News story

13th October 2003

Steve Webb Unanimously Re-Selected by Local Party

Don Foster MP congratulates Steve Webb MP on his re-selection

MP Steve Webb was this week re-selected by Northavon Liberal Democrats to be their prospective parliamentary candidate for the next General Election. In a secret ballot, which took place on Saturday evening (October 11th), local party members gave their full backing to the sitting MP, without a single vote against. The vote took place during a very well attended social event at Oldown Country Park, hosted by Robert and Alison Bernays, with guest speaker Bath MP Don Foster.

During the meeting, Steve Webb reminded members how far the local Liberal Democrats had come since he was first selected back in 1995. Back then, the Lib Dems had trailed the Conservatives by over 11,000 votes at the previous General Election. But within two years, they had sensationally overturned that majority to see Steve Webb elected by over 2000 votes. In 2001 they built on that success and Steve Webb was returned to Parliament with a majority of nearly 10,000 votes. But the MP told the meeting that he was not complacent and would continue to work hard to serve local people. Constituency Chair, Cllr Sue Hope, said that she was delighted that Steve had been re-selected by the local party and said that people all around the area recognised what a hard-working and effective local MP they had.

Visiting speaker Don Foster MP looked at the national political scene and said that it was an excellent time to be a Liberal Democrat. With a Government that was failing to deliver on public services such as transport and hospitals, and a divided Conservative opposition, more and more people were turning to the Liberal Democrats. He added that the recent stunning by-election victory in Brent East where the party came from third place to win in a Labour stronghold was clear evidence of this.