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Voters and candidates in the normally quiet county of Mid-Bedfordshire are at a loss as to how to prepare for a by-election that hasn’t technically taken place yet.
Nadine Dries, who has served in the same constituency since 2005, announced her resignation “with immediate effect” two weeks ago after being given the title in the resignation honors of Boris Johnson.
Except she hasn’t actually quit yet. Mr Dries hopes to use her position as MP to obtain information as to why she was denied a seat in the House of Lords, and the procedures necessary to initiate her by-election are currently underway. Running late.
But that hasn’t stopped opposition candidates from rushing to campaign for her replacement. The Liberal Democrats, who are eyeing the seat, printed the leaflets and distributed them in mailboxes within 12 hours of her announcement.
Locals in Ampthill, a town of about 8,000 in the heart of the seat, didn’t seem too disappointed by Ms Dries’ resignation, with many questioning her effectiveness as a local councilor.
“She had it [TalkTV] there was a show and it was on i am a celebrityBut I don’t remember hearing her talk about problems in the area,” said one.
Whitehall officials are said to view former culture secretary Dries as one of the best cabinet ministers to work with.
But its components are I Listeners were less confident that Mr. Dries would stand up for their interests, describing him as “useless” and a “dumb councillor.”
Some people didn’t realize she hadn’t stepped down yet, with some labeling her stay “really selfish.”
“I tried to talk to her, but she never agreed,” said a local manager who requested anonymity. I.
They are outraged by the fact that Mid Bedfordshire, which has so far only returned Conservative MPs, is seen as a ‘safe place’, which means politicians aren’t investing as much in the area. He added that he felt it meant
When the by-election finally arrives, the Liberal Democrats, who are looking to move from third to first in their constituency, want to capitalize on just this kind of local dissatisfaction.
“For the people of Bedfordshire, it’s time to send the message that they want a local champion,” said party leader Sir Ed Davey. I When visiting Midbed.
“They want someone who knows the area and can fight their lawsuit and stand behind them. yeah.”
Sir Ed claimed he was “confident” that his party would win the seats, as they did in the recent by-elections in Tiverton, Honiton and North Shropshire.
But he denied that the Liberal Democrats’ performance was due to “voter outcry” and anger at the Conservative government, and dismissed the idea that the party would lose those seats in the next election.
“What the Conservatives sometimes don’t understand is that protest votes can be turned into positive votes,” continued Lord Ed.
“I feel like this is one of those moments, but I doubt the Conservatives will catch up in the next election.”
Emma Holland-Lindsey, a local councilor and eventual Liberal Democrat candidate for a by-election, said in the region “clearly people feel that the Conservatives have let them down for too long”. Stated.
“They feel they don’t have the voice they deserve locally and in parliament, and people want change. I’m here to help.”
Issues spoken by Ampthill voters I They would have liked Ms Dollys to speak out on issues ranging from pressure on local schools and general practitioners to operate, to support for post-Brexit farmers and transport.
Many of these issues were frequently raised by Ms Dollies before she took office in 2019, including the debate she called for step-free access at Flitwick Station and the provision of primary care in Ampthills. .
But as one local Liberal Democrat activist pointed out, Drews He has not spoken once in the House of Representatives since he left office last September.has voted only four times since then.
One potential problem for the Liberal Democrats, who are now the front-runners to win the seat, is that their efforts could split the vote with Labor and lead to a victory for the Conservatives.
Lord Ed, who has repeatedly ruled out a deal with Labor to take the Conservatives’ seats in the next election, said: I Tactical voting is likely to play a big role in both this by-election and future polls.
“I think there will be more tactical voting in 2024 than there have been in about 20 years, but the voting model doesn’t take that into account,” the Liberal Democrat leader said.
But Labor candidate Alistair Strathairn has suggested that his Liberal Democrat rivals may have “misread” the area.
“They don’t have an established base here. He said, referring to
“The Labor Party has been doing much better here lately. As you can see from the billboards all over town, it’s not only the best place to make a difference, but the practical solutions they really want. I think people are becoming more and more aware that it is Labor who have the agenda.”
But she agreed with the Liberal Democrats about Ms Dries’ track record in the region, saying voters “would have felt how absent their representatives were for most of her time in parliament.” ‘, claimed to have been asked.
“Even when she’s on, i am famous that, upon moving to the Cotswolds, she did not stand up for them in parliament, even though she was a Member of Parliament, and did not attend to truly understand their problems and concerns; people know well. “
He accused the Conservatives of treating Mid Bedfordshire as “a playground rather than a place where people’s hopes, lives and aspirations depend”.
Mr Strathairn also suggested Mr Dries’ efforts to delay the by-election would benefit Labor as it would give them more time to campaign.
“It’s frustrating that we can’t have an election soon, but these conversations have been really productive,” he said.
“So the more time we spend talking to people in Mid Bedfordshire, the more confident we are.”
Dries and the Conservative Party were asked for comment.