PRESS RELEASE: Liberal Democrat Candidate for Guildford responds to Guildford Conservative Association's press release 'warmly welcoming' Boris Johnson

Following the Guildford Conservative Association's press release 'warmly welcoming' the new Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Zöe Franklin (Guildford Liberal Democrat's Parliamentary Candidate) has issued the following statement:

Guildford Conservative Association's glowing praise of Boris Johnson is appalling and shows a total lack of understanding of the views of local people.

Their deputy chair mistakenly believes that local residents will be pleased by Boris' pledge to honour the EU referendum result and leave the EU by 31st October despite Guildford firmly voting in favour of staying in the EU in 2016; voting enthusiastically pro-European in the recent European elections; and, based on all of my conversations over the past 3 years, being more firm on it's desire to stay in the EU than ever before. Their chairman continues by praising Mr Johnson's record as Mayor of London - a record widely discredited by experts.

Boris Johnson's track record disgraceful comments about the LGBT+ and Muslim communities and total failure to support a British citizen languishing in an Iranian jail to name just two is deeply concerning. Just as those of many of his top cabinet appointments are too.

It is clear that Guildford Conservative Association are completely out of touch with the community they seek to represent and are happy to get on board with the party line as their party lurches dangerously to the right.

I want everyone in Guildford, Cranleigh and the Villages that if they want ensure a progressive, tolerant and thriving society that they can be proud of, they can turn the Liberal Democrats and me. We will always stand up for our friends, neighbours, colleagues and communities in the face of backwards looking, intolerant views.