A personal message from Mark to the people of Hamilton West, Blantyre, Cambuslang and Rutherglen…

Dear residents,

Over the course of the general election campaign I enjoyed speaking to countless people across the constituency. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone, whatever their political views, who took the time to discuss the serious issues facing our country. Election campaigns inevitably emphasise our differences and the deep divisions in our society, but we should never forget we have far more in common than setting us apart.

I am truly grateful to everyone who trusted me with their vote. There is no denying however that the results were not what my party had hoped for. On what was a terrible night for all of us who want liberal and internationalist values to thrive, we had some small comfort of seeing increased support for the Liberal Democrats both here and across the UK. Sadly it was not enough to loosen the grip of the identity politics that has taken such a firm hold of our country.

My party and I did not succeed in offering the credible alternative so many people are desperate to see. As the candidate here I can only offer my apologies for that, both to my dedicated local campaign team and to everyone who voted for me. We need to properly reflect on what happened and do everything possible to ensure that in future our liberal, progressive, outward-looking values have the effective champions they deserve.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Margaret Ferrier on being elected and wish her success in representing everyone in our communities. It is also right to note the contribution made to our constituency by Ged Killen, who earned great respect across party lines as a hardworking and principled MP in the last parliament.

Sincerely,
Mark McGeever
Liberal Democrat Candidate
Rutherglen & Hamilton West