Out and about canvassing in Fordingbridge. Delighted to see even the plants showing their support for the LibDems.

I was delighted to meet Sir Ed Davey at Waterloo on Tuesday.

He becomes the third most famous person I’ve ever met after Princess Diana and Sean Connery, edging Delia Smith off podium.

To be fair I didn’t talk to Diana and initially thought she was Kenneth Brannagh so possibly she doesn’t count.

“This is where we find out all the Teslas are programmed to join together on Elon's command to create a mega mecha Tesla that only Godzilla can destroy.”

A friend’s comment which I’d once have laughed off now feels like a possible season finale in the Netflix series I find myself living in.

A friend of mine has just described JD Vance as:

“Shouting from the sidelines like an angry football parent.”

And I think it’s the most appropriate, and wonderfully belittling, description I’ve yet read.

It was excellent to have a Hampshire MP visit, and a nice payback for those in the room who had answered the party’s call to help with campaigning in target seats during GE2024.

A great evening in Lyndhurst as New Forest LibDems were visited by @libdems.org.uk MP for Winchester @dannychambers.bsky.social.

Danny gave a brilliant and wide-ranging talk and answered questions, mostly about how best to become as successful as Winchester have been. He even stayed for the quiz.

Very glad you liked it. It’s a beautiful church. A suitable venue to remember our heroes.

UK should seek new customs union with EU, Lib Dems to say Leader Ed Davey to call for talks to begin immediately, urging ministers to be ‘far more positive, far more ambitious’ The Liberal Democrats are to call for the government to seek a formal customs union with the EU to boost growth and insulate the UK…

UK should seek new customs union with EU, Lib Dems to say

Independent front page 5th jan 2025 Five years on, the true cost of Brexit £30.2bn Cost of Britain's divorce settlement from the EU (HM Treasury) - not counting any ongoing impacts to the economy £27bn Drop in goods exports to EU in 2022 alone due to the introduction of trade barriers since Brexit (LSE) with food, agriculture and fishing among worst-hit sectors 15% Long-term hit to UK trade (OBR) as revealed in Budget forecast £2.8bn Annual decrease in UK food exports to the EU (Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy) 6 in 10 Britons think Brexit has gone badly (YouGov) 118,000 Tonnes drop in seafood exports (Marine Management Organisation) 3.6M+ Number of immigrants into UK since the end of EU free movement (ONS) despite claims it would reduce the flow 1,227,800 EU nationals who left the UK between 2016 and 2021 56% Proportion of dairy producers struggling to find workers (Arla) EU nationals who left the UK between 2016-21 (ONS) 16,400 Number of businesses that stopped exporting to EU due to Brexit trade rules (LSE) 1/3 Drop in EU students at UK universities 2.3m Net migration since end of free movement

Weaker, poorer, unhappier, more divided and with an emboldened and radicalised loud minority who champion overt racism and selling out to Musk and Trump…
This is where Brexit has led us. Over and above these dismal numbers. That is the true cost.

Musk’s comments on grooming gangs grabs attention for him, not the survivors of this horrific abuse.

Free speech means that people without a voice can speak truth to power: it has never meant that the rich and powerful can say whatever they want,however ill informed, with impunity.

This is true!

Post storm Focus delivery for Godshill. And keeping up the recent habit of LibDem selfies in front of local pubs.

If you ever visit the New Forest, a pint in the Fighting Cocks at Godshill is a must.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of coming downstairs to find that 4000 Focus leaflets have been delivered and are desperate to be pushed through a lettterbox.

Very cunning of us to wait until there’s snow on the ground before starting the deliveries.

#spatula

An excellent afternoon canvassing in Lyndhurst with Cllr Hilary Brand, ahead of the Hampshire County Council elections next May. Lots of positive conversations and support for the LibDems.

Hello all! I am a LibDem councillor campaigning in the New Forest, and had given up on my Bluesky account. Lovely to see the exodus from X happening.

A virtual certificate with text "Celebrating 10M users on Bluesky, #1,793,949, David Millar ‪@libdemdavidm.bsky.social‬, joined on Nov 1, 2023"

Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #1,793,949!

Out delivering our Focus leaflet to residents around Fordingbridge, Godshill and Hyde. Bumped into a chap who said with a smile “you are the second cold caller we’ve had here in 34 years - congratulations!”

No house too remote for a Focus leaflet!

We need a change of government sooooo badly.

Aha! Hi. I’m a #LibDem district councillor for New Forest. Thanks for saying hi!

What a bizarre thing for him to say!

I’m looking for the LibDems on this platform. Where are you all?

#libdems