Benedict Brogan reports that Sir Menzies Campbell told Cameron to get lost over any Lib-Tory pact dreampt up by Tory Central Office. Quite right too. It’ll be interesting to see how much Greg Dyke was involved in the Tories’ idea; you would have hoped he would have had better judgement than to be seduced by the idea.
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Editor’s note:
This has been a fast moving story this afternoon. It’s worth noting in full the party’s press release on the subject:
LONDON DESERVES A LIBERAL CHOICE FOR MAYOR – DAVEY
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Menzies Campbell today rejected a Conservative approach for the two parties to support a joint candidate for the London mayoral elections next year.
Speaking after the meeting with David Cameron, Liberal Democrat Chair of Campaigns and Communications, Edward Davey MP said:
“The people of London should have a full democratic choice on next year’s mayoral elections. David Cameron’s proposal would have denied that.
“The Liberal Democrats are not the kind of party that makes major decisions like this without consulting its members.
“We are happy to work with other parties on important issues as we did today in Parliament over pensions. However, major differences exist between the Liberal Democrats and the other two parties over big issues such as council tax, crime and the environment.
“There are many problems with Ken Livingstone’s performance as Mayor, but the way to defeat him is not to have a ‘anyone-but-Ken’ candidate, it is to win the argument over issues that matter to the capital.
“London is increasingly a liberal city and the people of London deserve a liberal choice for mayor.”
ENDS
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Unity has an interesting little theory on why Iain Dale stirred this up:
http://www.ministryoftruth.org.uk/2007/04/18/backing-boles/#comments
I’d like to see the party take this line: no pacts. If there’s an hung parliament and the Lib Dems hold the balance our MPs judge each bill on its liberal merits. Is it intrusive of personal lives and data, does it further trammel civil liberties, does it reduce freedom, does it centralise power, does it weaken the nation’s security? If its illiberal, it doesn’t get LD MPs support. That could be a non-negotiable position that could sit alongside the ‘we’re going for the maximum number of seats’ line that Ming has to say. I suspect in a hung parliament both Brown and Cameron would set up set up Grandma selling market stalls to be able to get form an administration.
Just a shame that in this increasingly ‘liberal’ city the regional party can’t find anyone suitable…
Not quite true, the party can’t find three suitable candidates, one of which has to be a woman, for a shortlist.
Greg Dyke is listed on the Electoral Commissison web site as having donated to the Lib Dems in the run up to the 2005 General Election (and not to any other Party)