Brian Mathew selected by North Wiltshire Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat members in North Wiltshire have re-selected Brian Mathew as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC). He previously fought the seat in 2015 and 2017.

Writing in public on Facebook, Brian Mathew said:

Some say it will take an earthquake to see the Tories defeated here, I say let us be that earthquake.

We have an electorate that is, I believe, becoming increasingly hungry for a centre ground alternative, as the Brexit shambles continues to unfold.

Many of you marched with me in London and moves are afoot for a people’s vote over the terms of Brexit. I don’t know if we will succeed. But if we don’t, I know there will be thousands here in North Wiltshire and millions across the Country who will wish we had.

The pendulum is moving in our favour. Farmers and businesses locally are openly talking of supporting us, and they should be a major focus of our efforts as we go forward.

Beyond Brexit however is an even greater threat, that of climate change and what is being called the 6th great extinction event. Earlier this week WWF said that 60% of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish have been wiped out since 1970. Friends, “Nature is not a ‘nice to have’ – it’s our life-support system”. And while we are the first generation to know this, we may also be the last generation that can do something about it.

If we remain inside the EU we can bring a wave of change of environmental awareness and action across the continent. But if on March 29th next year we find ourselves outside the EU, then we must still take on climate change, and find home grown solutions that can be exported around the world. To build things like the REEF, the tidal energy scheme that I have promoted for ten years, and would generate more energy than the Hinkley C nuclear plant.

The Conservatives meanwhile look to rely on fracking, turning a blind eye to the climate, as they have done on the economy and Brexit.

On plastic pollution, I went with two of our Wiltshire Councillors recently to visit the Recycling Technologies plant in Swindon a couple of months ago. It is a plant that is turning waste plastic, back into its constituent polymers of wax, and oils. These developments are happening here, and look set to become world beating technologies, not only dealing with the world’s plastic waste, but creating large numbers of jobs in the process. These are the things we must run with!

In my manifesto I said Our Future, Your Choice. I meant this to be more than a slogan for this selection campaign. I mean it to be a rallying cry for the campaign that I want to lead, with all of you, by my side, a win for the people of North Wiltshire, and the Country beyond.

We have so much to do, and so much yet to achieve together, let’s do it!

Thank you.

There’s a full list of Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate selections so far here.

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