Ed endorsed at packed meeting

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 18th Apr 2005

At a packed and up-beat meeting at Ye Olde Swiss Cottage on Sunday 17th April, Hampstead and Highgate Liberal Democrats formally adopted Ed Fordham as their candidate for the General Election.

Speaking at the meeting Ed said "This is a great and exciting moment for us. The Conservative Party are flat-lining in the opinion polls and know that they cannot win. They have failed to capture the agenda and have failed to galvanise support for their campaign.

"In contrast Charles Kennedy has set the pace and set the tone - talking Britain up and not talking it down, have aspirations of hope rather than warnings of fear and has pledged to stick to a positive agenda.

"Here in Hampstead and Highgate this is good news for the Liberal Democrats. Labour's latest leaflet, in a panic measure acknowledges that Labour has slumped to 26% and the Liberal Democrats are on 25%. Increasingly this seat is seen as a marginal - the Labour majority is just 7,000 out of an electorate of 73,000.

"In this election our ambition is really very simple - we are fighting to win and we are fighting hard. There is a tidal change in North London, triggered by Sarah Teather's win in Brent East last year, and we are ambitious and have high hopes of winning more seats and more votes."

Ed was proposed as the Liberal Democrat candidate by Cllr Keith Moffitt and Cllr Margaret Little. Dr Evan Harris, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, spoke of the excitement around the country at the prospects for the Liberal democrats. He said

"We are stronger, we have MPs across Britain and we are fighting a concerted and optimistic campaign. I am delighted to endorse Ed here tonight - he and I have worked closely together and is an impressive and capable campaigning. Within the Party Ed is a known and respected figure and his ability is being put to good effect here in Hampstead and Highgate."

Ed Fordham was adopted in a unanimous vote and is now a duly nominated candidate with the Electoral Registration Office at Camden Town Hall.