Camden News: Vince Cable | Linda Chung

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Camden News - by SIMON WROE
Published: 25 September 2008

Vince Cable with candidate Linda Chung

...but top Lib Dem claims: ‘We’re main threat’

LIBERAL Democrat deputy leader Vince Cable lent his familiar face and political clout to the Hampstead Town by-election battle with a visit to South End Green on Monday, insisting that voters had a choice between his party’s candidate and the Tories.
In a coup for local party organisers, Mr Cable, an outspoken figure on the current economic crisis, was at the Zara restaurant to pledge the Lib Dems’ “commitment to local government” and pep up the ranks after the blow of losing Kentish Town councillor Phillip Thompson midway through the campaign.
Mr Thompson was at the centre of controversy when he resigned from the Town Hall after secretly enrolling at a university in Tucson, Arizona.
Mr Cable said: “I think Mr Thompson has put himself on the correct footing. He has paid back the allowances and he’s stepped down.
“He obviously
couldn’t continue.”
Lib Dem Linda Chung, who is hoping to break a Conservative stranglehold on the ward in today’s [Thursday’s] by-election, added: “These things happen – happened – but I don’t think you should condemn a young guy for pursuing his career.”
Labour rivals have warned voters that whether they vote for the Lib Dems or the Conservatives today the result would be the same as the two parties are working together in a coalition power pact.
With the two sides twinned together at a senior level, it has been argued that the campaigns have only focused on trivial matters rather than serious debates about council policy over the past four weeks.
But Mr Cable added: “The starting point is our commitment to local government. This is our roots. We have super local candidate and I’m proud to support her.
“If you have a joint administration obviously there is a collective responsibility. Even within that framework there’s competition for providing the best candidate for the job.
“Our two parties have a very different overall approach to politics and if you look at the big political picture of the constituency it’s us versus Labour.
“We are the main challengers.”
Ms Chung, a governor at Hampstead Parochial School, said she is fighting the election with promises to reduce parking fines and preserving the character of Hampstead.
The Conservative candidate is Stephen Phillips, Labour fields Larraine Revah, Anya Reeve stands for the Greens and Stephen Dorman for the BNP.

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