North West Liberal Democrats Host Key Leadership Debate at Manchester Town Hall

12.00.00am GMT Fri 23rd Nov 2007

Lib Dem Members Spoiled for Choice - Clegg and Huhne Put Their Case to be Party Leader

The North West of England Liberal Democrats will tomorrow, Saturday 24th November 2007, play host to a key Liberal Democrat Leadership Hustings in the Great Hall of Manchester Town Hall as ballot papers are starting to land on the doormats of Party members across the region.

Leadership contenders Nick Clegg MP and Chris Huhne MP will make their way past the Town Hall statues of famous Liberals including William Gladstone, the only person to be four times Prime Minister, and Free Trade MP John Bright, to speak to North West Liberal Democrat members at 11am.

The Hustings will last until 1pm and are to be chaired by John Leech, Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Manchester Withington, who won his seat at the 2005 General Election with a swing of over 15% from the Labour Party.

Chair of the North West of England Liberal Democrats Wirral Councillor Gill Gardiner, who will be welcoming the candidates, said:

"We are very proud to play host to the Liberal Democrat Leadership candidates in the North West on such a critical weekend for them, as members are starting to receive their ballot papers. The Liberal Democrats are a genuine "one member, one vote" party so every Lib Dem member in the North West is invited to our Hustings."

John Leech MP added:

"As Liberal Democrats we have doubled our number of MPs in the North West in recent years and in the May 2007 Local Elections we polled more votes than either Labour or the Tories across 14 Parliamentary seats in the region, which suggests that we will make further gains at the next General Election in the North West."

"Both Chris Huhne and Nick Clegg are rising stars in British politics with winning records who can promote a strong Liberal Democrat agenda to appeal to North West voters disillusioned with an ailing Labour Government and a lightweight Tory opposition lacking clear policies. I am looking forward to these Hustings."

Ends