Richard Foord will be our Liberal Democrat candidate for the upcoming Tiverton & Honiton by-election.

I was proud to serve my country in the Armed Forces for ten years and now want to serve my community in Westminster.

Richard Foord

Richard lives in Uffculme with his wife and family. He grew up in the West Country and served for ten years in the army after graduating from Sandhurst, reaching the rank of Major and receiving three campaign medals for service in Iraq and the Balkans.

Irony upon irony flows from our rulers at the moment.

At the same time we have inflation threatening to soar past 11%, the highest in thirty years, we have dire warnings from the Government not to allow pay settlements to fuel more inflation. Government seems, given the huge number of workers beholden to it for their jobs, in essential services such as education, the Health Service, and emergency services, to be saying pay increases of 3% are the order of the day.

We saw last year what a huge boost it gave to the party getting two new excellent MPs elected in Parliamentary by-elections. It's good for their constituents and also good for the party's prospects across the whole country.

We've also seen this month how Conservative MPs have failed to do what our country needs - to remove Boris Johnson from 10 Downing Street.

Surely even the most committed republican could not fail to have been a little moved by the
events of the Platinum Jubilee. Whatever your views about hereditary monarchy, the Queen
under whose reign most of us have lived most or all of our lives has been an outstanding
example of constancy, integrity, and dedication.

The contrast with the country's elected leader could hardly be more stark, and it is perhaps
a cruel irony that 148, over 40%, of his own MPs spent that celebratory weekend coming to
the conclusion that he was in fact the antithesis of everything that was best about our
monarch, and it was time for him to go. And that's before we get the results of the two
imminent by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton.

Despite all the red-wall-targeted rhetoric about 'levelling up', the gulf between 'haves' and
'have nots' continues to grow across the country. Those with good homes, good jobs, or
good pensions are, on the whole, OK. But ask anyone involved with a local Foodbank about
the 'affluent' South East and they will quickly point you to the ever growing numbers of
people desperate to find the next meal for their family, and living in fear of what next winter
has in store for energy bills.

Against this challenging background, last weekend's outpouring of community celebration
for the life of that most privileged of individuals was poignant but uplifting. Just for a few
hours many of the current tribulations could be set aside as whole neighbourhoods
reverberated with music, dancing, entertainments, eating and drinking. Much of the
community spirit that was born during the trials of Covid was re-awoken. Local shops, pubs,
cafes, restaurants, schools and churches all joined in the celebrations with gusto.
Now we face the challenge of maintaining the positive spirit that was so evident last week.
We need to remember how important our community and our neighbours are, and how
great is the impact of a little help, kindness, or cash. While there are many who are forced
to minimise their spending, there are plenty of others who have the ability, should they
wish, to support our local businesses, services, and charities. That in turn helps provide local
jobs or relieve anxieties. Many small businesses just barely survived the various lockdowns
and we must each now do what we can to reward them with our custom. If we do not, more
of our High Streets will see businesses close, and local services and jobs disappear.

One of the great joys of being part of the cross-party Rother Alliance has been to see how
much energy and enthusiasm can be unlocked when politicians of differing political stripes
bury their party political differences and pull together. We all want the best for the
communities we serve and when party dogma is set aside we find there is more that unites
than divides us. I like to think of it as a microcosm of our community. If we all can work
together, we all can benefit.

Cllr Kathryn Field

It's Carers Week - a chance to recognise, celebrate and, most of all, listen to the stories of unpaid carers.

People looking after their loved ones are doing a remarkable job in difficult circumstances. As a carer for most of my life - first for my mum, then for my gran, and now for my disabled son, John - this is something I know all too well.

Dear Editor

A Turkish Night to remember, £25 for members, £15 friends,

Further information to follow. Keep the date free !

We all have our own special memories of the Queen's Jubilees. For me, they have spanned my entire life. So it is with great pleasure that I will join the entire nation in celebrating seventy years of Her Majesty's reign - on this Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

In her coronation speech, the Queen said: "Throughout all my life, and with all my heart, I shall strive to be worthy of your trust." I think the whole country will agree that our Queen has more than fulfilled her promises made to our nation.

Richard Foord will be our Liberal Democrat candidate for the upcoming Tiverton & Honiton by-election.

I was proud to serve my country in the Armed Forces for ten years and now want to serve my community in Westminster.

Richard Foord

Richard lives in Uffculme with his wife and family. He grew up in the West Country and served for ten years in the army after graduating from Sandhurst, reaching the rank of Major and receiving three campaign medals for service in Iraq and the Balkans.