Huhne to cite Thatcher's record in bid to keep seats
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Liberal Democrats will launch an anti-Tory rebuttal unit to counter-attack Conservative attempts to capture their seats at the next election.
The "aggressive" unit will be spearheaded by the frontbencher Chris Huhne, who has a perilous 568-majority over the Conservatives in his Eastleigh seat. It will dissect policies proposed by David Cameron and turn the spotlight on the record of the Thatcher and Major governments.
The Conservatives are the main challengers in most of the Lib Dems' 63 parliamentary seats. Their resurgence under Mr Cameron leaves a swath of Lib Dem-held constituencies – notably in south-west London, Hampshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall – vulnerable to Tory candidates.
So grave are the Lib Dems' potential problems in the south-west of England that they will draft in their former leader Lord Ashdown, who was the MP for Yeovil, to front their general election campaign in the region.
Mr Huhne, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesman, will fire his opening salvo today when he will tell the Lib Dem conference that crime and unemployment would rocket under a Cameron government.
Mr Huhne, a former Independent journalist and City economist, is considered one of the party's heaviest hitters. He came within 1 per cent of defeating Nick Clegg for the party leadership two years ago.
His anti-Tory unit will also contain Norman Lamb, the health spokesman and MP for Norfolk North, and Lord Oakeshott, a Treasury spokesman.
Mr Huhne will argue in his address to the Bournemouth conference that successive Tory governments failed disastrously on law and order. He will also denounce Conservative economic policy, claiming it would choke off Britain's recovery from recession.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments