Over 80 people crammed into the Anthony Minghella Theatre at Quay Arts for the launch of Island Labour’s general election campaign on Sunday (7th May).
Julian Critchley, the Labour Party’s general election candidate, gave the keynote speech. He was preceded by Councillor Geoff Lumley and 3 general election candidates who had stood for the Labour Party previously: Deborah Gardiner, Mark Chiverton and Stewart Blackmore.
Julian said he was driven by fear of what 5 more years of Conservative government would mean for the country, but also by his commitment to the policy platform of reclaiming public services – which was what the Labour Party was proposing. He expressed his anger at the way in which the media had tried to portray honest, ordinary Labour supporters as ‘extremists’ for supporting ‘social democratic policies which would be wholly unremarkable in most of Europe’.
His speech was punctuated by outbreaks of spontaneous applause.
Declaring his respect for Labour Party members and supporters who stuck by the party in good times and in bad, Julian Critchley spoke tellingly to them and to potential voters when he said that “there is no road to a better Britain which doesn’t run through the Labour Party”.
The strength of responses of Labour Party members and supporters at the rally showed how effective it had been. At the conclusion of the rally the audience gave Julian Critchley a standing ovation.
At the close of the rally itself, Mark Chiverton remarked that:
“People need to hear what Julian Critchley has to say. His message is clear, human and inspiring”.
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Island musicians played for the audience before and after the rally; their freely given efforts were much appreciated by all present.
A collection made over £340.
