Liberal Democrat Candidate running for Daventry Constituency: “We all deserve so much better”

West Northamptonshire Liberal Democrats have chosen Councillor Jonathan Harris to represent them in parliament for the Daventry Constituency in the next general election.

For the last four and a half years, Jonathan has served as a councillor for the Brixworth Ward. He first won a by-election for Daventry District Council with a 33 percent swing from the Conservatives, then in May 2021, he was re-elected to the newly established West Northamptonshire Council.

The Liberal Democrats in Daventry received more votes than the Labour Party in the most recent council elections held in May 2021, placing them second behind the Conservatives and giving them a larger number of council seats than the Labour Party.

Cllr Jonathan Harris said: “This Conservative government has been an utter disaster for so many in our country. With the cost of living crisis, we have seen the worst drop in living standards since the war. We are experiencing a catalogue of disasters and poor government that is compounded by Conservatives fighting amongst themselves at every opportunity.

“It’s time for a change; we all deserve so much better.”

Since 1998, Cllr Jonathan and his wife, Christine, have resided in the central region of the constituency with their three dogs.

“I joined the Liberal Democrats because I believe in a fair, free, 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,” said Cllr Jonathan.

In addition to volunteering and coordinating at the Brixworth Community Food Larder, Jonathan has spent the last two and a half years working within his ward community to implement a community transport scheme to reconnect villages for weekly shopping trips. During the pandemic and early lockdowns, he was one of the main coordinators of over 100 volunteers within his own community.

“I aim to be a campaigning MP, seeking investment in health care and transport; a listening MP, holding regular accessible surgeries and using MPs resources to serve our constituency and report back; a strong voice for Daventry at Westminster,” said Jonathan.

Jonathan talked about the challenges faced by the community, including the “lack of proper public transport investment,” the "huge" NHS, Adult and Children’s Services care crisis “needing urgent support,” local businesses “often excluded from support packages,” and Brexit, which is “stifling opportunity and growth.”

He said: “Our young people have been failed in many instances. The Conservative Local Government has cut youth service investment by 94 percent since 2010. This is a totally unacceptable situation for our young people.”

Jonathan mentioned the proliferation of warehousing across the area and homes and buildings “regularly” constructed without any consideration for climate mitigation.

“Whilst we need more homes, we continually see social and affordable homes either not being built in sufficient numbers or being kicked into touch on the claim of lack of viability.

“Houses in the UK continue to be built to an energy standard that simply would not be tolerated in many other parts of Europe. The cheapest form of energy is the energy you don’t need to use. All new builds should be net zero carbon by now,” said Jonathan.

The next UK general election is expected to be held in 2024.

“Daventry is a growing town, and it will need the right services and facilities to support this growth. We have great potential but also some social deprivation challenges.

“We have many challenges and opportunities within our constituency, and I will be a strong voice for Daventry at Westminster,” said Jonathan.