Edgbaston Tory candidate dismisses Liberal Democrat hopes

Apr 22 2010 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Post

Edgbaston Conservative General Election hopeful Deirdre Alden has described her Liberal Democrat opponent as a “paper candidate”.

Claiming that the result in the highly marginal constituency was a straight contest between Tory and Labour, Mrs Alden added that Lib Dem Roger Harmer was not spending much time in Edgbaston preferring instead to help out in Hall Green where his party has an outside chance of winning.

Both Mrs Alden and Mr Harmer are city councillors in Birmingham, as is Jerry Evans, the Liberal Democrat candidate in Hall Green.

Mrs Alden, who is contesting Edgbaston for the second time, requires a swing of about three per cent to unseat Labour MP Gisela Stuart.

She accused Mrs Stuart of attempting to distance herself from Labour by describing herself as a independent-minded MP.

Mrs Alden added: “At the end of the day her voting record shows that 97 per cent of the time she supported the Government.”

Her comments appeared to reflect growing Conservative concern across the West Midlands that a resurgent Liberal Democrat campaign will take votes away from Tory candidates allowing Labour MPs to hold on.

She was talking during a visit to Birmingham by Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude.

Mr Maude insisted that David Cameron had no regrets about agreeing to take part in the General Election TV debate even though he failed to come out on top.

The Conservative Party leader was judged by opinion polls to have been outclassed by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg during the first live debate.

But Mr Maude said that Mr Cameron had always realised he would be onto a hiding to nothing by sharing a platform with Mr Clegg and Gordon Brown.