Lib Dem conference looks to Cumbria for inspiration
Made it safely to Bournemouth. I'm sure you're so relieved.
I had a brief moment of concern when I thought my hotel room wouldn't lock from the inside - imagine the potential glee of groupies!
Fortunately, the door is secure and I slept unmolested.
Quick hotel rundown:
Corby Trouser Press: present.
Biscuit availability: Small caramelised biscuit jobs but at least they're there!
Television channels: Just the four (my daughter would be horrified. She thought we'd gone back to the Cretaceous Period when our holiday cottage this Summer only had four channels).
Anyway, to business, and a big slice of Cumbrianness was on show at the this morning.
Westmorland and Lonsdale's as the party's rural affairs spokesman.
He kicked off by talking about an unexpected triumph at the .
Despite completing the six-mile run 20 minutes after the winner, the organisers took pity on him.
As there were no entries from any women aged over 60, they awarded him the trophy for that category!
Anyway, he went on to pepper the speech with lots more references to his Cumbrian constituency and policies which could be designed for it. (It is after all a highly marginal seat).
The Lib Dems are now committed to:
- Introducing a Food Market Regulator to enforce fair trade for UK farmers.
- Giving councils the power to increase taxes on second homes.
- Turning more disused farm buildings into affordable homes.
- Stopping all post office closures.
- Setting up hill farm apprenticeships to stop the exodus from the fells.
- Making some members of National Parks directly elected.
Incidentally Mr Farron appears to be much in demand for his campaigning expertise too.
, ended 100 years of Tory domination in Westmorland and Lonsdale, and activists in other target seats are keen to know how he did it.
He's addressing a number of fringe meetings about how to win over voters.
MInd you looking at the polls, it might be LIb Dem seats that are vulnerable to a Tory surge this time round.
I'm Richard Moss, the 91Èȱ¬'s Political Editor for the North East and Cumbria. Welcome to my irreverent - but hopefully insightful - northern take on reporting politics for Look North and the Politics Show.
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