Lib Dem Deputy, Sir Menzies Campbell, to Visit Eastleigh in Pre-Election Swing

4.17.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 3rd Feb 2005

Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell QC MP, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Shadow Foreign Secretary

The Liberal Democrats deputy leader and foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell will visit Eastleigh today (Thursday) as part of a pre-general election swing through key battlegrounds.

Sir Menzies is speaking at the Eastleigh Liberal Democrats annual dinner where he is expected to issue a rallying cry for a big local effort to increase Lib Dem representation in Hampshire, which already has four Lib Dem MPs.

The dinner is due to be held at the East Horton Golf Club in Fair Oak from 7.30pm, and will be attended by Eastleigh MP David Chidgey and Hampshire MEP and Eastleigh parliamentary candidate Chris Huhne.

Sir Menzies is also expected to give his views of likely developments in Iraq, and to underline the importance of setting a date for the withdrawal of British troops. Last Saturday, he was joint author with Robin Cook and Douglas Hurd (former Labour and Conservative foreign secretaries respectively) of an article urging UK withdrawal in a year.