“I am honoured and delighted to have been selected to fight the next general election in East Hampshire on behalf of the Liberal Democrats. 

"I am not a career politician and have entered politics rather later in life than most first-time candidates. After nearly thirty years in public service, formerly an ambassador, and a further decade in the private sector working in green energy, becoming an MP was certainly not on my bucket list. But the chaos of the last eight years convinced me that I couldn’t carry on just being a spectator as this Government continuously fails to address the challenges this country faces.  If I felt so strongly, I had to become a participant myself. And so here I am.

"Change is desperately needed if this country is going to deal with the cost-of-living crisis and rebuild our public services - in particular the NHS. We have an environmental crisis in our rivers and coasts that needs urgent attention. But instead, the Conservatives seem more interested in looking for ways to water down their environmental commitments.

"Asked to describe my political philosophy, I would say that I am a proud centrist. I want to see the return of serious, sane, professional policy-making, based on real evidence and data. I want governments that attempt to build a national consensus to address the long-term challenges facing the country, such as climate change. To build bridges rather than engage in spiteful culture wars. Politics rooted in the values of the community and the rights of the individual, based on fairness and mutual respect. Liberal Democrat politics, in other words.

"As is the case in so many other Blue Wall constituencies, Liberal Democrat support is surging in East Hampshire, as this year’s District Council elections have shown. For too long, the Conservatives have taken voters in East Hampshire for granted. The next election will be a good test of the wisdom of that strategy. The Liberal Democrats certainly intend to give Damian Hinds the fight of his life."

If you would like to contact me then email me at Dominic4EastHants@ehlibdems.org.uk