The Wokingham Liberal Democrats have selected their parliamentary candidate for next general election.

The Liberal Democrats have chosen Clive Jones as their candidate to compete for the Wokingham constituency.

Mr Jones currently serves as the leader of the opposition at Wokingham Borough Council and is the Liberal Democrat councillor for the Hawkedon ward which covers Lower Earley. 

Cllr Jones has argued that people in the constituency are ‘furious’ with current Conservative MP Sir John Redwood for supporting Prime Minister Boris Johnson, despite him allegedly breaking restrictions on social activity during the pandemic that his own Government imposed.

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Cllr Jones said: “People in our area are furious that John Redwood has remained loyal to Boris Johnson.

“I’ve heard truly heart breaking stories from local people who sacrificed seeing dying loved ones during lockdowns because they were following the rules.

“Yet John Redwood thinks the Prime Minister shouldn’t lose his job over partying in Downing Street.

“People in Wokingham are fed up with being taken for granted by the Conservative party.

“I am determined to finally oust a Conservative party that never listens to people in Wokingham.”

The Liberal Democrats have called the Wokingham constituency an ‘ultra-marginal’ ‘Blue Wall’ seat.

Sir John Redwood has been the Wokingham MP since 1987, winning nine general elections.

However, the Liberal Democrats have taken heart in their victory in the Chesham and Amersham by election in June last year, when their candidate Sarah Green beat the Conservative candidate Peter Fleet to gain the seat.

At the last election, Dr Phillip Lee, the  pro-Remain, former Conservative MP for Bracknell stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate but was beaten into second place by Sir John, who won with a majority of 7,383 votes.

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Welcoming cllr Jones as the Liberal Democrat candidate, the national party leader Ed Davey, the MP for Kingston and Surbiton, said: “In Clive the Liberal Democrats have selected the polar opposite to an out of touch Conservative MP.

“Clive is well known for working tirelessly for local people. He listens to people and takes up their concerns.

“Meanwhile, the Conservative party ignores local people, unfairly hikes taxes on hard-pressed families and stands by a law-breaking Prime Minister.

“Clive will make a fantastic local MP for Wokingham and I can’t wait to join him on the campaign trail in what will be a close two horse race at the next election.”

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The next General Election is scheduled for 2024.

The announcement from the Wokingham Liberal Democrats follows the announcement that Julian Tisi will be standing for the Liberal Democrats in the Windsor constituency to take on Conservative incumbent Adam Afriyie.

Mr Tisi was declared as the candidate in January.