The Liberal Democrat Leader and MP for Kingston and Surbiton, Sir Ed Davey, officially launched his campaign for the upcoming local elections, which are taking place on 7 May, on Tuesday (24 March)."

The Lib Dem Leader has been MP for Kingston and Surbiton for over 25 years, having first been elected in May 1997. He then held the seat until 2015 and regained it in 2017.

The Lib Dems took control of Kingston's borough council in May 2018 and have held it since. 

In his campaign launch, Ed Davey MP said; "There's a lot in our communities that need fixing, and we're the party to fix them. 

"So, if you want something in your community fixed, it's the Liberal Democrats who will do it.

"We care about the communities we live in and we care about the country we love. And it's what community politics are all about. It's what we are all about, working with community activists from village halls, church halls, community centres to the high street.

"And whether it comes to the health service, helping people get the GP and dentist appointment they need, trying to deal with the waits in A&E in the corridors, trying to help those cancer patients who are desperate to get the treatment that they need.

"On the environment, standing up to the water companies pouring their filthy sewage into our rivers and onto our beaches."

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The MP continued: "There are some politicians who just want to divide us, want to divide our communities, who are too busy pointing a finger of blame at others rather than rolling up their sleeves and getting things done. 

"They want to import Trump style, divisive politics into our country. We're not the party of division. We're the party that's different.

"We don't do division, we do potholes, we do police officers,we do GP appointments, we do clean rivers, we fix things for communities.

"And that's why, if you vote Liberal Democrat on 7 May, you'll get a local champion who'll be fixing things for your community. So let's get on with it." 

You can watch the full campaign launch video here.

Ed Davey MP says that the Lib Dems are launching a £600million plan to help improve maternity care in the UK. 

He said: "Britain should be the safest place in the world to have a baby, but right now maternity care is nowhere near where it needs to be."

Kingston's local elections take place on 7 May. If you would like to vote but are not registered, you must register by 23 April to do so.

Those who need to register to vote can do so here.