Lib Dem challenger in Boris Johnson’s constituency steps down from election race

Citing ill health of both family members and colleagues, Elizabeth Evenden-Kenyon said she was making the “difficult” decision in order to prioritise her family.

“Life isn’t always easy but it is precious,” she wrote on her campaign website. “As many of you know, my mother’s strength has been fading for some times; things have not improved, and my family need me. My campaign colleague is also gravely ill and is in need of major surgeries.”

She wrote that she had decided to step down in order to give the Lib Dems time to find another candidate before the nominations deadline closes at 4pm on November 14.

The former candidate has attracted a large Twitter following during her campaigning.

Dear wonderful people of Twitter: this pains me more than you know but please see the following announcement: https://t.co/5ewx8TwMW9
— Dr Liz Evenden-Kenyon ? (@EvendenKenyon) November 12, 2019
 

In a piece for The New European, the passionate Remainer said that she had taken the plunge to run after “reckless” comments from Johnson and the embroiling of the Labour candidate, Ali Milani, in an anti-Semitism row.

READ: Why I’m battling Boris in his own back yard

In her announcement, she gave words of advice gleaned from campaigning and from her academic research: “Politics is not a game. This is not about history. It is about standing for thousands of people, and embracing their hopes, worries, fears and weaknesses.”

Her news came ahead of an announcement from the Lib Dem candidate in Canterbury that he would also not contest the election either.