A few years ago the Lib Dems seemed to be on the cusp of great things. Controlling Shepway District Council with 29 seats, in the run up to the 2005 national election Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy visited the Folkestone and Hythe constituency in an attempt to unseat Howard.
However, the last few years have been a torrid time for the local Liberal Democrat Party. but locally the group was already in turmoil. A council tax rise of 39%, blamed on the previous Conservative administration leaving the finances in disarray, was capped by the national Government in 2004. Hugely unpopular public toilet closures, intended to save the district money, kept the pressure on and group began to split. Leader Linda Cufley resigned in 2004, and after an interlude current leader Lynne Beaumont took the position in December 2005.
In the national election the Conservative vote held strong against Liberal Democrat Peter Carroll and problems continued. Former Parliamentary Prospective Candidate (PPC) Toby Philpott resigned in May 2007 amid claims of plots and backstabbing. His replacement, Neil Matthews stepped down in October 2009 citing personal reasons. Throughout this time councillors continued to trickle away from the group, and currently there are only six Liberal Democrats on Shepway District Council.
The local group must be hoping for some stability. As PPC, Ms Beaumont has so far played an extremely active role, tweeting, writing and campaigning on a variety of issues. She called for the local party to ‘run the campaign of our lives’ and is leading by example – recently she scored headlines over the issue of waste at Dungeness. The Liberal Democrat tourist-centred vision for the Marsh seems to be flying in the face of popular opinion, but it is a bold move and the Lib Dems and Ms Beaumont are promoting it heavily. Whether any of this pays off in the national vote remains to be seen, especially with Conservative PPC Damian Collins looking almost certain to get the seat.
Ms Beaumont kindly agreed to meet for an interview, and was extremely generous with her time, speaking passionately about local issues and not ducking questions about the group’s much discussed dynamics and changes.
Note - Due to the extreme length I have edited some of the responses. To the best of my ability I have not altered any of the sentiments in any of the answers.
Do you believe the Liberal Democrats could win?
The most important thing is that people must vote. In my view voting should be compulsory and every vote counts. The main problem with politics is the apathy. Nick Clegg has a spark. He absolutely believes in the policies he is standing for and he is not afraid to say precisely what he is standing for. We have said we will cut student fees, and we will. We will phase this in, starting with final year students, but we will do this.
Nick Clegg is largely anonymous – if I showed a picture on the street, would many people recognise him?
I have met all three leaders. Gordon Brown has a charisma and a warmth around him that fills the room. His problem is that this doesn’t come across on TV, he has an incompetent team around him. He shouldn’t get the blame for the recession – thank God Gordon Brown was in power and not David Cameron. David Cameron is not real. He appears airbrushed in posters and the public are sick of it.
Just to expand issue of appearance. The photo you have used to announce your selection is an extremely nice photo – was it professionally done? Why not use a photo from the selection night?
[Laughs] That was not a professionally done photo! My husband (Peter Carroll) took it. There are hundreds of images I could have chosen. I didn’t use one from the selection night as indoor photos come out terribly.
Do you feel you can win the Folkestone and Hythe seat?
For the first election in a long time there is no such thing as a safe seat. Everything I will do is to win this seat. I represent something different, so people will vote differently. Firstly I’m a woman, which might make a difference. I’m local. I chose to move here. Damian Collins is a wannabe MP who lost in Northampton North. He doesn’t care where he lives. I think MPs should give up outside work.
Do you have a job?
I have been a foster-carer and now I am Leader of the Shepway Liberal Democrats. If I had a job I would certainly give it up, no question. Those days are gone and the position requires absolute commitment.
Your initial announcements and declarations as PPC for Folkestone and Hythe make much of standing up for local people and local issues. What local issues will you campaign about?
Well, there are so many big local issues. My top one would be jobs. We need more work here. The high speed rail link is fantastic, but we need to make sure we make the most of that.
You were the only candidate for the PPC post. Was your selection a stitch up?
Absolutely not! The regional party came to me and asked me to parachute into the seat. I said ‘no way!’ I wanted to go through the selection process. The post was advertised nationally and anyone could apply. 3 selection packs for the were sent out, only one was returned. In the meeting, it is possible for people to vote to Re-Open Nominations. There were only two votes to re-open nominations.
Was the hall full? How many people were there?
Well, it was held in the worst snow ever, and Saltwood is not an easy place to get to. I am pleased to say that 30 members of the party made it to Saltwood to vote. Unfortunately we couldn’t wait for better weather as there is a minimum of three weeks notice and we cannot wait that long.
Folkestone and Hythe has always been Conservative. Why do you feel this is?
We live in a traditional Conservative area. I think generational loyalty here is strong. One constituent I spoke to said she had to vote Conservative as if she didn’t her mother would ‘turn in her grave’. Michael Howard has a large personal vote in this area, but it is time to do things differently. East Folkestone is still one of the most deprived areas in the country, even after 26 years.
In the 2005 campaign Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy visited Folkestone and Hythe in an attempt to unseat Michael Howard, yet his share of the vote increased. Why was this?
Folkestone and Hythe was a target Lib Dem seat, but Michael Howard was the Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative spend on this was around half a million pounds.
Folkestone and Hythe is no longer a target seat for the Liberal Democrats. Why is this?
You have to think of it from the national party’s point of view. The Liberal Democrats controlled the council and we were very strong. We had 29 councillors, but not anymore. Since 2003 the trust between the public and the Liberal Democrats has been destroyed by Linda Cuffley, who I was vocal in getting rid of.
One national Liberal Democrat pledge is for transparent local government and in 2009 the Lib Dems repeatedly complained about non-transparent Shepway District Council. Yet Liberal Democrats on District and Town councils repeatedly vote to exclude press and public. Is this transparent?
Do I support transparency in local government? Yes I do. Everything should be open for the world to see, unless it concerns an individual’s or company’s privacy or finances. It is not fair for that information to be in the public domain if dealing with a council. In that case it is necessary to exclude the press and the public.
Both Conservatives and Labour are for capping immigration. Where do you stand on this issue?
I would not cap immigration. Who decides who comes in and out? We have benefitted from immigration; the skills base immigrants give us is huge. We would not have the NHS without immigrants. No one ever talks about emigration – It’s a two way street. The press do not help matters. Several years ago the most common complaint from people on the Marsh was the number of immigrants. How many immigrants are living on the Marsh? Not many. It is just scaremongering.
Often people say that immigrants should stay in the first safe country they cross. How do migrants often pass through several countries before reaching England?
Think about it. If you were fleeing persecution, wouldn’t you go as far away as possible? People say it is for the benefits, but there are better benefits in other European countries. People always ask why it is young men who come here, but again just think about it – young men are often the first people targeted in wars. If they are killed, then rural villages cannot support themselves.
Moving onto this campaign and local issues, some reports have claimed a loss of members that will make it difficult to fight the campaign. Has member ship gone up or down?
There is plenty of support. People are phoning me up offering support. Last week I recruited 6 new deliverers.
Did any join the party? Has the membership gone up or down?
Three joined the party, and I’m sure next week will see more people join. Membership has suffered over the last few years. It is natural to have a fall in membership after an unsuccessful election campaign, and with the other problems people left the party.
You are against Lydd Airport. Wouldn’t an airport be a way of improving the infrastructure of the area for tourists?
The airport is not sustainable. The figures for jobs are all wrong. It will create around 120 low paid jobs. There is no money set aside for the improvement of infrastructure. The masterplan for the airport has not been published and has been hushed up.
The Lib Dems have made clear their vision for the future of the Marsh. Is there local support for this?
Yes there is. What is the alternative? Dungeness C will not happen but no one is putting forward an alternative. It is our responsibility to get jobs on the Marsh, not the national government’s. Where is plan B? I think people will come round to this idea.
The Marsh has been well known for bird watching for many years. Why isn’t there a tourist industry already?
Good question. The Conservatives slashed the funding set aside for advertising the Marsh. The Marsh is well known, but we need a decent plan. It’s about time someone had a vision for the Marsh.
You have recently announced you are concerned about the waste issues around Dungeness. When did you know of these issues?
I first knew two weeks ago. Councillor Richardson says this information was in documents, but we have been looking and can’t find it. This information is not public. When Meridian came to film, the Magnox South representative did not even come and meet them. They just gave a statement that the journalist could not understand.
The Liberal Democrats were heavily involved in the Leas Lift campaign, but the Leas Lift campaign website expressed dissatisfaction that the Lib Dems were not interested once it stopped generating headlines, and felt the Lib Dems were all spin. Is this a fair comment?
No it is not a fair comment. One of the problems is that all discussions are confidential and no one can say anything. I have spoken with the Radnor estate and they tell me the issue is moving. I can’t say too much due to confidentiality but I can say that I have continued to speak with the Radnor Estate. All I care about is the Leas Lift working. As for the issue of spin, Tim Prater, who runs our website, is one of the nicest people I have ever met. He is so careful to give credit where it’s due and fair reports.
Councillors have been crossing the floor since 2003. Doesn’t this show continued problems?
After the tax and toilets lots of people were furious. Then our PPC Toby Philpott resigned, and lots of people thought here we go again. Lots of people who crossed the floor were Toby Philpott supporters. After this, some have been led by the nose. Others have been lured with false promises. I know some councillors want to come back, but think about how it would look if they crossed the floor again. It isn’t going to happen soon but I don’t think the Conservative group will stay as it is.
Can you regain control of the council on 2011?
I think we can. The Conservatives have wasted a lot of money in this area. Car park charges are going up again – it is a matter of raising money by stealth. People will come to realise this.
With that the interview ends and Ms Beaumont, now late for her next appointment, leaves.
Since this interview she has pressed on with promoting the Lib Dem vision for the Marsh. Ms Beaumont is certainly marking out clear differences between herself and Mr Collins, and is best placed to give him a run for his money. It seems impossible that Ms Beaumont will gain the seat in the national election, but there is no such thing as a safe seat in politics.
A more telling election may come in 2011, with elections to the District Council. The council sways between Lib Dem and Conservative Control - If the Lib Dems can put the past behind them, the resurgence might be on.
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