Labour Running Scared: Ealing Southall By-election expected on 19th July

1.48.56pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 28th Jun 2007

Rennard: We will be fighting a vigorous campaign in Ealing Southall to hold Gordon Brown and Labour to account for their record

Reacting to the news that Labour has called the Ealing Southall and Sedgefield by-elections, with polling expected to be on 19th July, Liberal Democrat Chief Executive Chris Rennard said:

"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.

"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.

"Our 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 be fighting vigorous campaigns in both seats to hold Gordon Brown and Labour to account for their record."

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