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22
Mar
‘Harrogate is part of our DNA’, Lib Dems told at party conference
Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon opened the party’s spring conference in Harrogate today.
In a five-minute speech to delegates at Harrogate Convention Centre, Mr Gordon said Liberal Democrat MPs were “rolling up their sleeves and getting things done” after last year’s “Tory wipeout”.
He accused Tory leader Kemi Badenoch of being too focused on fighting internal battles and said: “We are the party that listens, we are the party that delivers and we are the party that brings people together.”
Mr Gordon also urged delegates to experience the town before the event closes tomorrow, when party leader Ed Davey is due to give a speech. He said:
While you are here in Harrogate, I absolutely insist you must take a moment or two to enjoy some of the fantastic things that our wonderful part of the world has to offer. From strolling through the stunning Valley Gardens, to the Turkish Baths and of course no trip to Harrogate is complete without a visit to Bettys. So go grab yourself a Fat Rascal, some of the famous Yorkshire Tea and make the best of the hospitality we have here in Harrogate.
Mr Gordon speaking today
Haringey councillor Nick da Costa, standing in for unwell party president Mark Pack, introduced Mr Gordon on stage as a “tireless campaigner” and "exceptional adcocate for the town"
Cllr da Costa said Harrogate had been the setting for “making big historic decisions” by the party.
He said the Liberal Party voted to begin merger talks with the SDP in Harrogate in 1987, “paving the way for the Liberal Democrats as we know it”.
He also reflected on Lib Dem Phil Willis’ defeat of Conservative Norman Lamont at the 1997 general election. He described former Chancellor Mr Lamont as “the Liz Truss of the 1990s” because of his impact on the economy.
Cllr da Costa said Harrogate was the “perfect place for us to come together”, adding: “This town is part of our party’s DNA.”
Ed Davey on the banks of the River Nidd in Knaresborough yesterday. Pic: Neil Muffitt
Reader Neil Muffitt pictured Mr Davey being interviewed on the banks of the River Nidd in Knaresborough yesterday.
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