An open letter to Conservative members and supporters in Guildford, Cranleigh & the Villages
The final two candidates for the Conservative leadership election were decided by Conservative MPs last week. The choice is between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt.
I know that for many of you this news will be deeply upsetting. The party you have placed your trust in for years, perhaps decades has chosen to abandon any progressive values it had in favour of two candidates whose modern, progressive values are virtually non-existent. To make it worse, all the signs suggest that Boris Johnson will become Prime Minister at the end of this leadership contest. A man who has made disgraceful comments about the LGBTQ+ and Muslim communities, and as Foreign Secretary, failed to support a British citizen languishing in an Iranian jail. A man who has made the UK an embarrassment around the world through his comments on the international stage, made it clear that he will deliver Brexit no matter what the cost, and has articulated his concern for the economy as "F--- business".
If we look at how both Conservative leadership candidates have voted on key progressive issues their parliamentary voting records are shameful:
| How they Generally Vote on... | Johnson | Hunt |
| Laws to promote equality and human rights | Against | Against |
| EU citizens' right to remain in the UK | Against | Against |
| UK membership of the EU | Against | Against |
| Cuts to welfare and benefits for the poorest in society | For | For |
| Measures to tackle and prevent climate change | Against | Against |
* Data taken from information provided by TheyWorkForYou.com
I know from speaking to Conservative voters across Guildford that the values these men promote are not your values, and I want you to know there is another option!
If you care about how people are treated, if you care about the environment, if you want a strong economy, if you value the NHS, if you believe that the UK is stronger as part of the EU, then I want to extend the hand of political friendship to you today. The Liberal Democrats are committed to these issues and we want to work with you to deliver these values here in Guildford and across the UK.
So if you want to send a message to the Conservative party that their lurch to the right means it no longer speaks for you, then I urge you to lend me, and the Liberal Democrats, your support by voting for us, working with us for the benefit of all of Guildford, and perhaps even joining the Liberal Democrat party.
Our door is open to you.
Zöe Franklin
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Guildford, Cranleigh & the Villages