The Liberal Democrats have attacked Southport Conservative candidate Damien Moore for his “interest in exotic places far removed from Southport”, dubbing him “air miles Damien”.
In his first two and a half year term as an MP, Mr Moore has managed to fit in trips to Armenia, Dubai, Israel, Taiwan, Tunisia and the Falklands – well over £20,000 in expenses paid travel; the Lib Dems have now illustrated that in a satirical YouTube video.
According to his Lib Dem challenger in Southport in the general election, John Wright, Mr Moore’s taste for exotic travel can’t have much relevance to the needs of Southport. “All candidates in this election should pledge to put Southport first and concentrate on the town’s issues. There are enough problems for an MP to attend to here in Southport without jetting off on international jollies”.
In a further twist, the Liberal Democrats have pledged in their manifesto to introduce a ‘frequent flyer tax’, which will hit people making three or more return flights per year, and will generate funds to fight climate change. “I can see why Mr Moore wouldn’t be supporting us”, said John Wright.
Mr Wright has pledged if elected to concentrate on Southport, addressing the local issues like town centre decline and threats to the future of Southport Hospital.