nub News outside the new Liberal Democrat office in Honiton. "I think we have an opportunity to send a message to Boris Johnson's government that we are not going to put up with their incompetence anymore.

"Devon has been Tory in these parts for so long that the government has got complacent and has chosen to take Devon for granted. They need an MP who takes the time to listen to concerns of voters on the doorstep and that is what people want, regardless of party."

Ed Davey meeting the owner of C.H. Baker and Sons

The Liberal Democrats have set up a new campaign office on the high street and today it was the centre of activity for the party. There was a lively atmosphere as supporters, volunteers, families and even dogs waited outside to see the two politicians and show their support.

Davey and Foord walked the length of the high street and visited Coffee#1, C.H. Baker and Sons and The Honiton Dairy ice-cream shop, which they discovered is sadly set to close this year after almost 100 years of trading. They spoke to the shop owners about the challenges of running a small business through the pandemic and their rising costs.

A lively atmosphere outside the Lib Dem campaign office

The two men seemed in excellent spirits as they chatted to local residents, and they even enjoyed an ice-cream in the sunshine. One local mum approached Davey and asked him to hold her daughter for a photo, which he happily did.

A former Major, Foord left the army in 2010 after ten years' service. He served in the Iraq and the Balkans and received three campaign medals. Since leaving, he has been working at universities, including Exeter. He lives in Uffculme with his wife and family.

"I draw my values from growing up around here, and then being in the army. These are values of service to your community, a can-do attitude and self-sacrifice. These principles are important for a constituency MP and I think that they'll strike a chord with people."

Family fun an the Lib Dem campaign launch

Asked which issues he thinks are the most important for Honiton, Foord told Nub News: "The cost of living, where food and fuel are spiralling out of control. Secondly, this area has the longest ambulance waiting times in the country and that is for things that need urgent treatment.

"We are seeing government underfunding of the ambulance service and bed blocking. We would set up a special ambulance fund and the government can afford to do this."

Commenting on East Devon's housing problem, Foord said: "We do need new housing, and the Liberal Democrats are supportive of that. It's good for the economy and it brings down the price of houses.

"But we must be judicious about where we put that housing, and what we've seen lately is the expansion of towns like Axminster and Seaton, without the careful planning and without use of brownfield sites first.

"Of course, saving up for a house takes a long time, and when the cost of living is going up, it is that much harder. That's why we are advocating cutting VAT by 2.5%, which would put £600 straight into people's pockets. We know the government can afford to do it, but they're not doing it and they're not taking any other action."

After their walk-about the politicians stood outside the new Liberal Democrat office and made speeches to the gathered crowd and media, having to raise their voices over supportive tooting horns and a supporter's dog who barked throughout.

Ed Davey has thrown his support behind Foord, and he is confident that together they can take Honiton and Tiverton. "Foord put himself forward and we thought, wow, what a great candidate. He lives in the constituency with his wife and kids, he knows the area well.

"His profile fits the area. He's a west country lad, ex-military and is a very thoughtful and sensible person who wants to represent the interests of the voters.

"We've got momentum at the moment. If we're successful here, people will get a local champion, someone who doesn't just do what Boris Johnson says. Someone who'd be independent minded and a champion of this rural community."

Richard Foord has previously stood as the Lib Dem candidate against Liam Fox in North Somerset in the 2017 general election. He came third after Labour.

Davey said the number one issue for voters is the cost-of-living crisis. "People are thinking about the cost-of-living crisis: they want to know what we are going to do for them and their families. I was the first British MP to ask for a windfall tax for the oil and gas companies and the government are still dithering.

Asked by Nub New for his thoughts on the Prime Minister after a fractious encounter in the House of Commons on Thursday, Davey was clear. "I don't like him. And I say that with sadness, because I have respected every single Prime Minister in my lifetime, but I can't respect Boris Johnson.

"He has lost the moral right to lead our country. He's broken the law that he wrote. He's lied on an industrial scale to Parliament, and he sets a poor example of how people should behave. And frankly, he is incompetent.

"Winning here would send reverberations around Westminster and it would force the government to listen to people."