Spreyton Dinner Is A Storming Success!

11.25.47am GMT Thu 13th Dec 2007

Central Devon Liberal Democrats enjoyed their first Christmas Dinner at

Spreyton Village Hall on 6th December. 70 guests including 3 PPCs and 2 MPs

braved the ferocious winter storms to attend a splendid home cooked meal in the

superb modern village hall.

Guest speaker Lembit Opik, MP for Montgomeryshire spent nearly 6 hours

travelling to the depths of rural Devon from his constituency in rural mid

Wales. Mr Opik said that the public were too smart to be taken in by continual

spin from the Conservatives and Labour. "Instead people are hungry for

politicians who tell it like it is. They want politicians they can believe

in and who will provide inspirational leadership."

Referring to his own preference for the new Leader of the Liberal

Democrats, Mr Opik said "Whichever candidate is elected, we can

confidently go forward because we can offer the people what they want. The

Liberal Democrats are needed more than ever before. When we're asked which

of the other two parties we'd support in a hung parliament, tell them that

the great coalition has already happened - between the Conservative and

Labour Parties! The more Liberal Democrats that get elected, the more

Liberal Democrat policies will get implemented, such as free care for

the elderly and scrapping tuition fees, as has already happened in

Scotland and Wales."

Cllr Sally Morgan, the party's Parliamentary Candidate for Central Devon,

thanked Mr. Opik for going to such lengths to join them for the evening.

"Lembit is always received warmly by party members. He is an excellent

after dinner speaker and a great personality. He also went down well with

locals at the Tom Cobley pub in the village afterwards!"

Also attending were Parliamentary Candidates for Totnes and Wells, Julian

Brazil and Tessa Munt. Teignbridge MP Richard Younger-Ross also braved

the weather, driving from his home in Teignmouth to enjoy the evening.

Photo attached shows Peter Webb (Vice Chair West Devon Branch), Cllr

Julian Brazil (PPC Totnes), Cllr Sally Morgan (PPC Central Devon), Lembit

Opik MP, Richard Younger-Ross MP, Cllr Brian Berman (Vice Chair

Teignbridge Branch)