I am very proud of what we say in our Lib Dem constitution: “The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a free, fair and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity”.

Full statement

At the age of 25 I was elected as the youngest councillor on Preston Borough Council serving for 8 years. I have represented the party in three general elections, and have been part of the Southport Lib Dem team since 2010.

Southport faces challenges and, like so many seaside towns throughout the country, needs more support from the government, and from the local council. My priorities would be to do everything I can to boost jobs and the local economy, to support our NHS and schools, to protect our environment, and to help those in Southport who face poverty, disadvantage, or other hurdles. Everyone should have a fair chance to get on in life.

I also think MPs should be more open, transparent, honest and accountable. They should be more accessible to the people who elect them. And they should put the people and the country’s interests before their own and their party’s. We deserve a much better calibre of MPs than many of those we’ve got at the moment; we need people with courage and integrity.