To stop Brexit.

What is the most pressing issue of the day? It’s pretty obvious. I had started writing this post as a way of informing people about splitting the vote in the upcoming European elections – a phenomenon of sorts where parties with a similar stance end up fighting against each other rather than against an opposition.

But then the anti-LGBT+ education protests have raised their heads, and I’m torn. Though there is no way to know for sure, it feels like with the advent of Brexit – the most divisive single issue to raise its head, at least in my lifetime – which has sown irreparable damage across these isles, the UK is becoming more intolerant. Brexit is an excuse for the bigots, the homophobes, the racists, anyone scared of the ‘other’ to say what they wish with little fear of consequence.

When our kids look back at this time, and when their children look back, what they will see is a country being misled into an unknown future, controlled by an elite who appear in disguise as friendly, but are savage and narcissistic.

Right now, working back in politics, my time is filled with elections and campaigns. I spend my time allowing others to reach out to communities and often start a dialogue. Because of this, I haven’t been able to write, nor have I been able to give some questions fundamental thought.

There is one clear point though – the issue of splitting the vote in this election.

If we are to stop Brexit, if that truly is the most important issue in these elections, then all remainers must work together. It means putting aside party differences and aligning your vote to the party most likely to be able to deliver on this. In this election, at this time, in this region at the very least, that party is the Liberal Democrats.

Obviously, I’ve written about this whole sorry mess being the responsibility of David Cameron and the Conservative, and yet they continue to seek no remedy other than to protect their own party, and therefore the status quo. In London, they are campaigning, but with no mention of Brexit – their literature talks solely about their Mayoral candidate for an election next year, ignoring the inconvenient truth that in London, the majority wanted to remain. Brush that under the rug, they say.

On the other side of the house, Labour are doing the exact same, positioning themselves not on Brexit – they still cannot agree a position so confusingly are the party of leave and remain simultaneously. They’re campaigning on the vision that they, and only they, will be the saviours of these isles, bringing back together the nation. It’s ironic as they can’t even get their own party to agree, ignoring the fact that in opposition, Corbyn has done everything but.

What’s left then is a far-right, where UKIP have collapsed into obscurity, helped by ex-banker and career politician – Farage – creating a new, self-centred, vanity project purely existing to give him seemingly endless coverage on the BBC, again, and stroke his ego.

On the remain side there are a few options. Change UK thought they’d cause an earthquake in British politics, but look feeble and uninspirational. There was a video of their MP, Joan Ryan, asking for audience participation which sums up their manifesto and party position really well.

We then come to the Green Party, who despite championing a ‘new kind of politics’, have fallen into a desperate attempt to grab power, putting their own electoral success before the national interest – in similar vein to Labour.

And then there is the Liberal Democrats. 

I get that you may discredit all of the above because you know who I am, but bear with me for the sake of stopping Brexit. 

I make no apologies for the fact that we’re a party of rationals. We act, for the most part, with a rational thought process, debating and choosing our path and policy on evidence, costing our manifesto, relying on our membership to steer our course. And that’s our main weakness, our long-term opposition to Brexit has been sensible, thought through and informed. 

But that changed last week, as the party summed up the mood of large swathes of the electorate. We said, collectively, ‘Bollocks to Brexit’. 

Finally, after nearly six years of my involvement with the party, we found a statement that is emotive, it instantly connects with the feelings of many, unequivocally, unapologetically. Out of all political parties, the Lib Dems have been consistent in trying to shake up British politics. Whether you agree with coalition, or electoral reform, or the abolition of the House of Lords, the Lib Dems have been campaigning on it for a long time. Or even the fact that it was the Lib Dems who were the first party to call for a second referendum.

So I ask you, directly, if you want to stop Brexit, to think clearly about who you vote for. Consider the numbers, and I urge you to vote Liberal Democrat in order to give this country the best change possible of sending a message to our Government, and our Parliament, that we do not want Brexit.