Monday, October 09, 2006
02/03/2006 Sample welcomes Sir Menzies Campbell as Leader of the Liberal Democrats
2nd March 2006
Salisbury District Council’s Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Cllr Paul Sample, has welcomed the election of Sir Menzies Campbell as Leader of his Party (www.mingcampbell.org.uk).
Cllr Sample, who supported his friend Simon Hughes MP during the election campaign, said today: “I am obviously disappointed that my good friend Simon Hughes was not elected. But he fought a good and honest campaign stemming from deeply held Christian principles and he will remain the most respected candidate among activists and Councillors.
“Ming Campbell is well known to many of us in South Wiltshire. He accepted an invitation to visit Salisbury to support my parliamentary campaign in the early 1990s. He and his wife Elspeth toured Tisbury, Harnham, Salisbury City and Durrington one Saturday while they were staying with Jane and Paddy Ashdown in Somerset. They won many friends in Salisbury and I know many local Liberal Democrats voted for him in this election. I am not surprised by his victory. He was always the one to beat.
“The election campaign has generated a lot of interest – particularly among young people and I have seen an upswing in mood in the local party, and among local Liberal Democrat supporters, over the past couple of weeks. The fantastic result at Dunfermline West, where we took a seat from Labour, has boosted our fortunes and I know Ming will benefit from this upsurge in support. I think the events of December and January are now well behind us. I am confident that, with a new Leader, the Liberal tide is coming back here in Salisbury. It is too early to predict that we will take Salisbury back – but I am more optimistic now than at any time in the last couple of years.”
Salisbury District Council’s Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Cllr Paul Sample, has welcomed the election of Sir Menzies Campbell as Leader of his Party (www.mingcampbell.org.uk).
Cllr Sample, who supported his friend Simon Hughes MP during the election campaign, said today: “I am obviously disappointed that my good friend Simon Hughes was not elected. But he fought a good and honest campaign stemming from deeply held Christian principles and he will remain the most respected candidate among activists and Councillors.
“Ming Campbell is well known to many of us in South Wiltshire. He accepted an invitation to visit Salisbury to support my parliamentary campaign in the early 1990s. He and his wife Elspeth toured Tisbury, Harnham, Salisbury City and Durrington one Saturday while they were staying with Jane and Paddy Ashdown in Somerset. They won many friends in Salisbury and I know many local Liberal Democrats voted for him in this election. I am not surprised by his victory. He was always the one to beat.
“The election campaign has generated a lot of interest – particularly among young people and I have seen an upswing in mood in the local party, and among local Liberal Democrat supporters, over the past couple of weeks. The fantastic result at Dunfermline West, where we took a seat from Labour, has boosted our fortunes and I know Ming will benefit from this upsurge in support. I think the events of December and January are now well behind us. I am confident that, with a new Leader, the Liberal tide is coming back here in Salisbury. It is too early to predict that we will take Salisbury back – but I am more optimistic now than at any time in the last couple of years.”
