Liz Lynne tours West Midlands with Lib Dem leadership favourite

3.10.31pm GMT Mon 20th Feb 2006

Liz Lynne MEP and Chris Huhne MP at the Lib Dem Regional Conference

Liz Lynne, Lib Dem MEP for the West Midlands, today hailed Lib Dem leadership candidate Chris Huhne as the best man for the job, after touring the region with him on Saturday.

Liz accompanied Chris on a whistlestop tour of her constituency, meeting with local party members to discuss a range of issues. Chris attended a coffee morning in Great Malvern, then travelled to Coventry where he spoke alongside fellow candidates Ming Campbell and Simon Hughes at the Liberal Democrat Regional Conference.

In the evening Chris and Liz met with leaders of the Muslim community in Sparkbrook in Birmingham, and officially opened the Liberal Democrat Sparkbrook Ward Campaign Office.

Liz Lynne, who will be meeting Chris again on Wednesday when he visits MEPs in Brussels, said:

"I am delighted Chris could fit a day into his busy schedule to tour the West Midlands, which is an increasingly important area for the Liberal Democrats. Over 400 members turned out in Coventry to hear all three candidates speak, and there's no doubt that this campaign is exciting and encouraging our grassroots support."

"I worked alongside Chris when he was an MEP, and while he may be new to Westminster, he has been active in politics for 25 years. He has also had a successful career as both a journalist and running his own business - essential real-world experience that has prepared him well for a leadership role.

"He is a unifying candidate with a strong appeal to both party members and potential supporters, and his campaign is gathering momentum. The response on Saturday was fantastic, and confirms what polls have already shown - the rank outsider is now the firm favourite to lead our party to further success."

ENDS