The Liberal Democrat overturned Zac Goldsmith's 23,000 vote majority
Sarah Olney has said her victory in the Richmond Park by-election was a win for an ‘open, tolerant, united Britain’ and against a hard Brexit.
She delivered the following speech after the announcement of the results:
“Let me start by thanking the other candidates for a hard-fought campaign – and to Zac Goldsmith in particular, I wish you well and assure you that I will continue your fight against the expansion of Heathrow.
“I also would like to thank the returning officer, the staff that have worked so hard today and yesterday and of course the police. I want to thank my amazing campaign team led by James Lillis and the thousands of volunteers who have taken time to support me over the course of the campaign. I want to thank my family and friends for the wonderful support they’ve given me – particularly my husband Ben and our children. I want to thank our leader Tim Farron, and all the other party members who could not have been more supportive. And I’d like to thank the Greens, More United, the Women’s Equality Party and all the other people beyond the Lib Dems who have supported me in this campaign.
“A year and a half ago, I wasn’t involved in politics. I wasn’t a member of a political party. I’d never been involved in a political campaign. I’d never thought about being a politician. But I knew I was a Liberal – I believed in openness, tolerance, compassion, working with our neighbours at home and around the world – and when I saw what happened at the General Election and I felt I had to get involved.
“I think a lot of people in this community had the same feeling this summer. Richmond Park is full of people like me who felt that something was going wrong. That the politics of anger and division were on the rise. That the liberal, tolerant values we took for granted were under threat. We were seeing the UKIP vision for Britain in the ascendancy – intolerant, backward-looking, divisive; just as we see it in America and across Europe.
“Well today we have said no. We will defend the Britain we love. We will stand up for the open, tolerant, united Britain that we believe in. The people of Richmond Park and North Kingston have sent a shockwave through this Conservative Brexit Government. And our message is clear: we do not want a ‘hard Brexit’; we do not want to be pulled out of the Single Market; and we will not let intolerance, division and fear win.”
3 Responses to ““We will not let intolerance, division and fear win” – Sarah Olney’s Richmond Park victory speech”
Michael
Even as a member of the Labour Party, I offer congratulations and best wishes to Sarah Olney. her speech embodies the values of Britain that I too embrace.
GodfreyR
Affluent metropolitan establishment Richmond votes to keep the inflow of cheap eastern-european nannies !!!
Jonatan
Every time I check the comments here, GodfreyR seems to be top of the list with some amazing reply to all us bleeding hard lefty types. Does he have nothing better to do?