Last week's phoney election campaign was a depressing experience. The other parties managed to produce a greatest hits compilation of almost everything that has turned people off politics.

Airbrushed posters, meaningless slogans. 
All set against the spectacle of the Government turning in on itself when the country is crying out for leadership. But most depressing of all was that we learned that the Labour and Conservative parties have decided to run their election campaigns as if the world hadn't changed:

The Local Party Executive of High Peak Liberal Democrats invites applications for selection as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency of High Peak

Potential applicants should contact the Returning Officer, 10 Garden Road, Eastwood, Nottingham. NG16 3FW

Phone 01773 763403 Email bob_charlesworth@yahoo.co.uk for an application pack.

High Peak Liberal Democrats are celebrating an astonishing victory in Thursday's by-election for the Blackbrook ward on High Peak Borough Council. Newly Elected councillor Edith Longden overturned a large Tory majority, increasing the Lib Dem vote from 39% to 57%.

Edith said, "I am delighted to be able to represent the Blackbrook ward and would like to thank all those people who voted. I hope to provide a strong voice, who will make sure that the needs of the community are heard."

In view of today's press reports about a balanced parliament we are circulating the text of what Nick said on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday. As you will see, these comments do not indicate any preference between the other two parties in the event of no party having an overall majority.

Nick said:-

"I think it is an inevitable fact, it is just stating the obvious, the party which has got the strongest mandate from the British people will have the first right to seek to govern.

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MPs' expenses have been a tasty and amusing little starter. But after duck houses, moat cleaning and the mystery of Tom Levitt's hair dryer, it's time to move on to some main courses we can really get our teeth into:

1. Electoral reform - universal suffrage and our version of democracy is less than a century old but it needs refreshing with some form of proportional representation. The old two-party system no longer reflects what most people want in the 21st Century.