Off to Hartlepool

8.00.00am GMT Sat 11th Sep 2004

Peter Mandelson has now officially stepped down as MP for Hartlepool to become the European Commission with responsibility for trade. As a result there will be a by-election to fill the vacant position, the Government have called the by-election for 30 September.

This follows on from the double by-elections in July both in Leicester South and Birmingham Hodge Hill. The Liberal Democrats won in Leicester and only just missed out in Hodge Hill by 460 votes after recording a swing of almost 27%. I managed to get across and help in both Leicester and Hodge Hill and I came up to Hartlepool last night to lend a hand there for the weekend.

Its not all work and no play, whilst in Hartlepool I will have a chance to catch up with a friend of mine I met in Ecuador and spent six months travelling around South America with in 2001/2.