LIB DEM ELECTION GURU VISITS TOP TARGET SEAT IN LEEDS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 5th Jan 2005

Leading Lib Dem election guru and life peer, Lord Tim Razzall is visiting Leeds tomorrow to discuss the prospect of the Liberal Democrats winning Leeds North West with the local team.

Leeds North West Constituency is the top target seat for the Liberal Democrats in Leeds and Tim Razzall is visiting to boost the Liberal Democrats General Election campaign here. Across Leeds North West the Lib Dems have established themselves as the clear challengers to Labour with no less than 18 Leeds City Councillors representing part of the constituency compared to Labour and the Tories with 6 each.

Lord Razzall, who played a key role in the organisation of the successful 1997 General Election campaign, will be meeting with Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson Cllr Greg Mulholland and local Lib Dem campaigners who are plotting victory in the seat that Harold Best is stepping down from at the next election.

Commenting on his visit, Lord Razzall said, "The Liberal Democrats have already shown that we are the challengers to Labour across the North of England and that is certainly the case here in Leeds North West where we are very hopeful of taking the seat".

He adds, "Even Michael Howard admitted at the Tory Party Conference that they don't have a realistic chance of picking up seats in the northern cities, so the message is clear - if you want to get rid of Labour in Leeds North West, you have to vote Lib Dem".

Parliamentary Spokesperson Greg Mulholland said, "We are delighted that Lord Razzall is visiting Leeds to give us some of his advice and wisdom and this is another boost to our campaign."

"We are getting the same message across Leeds North West: That people are fed up of Tony Blair and New Labour and that they are turning to the Liberal Democrats in droves. People tell me they want a change and we are ready to give them that change."