Lib Dem Members Called to Ealing and Sedgefield

5.51.39pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 29th Jun 2007

Labour are scared of the Liberal Democrat challenge. In recent years they lost Brent East, Leicester South and Dunfermline to us. They have called the Ealing Southall and Sedgefield by-elections at very short notice to try to stop us building momentum - the by-elections will now both be held on 19 July,

Ealing Southall has the second largest Asian community in the country. We came second here in the General Election and must aim to repeat the successful campaign that won Brent East for Sarah Teather. But we have to try and do it three weeks - not the three months that we had for that campaign.

Sedgefield is next door to Hartlepool where Liberal Democrats came close to seizing Peter Mandelson's former constituency in the 2004 by-election.

Lib Dem MPs have cancelled their regular parliamentary meetings in order to free up time for the campaigns. Many other party meetings are being cancelled in order to allow party members to come and help the campaigns.

We will keep posting full details of how to help in both campaigns at www.libdems.org.uk

But the message is that YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW!

Ealing Southall have already opened an impressive HQ near Southall station. This is at Unit 5, Urban Hive, Grand Union way, Bridge Road, Southall, UB2 4EX. A Sedgefield HQ will be open very soon.

You can e-mail your offer of help in either campaign to: support@libdems.org.uk

We also need to raise a lot of money for the campaigns. You can make a donation now via https://www.libdems.org.uk/support/landing1.html