Yesterday the Richmond & Twickenham Times quoted Sarah Olney's explanation of her resignation as Vince Cable's chief of staff after only eight weeks:
"Commuting from the constituency to Westminster every morning, and talking to so many local people on that daily journey, convinced me there remains much to do in the constituency. Having lost by just 45 votes at the last election, I believe I can win the seat back and I am determined to fight for local people against a Conservative Brexit and Heathrow expansion.
"I have only done the job for a short period but now Vince has so successfully established himself as leader of the party with a great team around him in his office and in Liberal Democrat HQ, I feel able to step aside."Maybe that is spin to cover up an appointment that was not working out on one side or the other.
But it may be that it is true. In which case it means the Lib Dems want someone working full time in what is their second most promising target. (Only North East Fife has a smaller majority to overturn than the 45 votes Sarah lost by in June.)
And if they wants that, it suggests the Lib Dems think an early general election is a serious possibility.
Later. Guido Fawkes reminds us that Sarah has not yet been reselected as candiate for Richmond Park
If the idea is for her to stand in the seat. It had better be done quickly
ReplyDeleteVery true!
ReplyDeleteIn passing, however, if there were any doubt that the Guido Fawkes piece was Staines and his flying monkeys engaged in their usual shitstirring/fakery to benefit the Tory right, consider the confident assertion that "The Richmond Park result was the upset of election night" - there are several LibDem losses/failures-to-gain that were bigger upsets, let alone the headline-making results where we were nowhere.