Stephen Lloyd
Early candidacy
### Early candidacy

Lloyd first contested the [Beaconsfield](/wiki/Beaconsfield_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29 "Beaconsfield (UK Parliament constituency)") constituency, in [Buckinghamshire](/wiki/Buckinghamshire "Buckinghamshire") at the [2001 general election](/wiki/2001_United_Kingdom_general_election "2001 United Kingdom general election"). He came in third place behind the [Labour](/wiki/Labour_Party_%28UK%29 "Labour Party (UK)") candidate Stephen Lathrope and the victor, [Dominic Grieve](/wiki/Dominic_Grieve "Dominic Grieve") of the [Conservatives](/wiki/Conservative_Party_%28UK%29 "Conservative Party (UK)"). Lloyd received 9,117 votes and a 21\.6% share of the vote.

In 2002, Lloyd was selected by the Liberal Democrats to be their next candidate for the constituency of [Eastbourne](/wiki/Eastbourne_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29 "Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency)") in [East Sussex](/wiki/East_Sussex "East Sussex"). Viewed as a high target seat for the party, selection was competitive and he beat future parliamentary colleagues [Duncan Hames](/wiki/Duncan_Hames "Duncan Hames") and [Tessa Munt](/wiki/Tessa_Munt "Tessa Munt") to the final nomination. Lloyd spent the next three years becoming engaged in local causes, in preparation for the next general election. At the [2005 general election](/wiki/2005_United_Kingdom_general_election "2005 United Kingdom general election"), Lloyd lost to the sitting Conservative MP, [Nigel Waterson](/wiki/Nigel_Waterson "Nigel Waterson").

Lloyd continued to campaign locally for various causes, including leading opposition to plans to build a new [B\&Q](/wiki/B%26Q "B&Q") megastore in [Sovereign Harbour](/wiki/Sovereign_Harbour "Sovereign Harbour"), which was subsequently refused by the planning committee of the Liberal Democrat\-controlled [Eastbourne Borough Council](/wiki/Eastbourne "Eastbourne") in October 2005\.


Could Lloyd have done anything differently to change the outcome of the 2005 general election?