McHugh: Strong, Experienced, Effective and Honest

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 26th Sep 2002

Watford's Lib Dem Mayor has publically backed Christine McHugh's campaign in Bedford. In her speech to Party Conference last week, Dorothy Thornhill encouraged others to visit Bedford to help as she has already done. Dorothy also slammed the system of executive Mayors. In her speech, Dorothy said:

"We all know that Liberal Democrats would never propose a system like executive mayors. Where they have been proposed, Liberal Democrats have campaigned against them - and quite right too!"

Dorothy continued:

"But after we narrowly lost the referendum we were left with a stark choice. We could either grumble about the result and take our bat home or get out there and campaign to win."

"In Yes Prime Minister, Sir Humphrey Appleby put it another way: "Do you know what happens when the right people don't get power - the wrong people get it."

"In the contest closest to me, our candidate Christine McHugh can do there just what I did in Watford. In Christine, the people of Bedford have a candidate who is strong, experienced, effective and honest. The prize is there for the taking. Let's get behind her."

"Dorothy Thornhill's full speech to the Liberal Democrat conference can be found at:"

"http://www.libdems.org.uk/index.cfm/page.news/section.conference/article.3433