by Rhiannon Bevan

AT 20 years old, Callum Robertson would take over as the youngest member of Parliament, should he win the Clacton seat.

He would also be the first Liberal Democrat MP in the coastal town’s history.

When I ask him if there’s much of a pro-EU voice in the seaside town, he jokes: “Me?” But what might surprise voters is that he completely understands why a majority want to exit the EU.

He said: “The EU is definitely not perfect.

“And as ‘Remainers’, blaming ‘Leavers’ doesn’t help anyone.

“I have Leavers in my family, I haven’t stopped going to dinner with them after the referendum.”

Callum represented Essex at the People’s March two months ago, and yet despite his wish for a second referendum, he says he understands: “wanting a chance to stick two fingers up to the Government”.

However, while canvassing for the local elections, Callum said he and his Lib Dem colleagues have had a positive response at front doors across the town.

He said: “People don’t want their libraries shut, and we say ‘do you want the councillors shutting them down to be running the district council?’ We can be better.”

The Lib Dems’ natural opponents – Ukip – have seen their support in Clacton dwindle since the referendum, and the parliamentary candidate is not surprised.

Callum said: “People often vote for change, and when that change doesn’t happen, people become disillusioned.

“The voters aren’t racist and stupid - it was disagreement over policy. But Ukip had their chance, and they blew it,” he says.

He added that lot of what the Lib Dems want to do in Clacton, who voted 70 per cent to leave in 2016, is not about Brexit at all.

Working as a legal adviser in Clacton, Callum has seen the issues locals are facing in courts, a lot of them financial.

He said he came across people who were entitled to legal aid, but could not claim it due to the “complicated” process of applying.

He said: “It does worry me that the people can’t get the justice they deserve..”

n This article was written by a student on Essex University’s multimedia journalism course.