Lib Dems asked how to fix Labour party (Jeremy Hilton)

Lib Dems asked how to fix Labour party

March 13, 2010 7:06 AM

Liberal Democrat councillors across Gloucestershire were amused today to find in their email inboxes a plea from Compass, a political action group which is known to support the Labour party, asking for opinions on how to improve the Labour party after the General Election.

In what is obviously a mistake, many Lib Dem councillors received an email from Gavin Hayes, General Secretary of Compass. The email's opening paragraph said:

Whilst we hope and expect a 4th term Labour victory it's becoming clear that the Party will need to think carefully about how it renews and transforms itself in the long term and on that basis we want to hear your ideas for Transforming Labour!

The email then asked readers to take the time to fill in a survey, giving views on how to build up the Labour party after the election. This information would then be collated after the election, to give the Labour party a strategy for rebuilding itself.

Jeremy Hilton, who hopes to beat Labour's Parmjit Dhanda to become Gloucester's next MP, said ''Labour supporters have finally admitted that they will have a disastrous result in the forthcoming elections. I am working flat out to achieve a Lib Dem victory in Gloucester. Labour members should give up on their party and join the Liberal Democrats. Together we can build a Britain that is fair for all'.

Cllr Dennis Andrewartha, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Stroud, suggested that one way for Labour members to transform themselves was 'to transform themselves into Lib Dems!' He added 'on a more serious note, this internal party email shows that Labour have given up on government. They know they will be voted out of office. In Gloucestershire, people have a real alternative in the Liberal Democrats'.

Cllr Sebastian Field commented 'I was very surprised to find the email in my inbox. It just goes to show that we can all make mistakes. The Labour party have given up, and so I urge people to vote out Mr Dhanda, and also in the council elections, where the Labour party always come a poor third, to vote Liberal Democrat and change the Council.'

Ends...