Eight Weeks to Woo London

The non-appearance of Brian Paddick at last night’s Rally at the Liverpool LibDem Conference caused more than a few raised eyebrows among members and the media alike, so I hope to goodness he is going to make a barnstorming impact in the northern city’s Arena over the next 24 hours. The London Mayoral elections on 1 May are going to be more high-profile than any other previous such contest, with a huge potential impact on the party’s fortunes way beyond the capital. As Mark Pack has pointed out, London LibDems have enjoyed a brilliant first couple of months in 2008, so far as local byelections are concerned. And we bagged an important convert from the Tories in a former Chairman of the London Conservatives. But all eyes will be on the Mayoral contest in eight weeks’ time. If we do well there, we will be on the crest of a wave. If we do badly, we will once more be treated as a relatively indignificant also-ran.