Plymouth candidate confident the Lib Dems are on course

Stuart Bonar, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Plymouth Moor View, is confident that his party is in a good position at this stage of the election cycle. Although the Lib Dems have struggled to stay above 20% in the polls, Bonar points out there is still a long way to go.

"The Lib Dems have been consistently performing better in opinion polls than in previous years. All the exposure that the campaign and the prime ministerial debates will give us will also ensure that more people hear what we have to say.

"And when people hear what we stand for, our popularity goes up."

This is a point that I made last month, and I would have to agree that the Lib Dems are still looking good considering the disadvantages they face in the current two party system. Although some voters dismiss them because they are unlikely to win the election, they are the main challengers to the Conservatives in the South West. Bonar feels that they will still do well in the region despite the Tories' resurgence.

"I see people beginning to ask themselves: what will the Conservatives actually do? The Tories have no real vision for the country. They are offering little but a hollow message of change."

"People don't just want change. They want real change, and that is what the Lib Dems are offering nationally and locally."

As for his own chances, Bonar is hopeful that he will cause an upset in a city where the Lib Dems haven't been competitive in recent years.

"I am campaigning hard, and the response I am getting from local people is positive. The swing I need to win was achieved or exceeded in a quarter of all seats in 1997, so it's certainly winnable."

The swing Bonar requires is 12.8%. This would be very impressive as his party don't presently have any representatives on Plymouth City Council. Therefore, the Liberal Democrats need foundations to build upon in future elections and in the midst of this volatile election, Bonar will be hoping he can get his party's message heard in a city that has traditionally been a LAB/CON battleground.