Tories have betrayed us, says Brexit election candidate

A WOMAN fighting cancer is to stand for the Brexit Party in the Henley constituency at the next general election.

Katharine Harborne was a Conservative councillor in Richmond until she defected to Nigel Farage’s party in March.

She is an environmental scientist with 25 years’ experience as a management consultant in conflict resolution.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago but says she is now “winning the fight”.

Ms Harborne said: “I am looking forward to meeting people. The Brexit Party is planning to do bespoke policies for each constituency and that is what really excites me.

“Beyond Brexit, this party was founded to restore faith in our broken democracy. I am the right person for the job. My cancer is stable at the moment. I am writing a book about how I am battling cancer. It has made me focus on what is really important in life and democracy and the environment are my priorities.” Ms Harbone, who lives in Headington, Oxford, is managing director of the Cambridge Advanced Research Alliance, a medical research charity she started earlier this year.

She has a son, Max, who has competed at Henley Royal Regatta nine times, and a daughter, Zoe, who is a film animator.

She first entered politics as a councillor for North Richmond in May 2010 and pressed Boris Johnson, when he was mayor of London, to fund cycling schemes.

Ms Harborne said she left the Tories in despair at the Government’s negotiations with the EU over Brexit.

She said: “They have betrayed the trust of the 17.4 million people who voted to leave the EU and betrayed democracy.

“When I saw the way that politicians behaved earlier this year in failing to get Brexit done, I was just appalled. Because of my background in conflict resolution, it was frustrating to see our own politicians failing.

“When we didn’t leave in March, I was lost for words. I just couldn’t believe it. I met with Nigel Farage and he came across as a very intelligent man. It turned my frustration into hope.

“Brexit has been so divisive. We need to get it done and move forward to work together and make positive things happen.

“If politicians cannot work together to solve Brexit, I don’t believe there is any hope to work together to tackle some of the bigger issues that we are facing.”

Ms Harborne will launch her campaign at the Catherine Wheel pub in Hart Street, Henley, tonight (Friday) at 7.30pm.