Ben Thomas
Parliamentary Spokesperson for Brighton Kemptown
In January 2019, after being an active member of the Liberal Democrats since the EU referendum, I decided that what I was doing just wasn't enough. I wanted to give a voice to younger people like me, that believe passionately that our place is in the heart of Europe, taking the challenges of the 21st century head on, not walking away from them.
As the summer came and we experienced record success in the local elections and then the Europeans, the Brighton local party asked if I'd stand in Brighton Kemptown. Without hesitation my answer was yes. Brighton has been a city that welcomed me at the age of 16 when I moved here for college and I've loved it ever since. I was immensely privileged to stand for Parliament in one of our constituencies.
We have on one side the values of internationalism, collective responsibility for our planet and compassion for other people which I believe most residents here share with me ... or the nationalistic, closed minded, inward looking intolerance being spouted by the main parties. We are better than that. I am not a career politician, nor am I an established figure, I'm just a pub manager. But I am a passionate, caring person who believes in the chance to take our country in a different direction. A direction that values individual contributions to society, celebrating various cultures not just enshrining one, a direction where no one is alone, hungry or homeless this winter. We are the 5th largest economy in the world, surely, we can do better.
Austerity has had a role to play and I believe its high time it came to an end. It's time to ask citizens and businesses to put more into our society, so that we can all take more out. Let's build a better Britain that values individualism, encourages participation and most of all understands that international cooperation to meet the challenges of our century is vital. If you agree with me that this country can do better, consider joining the Liberal Democrats and our campaign. Let's stop Brexit and fix the United Kingdom instead.
P.S. Please contact me if you want to get involved at ben.thomas@liberalbrighton.org