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| Second Lib Dem threatens to stand down in marginal seat | Second Lib Dem threatens to stand down in marginal seat |
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| Guy Kiddey ‘appalled’ at action being taken by party against ex-Canterbury candidate | Guy Kiddey ‘appalled’ at action being taken by party against ex-Canterbury candidate |
| A Liberal Democrat candidate in a marginal Derbyshire seat has threatened to stand down if the party does not drop disciplinary proceedings against his “noble” colleague who withdrew his candidacy to help Labour in Canterbury. | A Liberal Democrat candidate in a marginal Derbyshire seat has threatened to stand down if the party does not drop disciplinary proceedings against his “noble” colleague who withdrew his candidacy to help Labour in Canterbury. |
| Guy Kiddey, the party’s candidate in the High Peak constituency, said he wanted to show solidarity with Tim Walker, who on Tuesday announced he would not stand in the Canterbury seat in order to avoid the “nightmare” of handing the constituency back to the Conservatives. | Guy Kiddey, the party’s candidate in the High Peak constituency, said he wanted to show solidarity with Tim Walker, who on Tuesday announced he would not stand in the Canterbury seat in order to avoid the “nightmare” of handing the constituency back to the Conservatives. |
| Kiddey, a former Economist journalist who works in corporate communications, said if he campaigned hard in High Peak he would split the vote and the Conservative candidate would win. Labour’s Ruth George was a surprise victor in 2017 when she took the seat from the Tories on a 7% swing, with a 2,322 majority. | Kiddey, a former Economist journalist who works in corporate communications, said if he campaigned hard in High Peak he would split the vote and the Conservative candidate would win. Labour’s Ruth George was a surprise victor in 2017 when she took the seat from the Tories on a 7% swing, with a 2,322 majority. |
| He said he had been appalled to receive an email on Tuesday night from James Gurling, the chairman of the Lib Dem election campaign. He wrote to inform candidates that “disciplinary action” had been instigated against Walker. | He said he had been appalled to receive an email on Tuesday night from James Gurling, the chairman of the Lib Dem election campaign. He wrote to inform candidates that “disciplinary action” had been instigated against Walker. |
| “I was, and am, appalled at this response. So is my now former election agent, who has resigned from the Lib Dems. This means that I am, in the absence of a replacement, not legally able to stand as a candidate in High Peak in the coming election, as I do not wish to be my own agent,” Kiddey said in a statement. | “I was, and am, appalled at this response. So is my now former election agent, who has resigned from the Lib Dems. This means that I am, in the absence of a replacement, not legally able to stand as a candidate in High Peak in the coming election, as I do not wish to be my own agent,” Kiddey said in a statement. |
| “I will not seek this replacement unless the party retracts its implicit threat to candidates, drops its intended disciplinary proceedings against Mr Walker, and apologises unreservedly. I doubt it will, in which case I too will stand down and resign my membership tomorrow [Thursday], and I will vote Labour.” | “I will not seek this replacement unless the party retracts its implicit threat to candidates, drops its intended disciplinary proceedings against Mr Walker, and apologises unreservedly. I doubt it will, in which case I too will stand down and resign my membership tomorrow [Thursday], and I will vote Labour.” |
| Kiddey said that there were many other Lib Dem candidates standing in marginal seats who felt the same as he did. “We are all as torn as Tim Walker, but none of us is as noble,” he said. “I’ve never met Mr Walker but, as a distant colleague, I stand by him and his decision to stand down.” | |
| Kiddey said that, although he could probably achieve the Lib Dem’s best ever vote in the High Peak seat if he campaigned hard, perhaps increasing the vote fivefold compared to 2017, he would prefer to keep “a Tory party that threatens to be worse than Margaret Thatcher’s out of office.” | |
| Walker could not be clearing the way for a more deserving candidate than Duffield, Kiddey said, praising a speech she made in the House of Commons on her experiences of emotional abuse. | |
| His statement continued: “Even though the Lib Dems now plan to field a candidate to replace Mr Walker, I hope the good people of Canterbury have noted the spirit of his gesture and will honour its intentions.” | His statement continued: “Even though the Lib Dems now plan to field a candidate to replace Mr Walker, I hope the good people of Canterbury have noted the spirit of his gesture and will honour its intentions.” |
| He also criticised Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat leader, for her bullish leadership style. | He also criticised Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat leader, for her bullish leadership style. |
| “Jo Maugham QC has noted Jo Swinson’s “hyper-aggressive style”. He is not the only one. I have spent much time apologising for it on the rainy doorsteps of High Peak, and it seems to have spread through the ranks of the party leadership,” he wrote. | “Jo Maugham QC has noted Jo Swinson’s “hyper-aggressive style”. He is not the only one. I have spent much time apologising for it on the rainy doorsteps of High Peak, and it seems to have spread through the ranks of the party leadership,” he wrote. |
| “How many times do voters have to say they are sick of this style of politics before anyone listens? In all the campaigning I have done so far, the thing people want more than anything else is for the tirades and aggression to stop.” | “How many times do voters have to say they are sick of this style of politics before anyone listens? In all the campaigning I have done so far, the thing people want more than anything else is for the tirades and aggression to stop.” |
| Kiddey, who moved to Buxton from Amsterdam to fight for the High Peak seat after Brexit made him “ashamed to be British”, said he had come to the decision without any discussions with George or the Labour party. | Kiddey, who moved to Buxton from Amsterdam to fight for the High Peak seat after Brexit made him “ashamed to be British”, said he had come to the decision without any discussions with George or the Labour party. |
| “The Labour party’s steadfast refusal to negotiate with others is irresponsible, and I am one of those pleading with the national executive committee to see sense at this late hour. For the Lib Dems to behave in a similarly tribal fashion is arguably worse,” he said. | “The Labour party’s steadfast refusal to negotiate with others is irresponsible, and I am one of those pleading with the national executive committee to see sense at this late hour. For the Lib Dems to behave in a similarly tribal fashion is arguably worse,” he said. |
| On Wednesday, Kiddey forwarded to the Guardian messages he claimed to have been sent overnight from High Peak Lib Dems. One read: “Completely support your statement. It’s a really difficult time at the moment and disciplining people for standing up for what they believe in is very disturbing. I think you have achieved a lot anyway given how invisible the lib dems were at the last election.” | On Wednesday, Kiddey forwarded to the Guardian messages he claimed to have been sent overnight from High Peak Lib Dems. One read: “Completely support your statement. It’s a really difficult time at the moment and disciplining people for standing up for what they believe in is very disturbing. I think you have achieved a lot anyway given how invisible the lib dems were at the last election.” |
| Another of the messages read: “I rarely swear but, ‘fucking good on you’ Guy. I agree with every word of this. Thank you for your integrity and directness. I joined the party in the [knowledge] that integrity would always triumph. But that hope was misfounded [sic],” said another. | Another of the messages read: “I rarely swear but, ‘fucking good on you’ Guy. I agree with every word of this. Thank you for your integrity and directness. I joined the party in the [knowledge] that integrity would always triumph. But that hope was misfounded [sic],” said another. |
| A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “The Labour party have failed to oppose Brexit. The Liberal Democrats will not be standing down for any party that is pursuing Brexit. We will be fielding a candidate in High Peak, giving voters the opportunity to stop Brexit and build a brighter future.” | A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “The Labour party have failed to oppose Brexit. The Liberal Democrats will not be standing down for any party that is pursuing Brexit. We will be fielding a candidate in High Peak, giving voters the opportunity to stop Brexit and build a brighter future.” |