Lib Dem heavyweights visit Eastleigh again (From Daily Echo)

Liberal Democrat heavyweights Vince Cable and Danny Alexander visit Eastleigh again

1:03pm Friday 15th February 2013 in Eastleigh

Lib Dem political heavyweights Vince Cable and Danny Alexander again weighed into the Eastleigh by-election campaign today.

The Secretary of State for Business and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury were in town last weekend - but today re-joined the party's candidate, Mike Thornton.

The trio were at the global headquarters of the laser manufacturing specialists, SPI Lasers, where they met and spoke to workers on the production line.

Mr Cable said: “I think in the week or so I have been here visiting, the real strength that we have is our local roots and local council. We elected a very good representative in Mike who has been a big part of that process.

“We have very strong community politics and an identity with the area, so there's a very strong local thing going on here.”

Danny Alexander added: “It shows how right the Liberal Democrats have been on fairer taxes. Over the past 24 hours we've seen the Labour Party trying to take credit for our mansion tax idea and the Conservatives trying to take credit for our idea about raising the working tax ratio.”

More Eastleigh by-election stories

• Liberal Democrat Mike Thornton is new Eastleigh MP
• Clegg hails Lib Dem win in Eastleigh
• New Eastleigh MP's pledge to voters
• I'm overwhelmed by victory, says MPs wife
• Full list of Eastleigh by-election results
• Defeated Tory candidate made a swift exit
• Mike's night but UKIP almost took centre stage
• Lib Dem Mike Thornton is Eastleigh's new MP