Larry Sanders, elder brother of former presidential hopeful Bernard, is once again battling to become a British Member of Parliament after being selected by the Green Party to contest the Witney by-election following ex-prime minister David Cameron’s resignation.
Delighted to have been chosen to fight the Witney by-election! It's a real opportunity to stop the privatisation and starvation of the NHS.
— Larry Sanders (@LarryforWitney) September 24, 2016
At 82 years of age, US-born Sanders is thought to be one of the oldest people ever to stand in a British by-election but he brushed that statistic aside, telling Heat Street: “I feel fine. Everything’s working. We’re running an energetic campaign.”
He last stood for the Oxfordshire seat during the 2015 general election, his left-leaning environmentally-focussed party coming fifth out of 12 candidates with 2,970 votes and a 5.1% share.
He said of the current Green campaign: “I want to focus on the NHS and social care. Most people are unaware of how underfunded both of these are. Social care funding has been cut by a third. When you meet people who are not being properly treated, it’s really very painful. I’m drawing on my brother’s experience. He got many votes people didn’t expect him to get and we hope to do the same to get the government to pay attention.”
Sanders said he thought Cameron’s own story was “sad”.
By-election campaign launch outside Witney Community Hospital today with @CarolineLucas. The destruction of the NHS affects us all. pic.twitter.com/ORPoJMa3a7
— Larry Sanders (@LarryforWitney) September 24, 2016
“I think his story is a sad story. He is a bright, capable man who got up in politics. He pretended to be a great fan of fighting climate change and ends up supporting fracking. The whole health service thing – the Andrew Lansley reorganisation – was a disaster. He ended up drifting.”
He added: “If I become MP for Witney I will focus on the NHS. My work would be cut out but I like that.”
As for his younger brother’s ongoing involvement in Hillary Clinton’s campaign, Sanders said it was apparent from the regular transatlantic conversations they have by phone that she is relying on him.
“Mrs Clinton’s campaign is not going very well. Bernard is working extremely hard to help her because he’s convinced a Donald Trump victory would be a disaster. Bernard seems to be speaking pretty much every day in arenas. He’s doing everything he can and he wouldn’t be doing that without her blessing.”
Bernie Sanders is 75.
With all due respect to the Sanders brothers, both of whom show admirable instincts to serve the public, Clinton must be in trouble if she has asked a man older than her to help her secure the White House…
