The general election battle in the Lewes constituency is now one of the closest races in the country, with the numbers showing this is neck and neck and Lewes is one of the seats on which the outcome of the General Election will be decided. Comedy star and Labour supporter, Steve Coogan, visited Lewes on Sunday to show his tactical support for the Liberal Democrats in Lewes and urge voters across Lewes constituency to back the Liberal Democrats in the General Election on 12 December.

A large crowd of well over 100 residents and supporters were on Cliffe Bridge to hear Steve Coogan put the case for tactical voting and defeating the Tories across the country. Former Liberal Democrat MPs, Norman Baker and Evan Harris were also in the crowd.

Steve Coogan spoke on Cliffe Bridge, a traditional political rally point in Lewes,

“I’m here today as a traditional Labour supporter. In this constituency where I live and across the country, we need to defeat the Tories by any means necessary. I’ll be voting for Oli on Thursday because that’s the smartest thing to do.

“To defeat the Conservatives in this election we need to box clever and I include in this one nation Conservatives like John Major, Michael Heseltine and Kenneth Clark, who we all know, even if we disagree with them, that they have integrity. They themselves have suggested that they are not going to vote Conservative. Even Michael Heseltine has said he will be voting Liberal Democrat because the stakes are so high.

“People who have spent all their lives with one party are looking at their constituency and thinking what’s the best tactical choice and I urge everyone here to vote Liberal.”

Oli Henman addressing the crowd said,

“We are fighting a very close battle to take this seat from the Tories. We are fighting for a fairer, more democratic, more sustainable future. I have been incredibly humbled and grateful, that so many of you have been out with me over the last few weeks.

“This election here could go down to the wire. So, I’m incredibly grateful that we have Steve Coogan here with us. People in our constituency who are thinking of voting Labour or voting for the Greens, can now see by voting Liberal Democrat, we have a real chance to get Boris Johnson’s Conservatives out on 12 December.”

The Liberal Democrats have today announced plans to fund at least 46 police officers across Lewes as part of an extra £1bn nationwide investment into community policing.

This commitment amounts to 20,000 more police officers across England and Wales, enough for an extra two officers per ward. The Liberal Democrats will also fund an immediate 2% pay-rise for serving police officers.

Liberal Democrat plans stand in stark contrast to Labour and the Conservatives, who have made big promises on police numbers, but have failed to commit the funding needed to deliver them.

At the same time, Liberal Democrats are warning that Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans risk letting hundreds of criminals to escape justice in Lewes, after analysis revealed the extent to which UK police rely on vital EU crime-fighting measures.

The south east region's police forces and prosecutors have used the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) to bring over 753 criminal fugitives to justice over the past five years, the analysis reveals. Sussex police force alone extradited 138 criminals to justice in their home country in the last 5 years.

The EAW allows the speedy extradition of wanted criminals, but senior police have warned that the UK risks losing access to the scheme because of Brexit. If current trends were to continue, that would mean more than 138 criminal suspects could avoid extradition in Sussex over the next five years.

Liberal Democrat candidate Oli Henman said:

“Too many people feel unsafe in their own homes and walking down their own streets. With entire communities feeling exposed and vulnerable, both the Tories and Labour are claiming to offer solutions but the sums just don’t add up.

“Meanwhile, Boris Johnson's reckless Brexit threatens to cut the UK off from vital crime-fighting tools that the police use every day to keep us safe. His plans mean that hundreds of criminals in the south east could remain at large, threatening the safety of our community.

“Only the Liberal Democrats have a bold and credible plan to increase the number of police across Lewes. The Liberal Democrats are committing £1 billion nationwide investment per year to fund this – that’s £250 million more than Labour or the Tories.

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party willing to back our bobbies with money, not just words. We are the only party that can stop Brexit, make our communities safe and build a brighter future.”

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Liberal Democrat commitment of 20,000 more police officers is enough for two extra officers in every ward across England and Wales. That is the calculation used above.

The Conservatives’ cuts to police numbers have contributed to a rise in violence and decimated community policing, with 47% of people saying they never see police foot patrols, up from 30% in 2014-15.

Manifesto spending commitments for the police force (by party):

• Conservatives: 20,000 more officers, £750m/yr

• Labour: 22,000 more officers, £750m/yr

• Liberal Democrats: 20,000 more officers + 2% pay-rise, £1bn/yr

Crime statistics under the Conservatives:

• Knife crime up 80% since 2015: Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2019

• 248 fatal stabbings in the year to June 2019: Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2019

• Robberies up by 76% since 2015: Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2019

• Only 8% of crimes result in someone being charged, down from 15% in 2014-15: Crime outcomes in England and Wales 2018 to 2019

• 6,612 criminals have been extradited to and from the UK and brought to the justice using the European Arrest Warrant over the past five years, or an average of around 1,208 a year (Source: National Crime Agency, combining both Wanted from UK and Wanted by UK, years 2013-14 – 2017-18).

• This includes:

◦ 140 for murder or manslaughter

◦ 136 for child sex offences

◦ 12 for terrorism

◦ 152 for rape

• In 2017-18, 1,208 criminal suspects were extradited to and from the UK using the EAW. If the use of the EAW continued at current levels, another 6,040 suspected criminals would be brought to justice using the vital crime-fighting tool over the next five years. These figures are broken down by LEA.

• Senior police officers have warned the Home Affairs Committee that Brexit could mean losing access to the EAW and Schengen Information System database. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Martin said: “If we lose the European arrest warrant, we know that we have to refer back to the 1957 convention on extradition. It is a lot slower and a lot more bureaucratic and not as effective, nimble or efficient as a European arrest warrant”. He also said: “Before EAW and SIS II we probably extradited about 60 people a year. We now average probably 1,400 or 1,500 a year.” (Home Affairs Committee Oral Evidence, October 2018).

• The EU has also previously warned that the UK will lose access to the EAW under the form of hard Brexit being pursued by Boris Johnson which involved ending free movement and leaving the EU Court of Justice, while a 'no deal' Brexit would also mean an end to vital police cooperation measures with the EU (BBC News, July 2018).

• The UK accessed the Schengen Information System (SIS II) a total of 603,569,274 times in 2018 (Source: EU Lisa, February 2019). This is up 12% from 541,258,014 times in 2017 (EU LISA, 2017).

The Liberal Democrats have criticised the Conservative government following today's Supreme Court judgment, which found that five asylum seekers had been unlawfully detained. The Liberal Democrats are committed to making immigration detention an absolute last resort.
 
The judgment concerns five asylum seekers, each detained for more than a month in 2015. One was detained for 16 weeks, from 18 August to 8 December. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that they were wrongfully detained, and that they are entitled to compensation.
 
The Liberal Democrat manifesto commits to making immigration detention an absolute last resort, introducing a 28-day time limit on detention and closing seven of the UK’s nine detention centres.
 
More than 24,000 people are put into detention centres each year, at a cost to the taxpayer of £90 million a year. On top of this, the Home Office had to pay out £8 million last year in compensation for 312 cases of wrongful detention.
 
Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Christine Jardine said:
 
“The Conservatives’ excessive use of immigration detention is inhumane, unnecessary and expensive – as this case demonstrates.
 
“Not only did the Home Office cause misery and waste money unlawfully detaining these people in the first place, they then wasted even more taxpayer money fighting this case all the way up to the Supreme Court. And now they’ll have to pay compensation too.
 
“The Liberal Democrats will put compassion and common sense at the heart of our immigration system by ending indefinite detention and making any detention an absolute last resort.
 
“We will build a brighter future where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and where taxpayers’ money is not wasted defending unlawful Home Office actions.”

In response to a Conservative candidate in a marginal seat stating that "nuisance tenants" should be forced to pick vegetables and live in a tent in a field, Lib Dem Spokesperson Layla Moran said:
 
"Everyone in this country deserves a decent standard of living. Conservative candidate Lee Anderson’s comment exposes a concerning disregard for this basic human right, and a lack of empathy towards those whom he aspires to represent.
 
"As a Conservative parliamentary candidate in a marginal seat, Anderson should not be stoking and entrenching division, or targeting vulnerable people.
 
"Unfortunately, this sort of comment is all too common from Conservative Party candidates, who are out of touch with the constituencies and the people they are attempting to represent."

Speaking to the CBI today, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson announced that the Liberal Democrats would scrap business rates entirely to breathe new life into our high streets.

The Liberal Democrats would abolish business rates and replace them with a commercial landowner levy, based on the value of the land only. This would take the cost off businesses and help support our high streets.

The change would cut taxes in 92% of local authorities and help rebalance the UK economy.

The Commercial Landowner Levy would give a big boost to the manufacturing sector and make it cheaper for all businesses to invest in renewables or other new technology for their premises.

In her speech, she also set out plans to spend £130bn on infrastructure, including housebuilding, and £5bn for a new Green Investment Bank to invest in zero-carbon projects.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson said:

“Liberal Democrats are committed to helping small businesses, who are the engine of our economy.

“That is why Liberal Democrats would scrap business rates and replace them with a Commercial Landowner Levy.

“It will shift the burden from the tenant to the landlord, so that we can breathe new life into our high streets.

"Frankly, we have seen enough promises of reviews of business rates from the Conservatives. It is time for clear action that will give proper help to our small businesses.”

…

“We’ll invest £130bn in infrastructure over five years. We’ll use that to improve our railways and open up new lines. To reduce how much energy our buildings use.

“And we’ll use it to leverage private investment in renewables, to help us meet our target of generating 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.

….

"And as part of our radical and credible plan to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible, we will make the UK a global leader in green jobs and technology.

“A Liberal Democrat government will work with you to open up new opportunities for green growth and to save our planet. We will invest £5bn in zero-carbon projects through the Green Investment bank.

“We are the last generation that can stop irreversible climate change, and we are running out of time.

“And while there is much that government can do, I am clear that the business community is absolutely part of the solution.

“Not least because we need to channel your ingenuity and entrepreneurialism to take on this huge challenge, and others we face.

"And my vision is for a country where business joins forces with government, public services and civil society to create the kind of society we deserve.”

The Liberal Democrats will today (Sunday 17 November) announce bold proposals to invest £6 billion per year to strengthen the welfare system over the next Parliament. This forms part of the party's ambitious plans to build a brighter future.

Tory austerity has left a fifth of UK citizens in poverty, unable to afford even the most basic essentials. 

The Liberal Democrats will tackle this crisis by committing £6 billion per year to strengthen the welfare system over the next Parliament. Liberal Democrat proposals will prioritise tackling child poverty by abolishing the cruel two-child limit for Universal Credit and ending the unfair benefits cap. 

A Liberal Democrat government will make work pay and tackle in-work poverty, by using part of the Remain bonus - the £50 billion of extra funding that would be generated by stopping Brexit - to restore Work Allowances and introduce a second-earner Work Allowance. A Liberal Democrat government will also invest in boosting the Local Housing Allowance by linking it to average rents in each area.

Liberal Democrat plans to strengthen the UK's welfare system will protect the most vulnerable and help to build a brighter future. 

Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions Tim Farron said:

“For too many people in the UK today, working hard and playing by the rules is no longer enough to secure a decent life. Millions of people’s lives have worsened under the Conservatives. Since 2015 they have bungled the roll-out of Universal Credit, made brutal cuts to benefits and introduced their senseless two-child limit that is fuelling child poverty.

“The Liberal Democrats will stop Brexit and invest billions of pounds from the Remain bonus in building a brighter future for those struggling in our society. We will fix our broken welfare system to ensure that everyone has the same opportunities regardless of where they come from.”

Responding to the news that Nigel Farage's Brexit Party will not be standing a candidate in Lewes Constituency, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Oli Henman said:

"Nigel Farage's comments show he is running scared of the Liberal Democrats as the strongest Remain party in areas like Lewes constituency. He knows that we are the only party at this election that can take seats like Lewes from Maria Caulfield and the Conservatives and stop Brexit. Recent polling shows that the Remain majority of 2016 is increasing across the seat. Our community deserves to be protected from the Tories and what Brexit will do to our most vulnerable communities.

"Boris Johnson's Conservatives and the Brexit party are now one and the same. Both want to see an extreme Brexit that will damage our local economy, public services and limit opportunities for our children and grandchildren.”

Former MP Norman Baker said, “Given that the Leave alliance has cemented in Tory seats, we can see the true face of Leave as a hard-right project. A win for the Conservatives is a win for Donald Trump, the privatisation of the NHS and a Brexit that will have huge negative impacts for Newhaven and the port, our farmers and the poorest in our community.

Voters in Lewes have a historic opportunity at this election to elect a Liberal Democrat MP, stop Brexit and build a brighter future for our country."

Lewes Liberal Democrats are very glad to see a strong push for a united approach to tackling the biggest and most urgent issue of our political lives - the future relationship of the UK with the European Union.

By making this arrangement with other pro-European parties, the Liberal Democrats are showing that we will put the national interest above party politics, to deliver Remain.

The Liberal Democrats will stand aside, so that there is a clear pro-Remain candidate, in 13 constituencies. In turn, other parties will stand aside in 43 constituencies for a Liberal Democrat candidate.

Speaking on 7^th November in the Lewes Constituency, Oli Henman, Lewes Lib Dems Parliamentary candidate, said:

“All the polling and evidence clearly shows that the election in the Lewes constituency will be a close race between myself and the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats overwhelmingly beat the Conservatives, Labour and Green Party in the recent European elections here. When it comes to a General Election, this constituency has been a Lib Dem/Conservative marginal since 1992."

"We are therefore very disappointed that the Green Party have decided to split the Remain vote here, especially as they stood aside at the last election here in 2017."

“We are committed to a grown-up collaborative approach to politics and we have shown good faith as a party in the Sussex area as we will be standing down in favour of Caroline Lucas in Brighton Pavilion and we have a strong Cooperative Alliance on Lewes District Council. I would urge the Green Party to think again here."

“We are already working hard across the constituency, talking to voters about our priorities. We are committed to fighting against the chaos of Brexit and the uncaring approach of the Conservative Party and instead offering a brighter future for all local residents.”

In undercover plans being developed by the government, protected areas of the South Downs from Lewes to Eastbourne are facing a major threat to their environment and communities.

After years of ongoing consultations on the future of the Lewes to Eastbourne section of the A27, Conservative MP Maria Caulfield, had reassured residents that there would be no new ‘motorway style’ road across the South Downs landscape.

However, in a recent letter from Ms Caulfield, local residents have been told that a business case for £450 million has been submitted to the government and is currently being considered.

Oli Henman, Lib Dem Parliamentary campaigner said, “We do not need new road-building at a time when government at all levels is declaring a climate emergency. We should be moving to a more flexible and environmentally sustainable approach to transport and identifying creative ways to encourage people to limit their carbon footprint while travelling.

“Previous plans agreed with Norman Baker, former MP for Lewes, have already secured ‘in-line’ improvements of approximately £70m and include specific initiatives around road safety and traffic flow such as roundabouts, crossings and cycle paths.

“The £450m now proposed is not needed for the existing road. Even dualling the current route would have a major impact on surrounding villages, and the fact that there are plans for consultation on possible routes makes it clear that this would indeed be a new road.

“This funding could be spent in many better ways, such as delivering more frequent and longer train services and electric buses; as well as faster broadband for our rural areas to support a growing number of people to work remotely.

“It is particularly worrying that our current MP, Maria Caulfield, is telling some residents in affected villages that she opposes any new road, while the Reference Group she chairs put forward the case for this development. Why so much secrecy around the plans? How badly are our villages going to be affected? It’s time that the Conservatives came clean on what is going on with the A27!”

Vic Ient, South Downs Society Policy Officer, said, ‘‘The route of this new road has not yet been approved but it is clear that any major new road would carve a scar across our beautiful ancient landscape and blight many villages, local communities and rural businesses. We understand that there are several options being considered by Highways England for a new road, all to the north of the A27, the building of which would substantially impact the view from the Downs. The unconfirmed new plans would see an enormous and damaging new road-building programme across an area of natural beauty, rare ecosystems and high biodiversity.”

Local resident Yvonne Fuller said “This news is very worrying to anyone who enjoys the beautiful and peaceful landscape of the South Downs. We welcome the fact that there is new investment for cycle routes and improved safety but we are deeply worried by reports of a new ‘motorway style’ road across our unique landscape.”

Local Liberal Democrats have condemned cuts to Children’s Centres in Lewes District that will leave only one Children’s Centre in the whole of the constituency of Lewes. Under plans to be carried out by April 2020, local Tories are targeting cuts at coastal towns and rural villages. Children’s Centres have been earmarked for closure in Seaford, Newhaven, Ringmer and Chailey.

"These cuts will leave coastal and rural families struggling when their local Children’s Centre closes. There’s no guarantee that “partners” will take the centres over and provide the services, nor is it obvious how families will continue 'to receive keywork services at home from nearby keywork hubs’ as ESCC claims,” said Cllr Philip Daniel, Lib Dem County Councillor for Ringmer and Lewes Bridge.

“Many families will now have no choice but to pay the high costs of travel to Lewes in order to access children’s services at all," said Lib Dem County Councillor for Ouse Valley West and Downs, Cllr Sarah Osborne, "We know how much pressure families are under in our communities and the additional time and high transport costs are yet another thing for them to cope with if these cuts go through”.

“The situation in Newhaven is particularly worrying”, commented Cllr James MacCleary, Lib Dem District Councillor for Newhaven South and deputy leader of Lewes District Council, “The Newhaven Children’s Centre at Denton Island is being ‘de-designated’ from a dedicated Children’s Centre to be rented out instead to interested parties. This is a cut in any other terms and the Tories should come clean about it and the fact that yet again they are targeting our coastal towns and villages.”

Lib Dem County Councillor for Seaford South, Carolyn Lambert, highlighted the impact of the cuts, “We’ve seen this over the years in Lewes. East Sussex County Council use Lewes District as a target for some of their most draconian cuts. With 4 out 14 Children’s Centres affected in Lewes District, Lewes will suffer 30% of the ESCC cuts. Following closures of day centres in Seaford and Ringmer and the threats to Ringmer swimming pool, Lewes District is yet again singled out by the Tories”.

“Lewes needs a stronger voice at a national level to bring pressure to stop Lewes Constituency taking the brunt of unfair and divisive cuts” said Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate, Oli Henman, “Although the Tories are promising more money for public services, the real picture is Tory cuts across the board, targeting our most vulnerable communities.”

The latest Conservative plans for cuts in Children’s Centres across East Sussex were presented by children’s services lead, Cllr Sylvia Tidy, on Monday 7th October. It is proposed that 14 Children’s Centres will be de-designated across East Sussex with 4 in Lewes District. 14 centres were listed in the original consultation document in May 2019.