Cornish MPs welcome Cable to Cornwall

10.00.00am GMT Mon 21st Jan 2008

Local Liberal Democrats have welcomed their Deputy Leader, Dr Vince Cable MP, to Cornwall. His visit marked the start of the County's one day Cornwall Conference, attended by nearly 150 Liberal Democrat delegates.

All five of the County's MPs were on hand to answer questions from activists, and to work with Councillors to devise the Party's manifesto for elections to Cornwall's new council.

Dr Cable set out the Liberal Democrat agenda for Britain's economy and told members that neither the Government nor the Conservative Party had been able to handle the crisis at Northern Rock effectively.

Commenting after the Conference, North Cornwall's MP, Dan Rogerson said:

"Today's conference has been a real success and there's a sense of purpose among our activists to achieve more and better things for Cornwall.

"People in Cornwall have chosen us during the last decade over a Conservative Party that ran roughshod over the interests of local people for too long.

"It's important we maintain people's trust in the coming years. Our record of keeping Council Tax low at County level, of winning European funding for Cornwall, and investing in Newquay Airport are a firm base on which to build. But there is more to do; we are still fighting the Conservative Council Tax tooth and nail, and still campaigning for new laws to control the growth of second homes."

Lib Dem spokesman for St Austell and Newquay, Steve Gilbert added:

"We've been delighted to welcome Vince Cable to Cornwall today. His record in the Commons has shown us as a party of economic competence while Ministers have balked at taking the action necessary to protect billions of taxpayers' money which has been pumped into Northern Rock."