The starting gun has now been fired on the long-anticipated General Election.

Leaving aside the wisdom of holding it in cold, dark December when most people’s thoughts are turning towards Christmas, I’m excited to fight this campaign.

Here in Watford, where my two children were born, the battle is always between Labour and the only recently chosen Conservative candidate. While I was fighting hard for Watford last time he wanted to be the MP for Luton!

Just two years ago, I ran the Tories close and came within 2,000 votes of winning. Watford is a marginal constituency, where like most, the Liberal Democrats are miles behind. They finished 21,000 votes behind in 2017 and are out of the running.

Only by voting Labour can you secure a final say on Brexit and finally break the political stalemate that has crippled Parliament and bred division and uncertainty in our society. Then, finally, we can begin to tackle the funding crisis in our schools and hospitals; the housing crisis trapping people in extortionate private rented accommodation and the climate crisis that threatens our planet.

However, danger lurks. If the anti-Conservative vote is split then the Tories will win again. Their bad Brexit deal will go through and irreparably damage Britain and the years of cuts will continue.

So the choice is clear. Wild promises to stop Brexit from the Liberal Democrats who know they will not win, or a public vote on a Brexit deal that will be agreed by the EU and by Parliament. In any future referendum I will campaign to remain – no ifs, not buts.

It is all to play for here in the two-horse race between me and Boris Johnson’s Tory candidate.

  • Chris Ostrowski is Labour parliamentary candidate for Watford