Vince Cable to visit Northampton on key campaign stop

12.00.00am GMT Wed 24th Feb 2010

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader and Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable, will use a visit to Northampton on Friday 26th February to highlight the need for more manufacturing as part of a rebalanced UK economy.

Dr Cable, who this week set out his party's plans for reforming the backing sector, will visit locally-based engineering firm Cosworth, before meeting local business leaders at the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce.

Dr Cable's visit is the second high-profile visit from a senior party figure, following Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg's visit last year.

The Liberal Democrats are hoping to make big gains in Northampton, with local candidate Andrew Simpson set to become the town's first Liberal MP since 1921 in a rare three-way race.

Dr Cable will be joined at Cosworth by Parliamentary Candidates for Northampton North and Northampton South, Cllr Andrew Simpson and Cllr Paul Varnsverry, who will be shown round the engineering firm's Northampton premises, before holding a press conference.

Dr Cable will then travel with Cllr Simpson up to the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce at Moulton Park to discuss issues with a 40-strong delegation of local business leaders.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. Cllr Andrew Simpson is Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Northampton North. A Borough Councillor since 1995, Andrew stood for the constituency in 2005, gaining a 7% swing (3,000 votes) from Labour. Andrew needs a further 6% swing to the seat on May 6.

2. Northampton North is one of only 58 three-way marginals in the UK according to the House of Commons Library.

3. Cllr Paul Varnsverry is Deputy Leader of Northampton Borough Council and Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Northampton South. Elected to the Guildhall in 2007, Paul is a respected expert in the field of specialist protective clothing. He chairs the British Standards Committee on protective clothing and equipment for the Police and was previously Convenor of the European Standards committee for sports protection.

4. Northampton South is set to see Conservative and Labour votes squeezed, with the loss of rural wards to South Northamptonshire and the presence of an ex-Labour MP turned Independent Councillor on the ballot.

5. To read the Liberal Democrats' plans for reforming the banking sector, set out by Dr Vince Cable MP at Thomson Reuters this week, click on to Liberal Democrat News:

http://www.libdems.org.uk/news_detail.aspx?title=Vince_Cable_sets_out_the_Liberal_Democrat_plan_for_the_banking_sector&pPK=98fe99d4-6a12-4fe6-81bf-31eb352edd76&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+libdemnews+%28Liberal+Democrats+%3A+All+News+Feed%29