East Surrey MP Sam Gyimah and popular local campaigner and Parliamentary Candidate Paul Kennedy have launched the Liberal Democrat snap general election campaign in Mole Valley at the Barn Hall in Bookham.

The Mole Valley seat is expected by experts to be a close fight between Paul Kennedy and the Conservatives after the Liberal Democrats took control of the District Council and topped the poll in the European elections in May.

Sam Gyimah said, “We will be fighting the election as the strongest party of Remain. We are excited to be taking our positive, pro-European, liberal vision to the country and are real contenders to win the Mole Valley Constituency having topped the poll here in the European elections in May.

“We continue to support a Peoples’ Vote now that electors know the detail of the Withdrawal Agreement but if we secure an overall majority we will regard this as a mandate to revoke Article 50.”

Paul Kennedy added, “We also have a clear programme to stand up for Mole Valley residents:
• to protect our Green Belt from development except on land that no longer meets the function of the Green Belt and where residents support the development;

• to oppose additional runways at both Gatwick and Heathrow with the flightpaths for both airports routed over the area;
• to provide fairer funding for our health service, schools and the police;
• to build affordable housing for local residents to buy or rent;
• to take urgent action to tackle climate change; and
• to promote the local economy to boost jobs and businesses.”

Paul Kennedy, who is a senior member of the Liberal Democrat team on Mole Valley District Council, has also played a leading role in a number of successful campaigns in our area over the last year including our campaign to keep the Dorking Tip open and reopen the Leatherhead Tip on Fridays, to save the Performing Arts Library from closure, to maintain services at all our local hospitals, and to prevent unacceptable development in the Green Belt.