Menzies Campbell elected as Lib Dem leader

10.24.17pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 2nd Mar 2006

Ming Campbell has been elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats, taking over from Charles Kennedy.

In his acceptance speech he praised 'the remarkable legacy of Charles Kennedy' and said that 'the Party will be always in his debt'

He went on to say 'Today is not a victory for me; it is a victory for all Liberal Democrats.'

'Once again in these last few weeks we have confounded our critics and the commentators, all of whom wrote us off. Yet thousands of people in Dunfermline and West Fife elected Willie Rennie as the 63rd Liberal Democrat MP.

'A victory in Labour's heartlands and a victory which bursts the bubble of Cameron's Conservatives.'

Campbell spoke of his vision of the Liberal Democrats as the party of innovation in Britain, and as leader pledged he would encourage the brightest and the best to join the Party, and to lead the party in a crusade against poverty.

He said the party would champion freedom, fairness and environment protection, would tackle the secrecy which still pervades far too much of Britain, and would be a party which pledges to take power from Westminster and Whitehall to give it to people in their own communities.

Ming Campbell, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

'The task is to build a strong, effective, powerful Liberal Democrat party' said Campbell, 'with the objective of ensuring a greener, fairer, decentralised and democratic Britain at peace with itself at home and admired abroad.'

Related Links:

Leadership results.

Garratt: Lib Dems set for continued success under Ming Campbell.