Call Clegg goes on the road as Nick Clegg launches the Liberal Democrat election campaign

By Caron Lindsay | Sun 29th March 2015 - 8:00 am

A big day today as Nick Clegg heads to Oxford West and Abingdon to officially launch the Liberal Democrat campaign. As ever there will be a bus to ferry the leader and his team around the country but it will have two particularly interesting features. First of all, it’ll have the tech to enable Nick to do Call Clegg style shows and radio interviews while he travels. Nick has always been the most accessible party leader, doing regular town hall meetings, but this will take it to a new level.

The other feature of the bus is that its livery has been designed by two graphic design students with panels to represent our main priorities.

It’s significant that the launch is taking place in a seat that we hope to gain, sending out the clear message that advancement is on the agenda, even when so many have written us off even more than they usually do.

Ahead of the launch, Nick said some things which should by now be quite tedious to Liberal Democrats but we need to remember that we are not the target audience.

For the first time ever, the Liberal Democrats go into this campaign with a record of action in Government to be extremely proud of.

We have provided stability and rescued the economy. And we have made Britain fairer by cutting taxes for working people, helping the poorest children in schools and creating 2m apprenticeships.

We have shown that you don’t need to choose between a stronger economy and a fairer society. With Liberal Democrats in Government you can have both.

We will cut less than the Conservatives and borrow less than Labour and the SNP.

We have kept the Government in the centre ground and shown that we are the only party that can build a stronger economy and a fairer society.

The party has been heartened by polling which shows an almost 10% rise in support for the party among women in the last year. Apparently our three most popular policies amongst women are equal status between mental and physical health, further cuts to income tax and (I must say I am surprised by this one) balancing the books by 2018. Younger women are also particularly supportive of the idea of shared parental leave.

We will bring you pictures of the bus and details of the launch when we have them.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings

3 Comments

Cllr Nick Cotter 29th Mar '15 - 12:13pm

Great News that Nick Clegg has such positive and family friendly policies for the female voter, and that there are some excellent female candidates in winnable seats including OXWAB.
I would love to see Christine Jardine win in Gordon – Mr Salmond and his leader appear to think that he has already been elected for that constituency ? Maybe he won’t be there in Westminster on 8th May ??
Simon Foster 29th Mar '15 - 8:08pm

This was brilliant to be at. A crowd of almost 100 (89 – I counted deliberately to have a record, not the 40 the Guardian would have you believe) gathered in extremely wet weather, to hear Nick speak. Layla gave a brilliant introduction before Nick delivered his message. Nick then went and put up the 300th poster board here in Oxford West and Abingdon. Groups of activists (the majority of whom were waiting for the Battlebus, not from London as the Guardian again wrongly claimed) then delivered lots of leaflets.

I led a team of 5 who knocked ours out quickly. This was mysteriously in the division of one Cllr Neil Fawcett. I was assured that this is pure co-incidence…;)

More campaigning has gone on all day, and I’m still at the Abingdon HQ making a few phone calls. Come and visit the seat if you get the chance, activists will be very welcome.
Pat 30th Mar '15 - 8:15am

Wishing Nick and all Lib Dem candidates very successful campaigning.
I would also love to see Christine Jardine win in Gordon.
Look forward to seeing pics of the bus.