Thank you. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve the people of Cheltenham for ten years, so far, as your MP. We have won many battles together – to protect local health services, keep treasured green spaces and win investment in the town and its public transport system in particular. I will keep on fighting for those causes and for this town.
Thank you too for all the kind messages for me and my family which I have received since the election. Cheltenham has a big heart.
To those of you who voted for me, and resisted the overwhelming professional marketing campaign dropped on us and many other LibDems from a great height by Tory central office and their millions, thank you so much for putting your trust in me again. I’m so sorry we didn’t win it for you this time.
To those who voted Labour or Green, I understand your desire to vote for what you may have believed but, as we warned, it has helped to achieve the exact opposite of what you wanted under our rotten voting system, helping our new Tory MP into office and the Conservatives into a majority government.
To those who switched to Conservative to stop Ed Miliband and the SNP, I’m afraid the Tories’ real objective has now been achieved: to rule on their own, committed to deeper and faster cuts than any other party. There will be no tax rises for the wealthiest now, but there will be a referendum on Europe that could prove as divisive as the Scottish one and lose us vital jobs, and a confrontation with the SNP in Scotland that could put the union at risk all over again. It’s a grim prospect but the Liberal Democrats will keep battling for a fairer approach, just as we did in government.
Your new MP’s office address is:
Alex Chalk MP
Gloucestershire Conservatives
Regent Court
Gloucester Business Park GL3 4AD
Finally, thank you too to all those who were part of the LibDem volunteer army in Cheltenham that fought back like tigers against the Tory marketing machine. You made me so proud to be a Cheltenham Liberal Democrat. It was the most phenomenal team effort I’ve ever seen and it bodes very well for this local party in the future.
If you want to join us in the fight back, click here.
Thank you again.
Martin
