The Liberal Democrats have selected local businesswoman and campaigner, Anna Sabine, as their election candidate for the new marginal Frome & East Somerset constituency.
The new boundaries mean the constituency is set to be a two-horse race between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative party.
The new constituency finds itself positioned in an area of Lib Dem strength - straddling the two Lib Dem dominated council areas of BANES and Somerset. In the last local elections, the Lib Dems enjoyed massive successes in these council areas and inflicted a heavy defeat upon the Conservatives.
The constituency also includes a significant part of the Somerton & Frome constituency where, last summer, Sarah Dyke and the Lib Dems won a famous by-election with a 29% swing from the Conservative party.
Anna Sabine lives locally and is raising her family here. She is an entrepreneur who has run award-winning businesses.
Anna’s top three priorities for the constituency are:
- Saving our streams and rivers from sewage discharges: In 2022, there were 110 pollution incidents by Wessex Water and several hundred more in the past five years. Liberal Democrats are calling on water companies to be taxed and for an end to sewage dumping in our waterways.
- Cutting ambulance waiting times: Local people have been left waiting hours for an ambulance in an emergency; the Liberal Democrats are calling for a 5-point plan to tackle the ambulance wait time crisis including higher recruitment and retention alongside more investment into social care.
- Tackling the cost of living and supporting local businesses: Anna wants to use her business experience to campaign for support to protect the local economy in difficult times.
Liberal Democrat candidate for Frome & East Somerset Anna Sabine said: “I am proud to stand for Parliament for my local area and am determined to give this constituency a strong voice in Westminster. The towns and villages in this new constituency have historically been taken for granted by their Conservative MPs.
“I will be a local champion who will fight to protect our waterways, save our health services and support local businesses. We have a Liberal Democrat MP, Sarah Dyke, in part of the constituency who is delivering every day for local communities, and I want to follow in her footsteps.
“At the next election, it will be a two-horse race between four more years of a tired and out of touch Conservative party, or a fresh start with a Liberal Democrat MP.”
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: "It is fantastic to see Anna selected for her local area. Anna's expertise in running a local business and her passion to deliver change is exactly what Frome and East Somerset needs after years of Conservative neglect.
"Somerset has been taken for granted by the Conservative party for far too long. At this year's election, it will be a two-horse race between a committed local campaigner in Anna, or four more years of a tired and out of touch Conservative party. I can't wait to visit to campaign for Anna."
Somerton & Frome Lib Dem MP Sarah Dyke added: “Relinquishing part of the existing constituency was never going to be easy, but I am thrilled that Anna is our candidate for Frome & East Somerset. She shares my passion for our communities and has the strength and determination to be an excellent MP. I will continue to work hard for Frome and will ensure that Anna is ready to hit the ground running.”