LEEDS NORTH WEST HQ OPENS!

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 31st Jan 2005

Harrogate MP Phil Willis performed the official opening of the Leeds North West Campaign Headquarters on Saturday 29 January. Phil Willis made the short journey to join PPC Greg Mulholland and the Leeds North West team where the campaign is in full swing to elect Greg Mulholland as Leeds' first Lib Dem MP.

Leeds North West is the party's top target in West Yorkshire and the campaign team are increasingly hopeful of taking the seat from Labour. The Lib Dems already have 3 times as many councillors as the other two parties and with the rebel Labour MP standing down and one of the largest student populations in the country, victory is a real possibility.

Already the press are tipping the Lib Dems to win the seat, including in the University of Strathclyde study for the Independent newspaper which listed Leeds North West amongst the predicted gains from Labour.

The new Campaign HQ is right in the heart of the constituency in West Park, on the A660 Otley Road above a recently closed Post Office (closed despite the efforts of local Liberal Democrats!).

Phil Willis commented, "In Leeds North West we have an excellent opportunity to inflict a defeat on this discredited Labour Government. It is vital for the party that we win seats like Leeds North West from Labour and that as a region we double our number of seats by winning both here and in Haltemprice and Howden where we will unseat Tory leadership hopeful, David Davis".

Greg Mulholland, who is one of no less than 18 Leeds City councillors in Leeds North West, commented, "The message on the doorstep is clear: that people are sick of Tony Blair and New Labour and that they don't see the Conservatives as relevant. We have a fantastic opportunity to win here and strike a real blow for the party in one of the country's leading cities, but we need people to come in and help, it's going to be a real dogfight."