THE calling of a sudden General Election by Theresa May is problematic for the Liberal Democrats.

Lib Dems feel that the decision to negotiate a hard Brexit following a poorly conducted referendum is a major mistake.

The media have explained her decision on the grounds that she feels she needs a more substantial majority to push through her agenda following this narrow result.

The electorate, however, is increasingly concerned also about the effects of the Government on our public services, especially funding for our NHS and the priorities for school financing.

The advantage of referenda is that if used correctly they allow the electorate to give their views on isolated topics of importance to it such as how it is governed.

With a General Election, the electorate will vote on a range of issues and the Government can interpret the result as best suits it at any particular time.

There is no satisfactory way around this dilemma with our present system of First Past the Post (FPTP) voting system.

I would ask the electorate to consider these points when voting in the General Election on June 8.

Dr Peter Hirst Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Congleton