The Launch of The Eastbourne Liberal Democrats 2024 Election Campaign at Langney Community Centre
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On the Bank Holiday Monday of May 27th, Eastbourne Liberal Democrats officially adopted Josh Babarinde as their Eastbourne Candidate and launched their campaign before ascending onto Langney to canvass.
The Campaign Launch
At 11:14 am, Josh Babarinde (OBE), a local with a background in youth justice and social enterprise, took to the Langney Community Centre stage to launch the Liberal Democrats election campaign. The event was brimming with unity and enthusiasm and punctuated by spirited chants like “Cancel Ansell” and “Get The Tory’s Out”.
This marked the start of a collective hope to bring significant change to the constituency. The audience, nearly 100 strong, including local Lib Dem councillors and former MP Stephen Lloyd, unanimously supported Josh’s candidacy after a spirited introduction.
Dressed sharply in a light blue suit and yellow tie, Josh captivated the crowd with his charismatic and positive attitude. His speech, which eloquently addressed issues like Eastbourne Hospital’s lack of funds and the escalating sewage crisis, received regular applause and highlighted shared community concerns.
One key takeaway for Lib Dems in the audience was “do not become complacent”, with resounding roars of “no” in agreed response, regardless of how badly the Conservatives appear to be doing.
Canvassing in Langney
Following the meeting, roughly ten of us canvassed the Langney area in pairs. I was new to this, and I’m not a member or supporter of the Lib Dems, so I tagged along with others like councillor Ali Dehdashty and Josh from Brighton, a 15-year-plus member looking to support Josh Babarinde.
We embarked on a door-to-door canvassing mission to gauge voter intentions, seeking to identify supporters, potential canvassers, and those needing more information about Josh. After three hours of dedicated effort, they reconvened at a local pub to share their experiences.
The responses revealed mixed sentiments:
- About 40% expressed overwhelming support for Josh.
- Roughly 25% showed apathy towards politics.
- Approximately 20% were uncertain.
- Roughly 15 % did not answer.
Many expressed frustration with the Conservatives, feeling the country had “fallen apart,” while a few recalled past disappointments with the Lib Dems in coalition. However, the canvassers reassured them of the party’s commitment to addressing their concerns. Many canvassers stated that the previous day of canvassing around Eastbourne Old Town was far more successful.
The Lib Dems and The Conservatives: Two Parties Dominate Eastbourne
With Eastbourne being dominated solely by Liberal Democrat and Conservative voters, they will likely be the two major parties crossed on the ballot papers yet again. Questions remain as to whether or not the Conservative Party and Caroline Ansell can re-ignite support in Eastbourne.
With the election being on the 4th of July, have you considered who you will vote for yet?
