West Worcestershire Lib Dems Select Richard Burt To Fight Parliamentary Seat

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 19th Jun 2006

Cllr Tom Wells (left), who narrowly missed out on victory in the 2005 General Election, congratulates Richard on his selection as the new Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire

West Worcestershire Liberal Democrats selected Richard Burt as their candidate to fight the next General Election at a packed hustings meeting in Malvern last Saturday.

Richard Burt, whose wife is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Solihull, will carry the banner for the Lib Dems after Tom Wells pegged the Conservative majority back to less than 2,500 votes at the last General Election.

Mr Burt, 52, has a reputation as one of the Party's most effective campaigners and has pledged to join the fight against damaging health service cuts across South Worcestershire by taking up the matter with Ministers.

"I am delighted to have been selected to fight this seat at the next General Election, and will devote all my time between now and then to campaigning hard on issues that matter most to people in West Worcestershire.

"The financial crisis that has led to cuts in vital health services and the loss of hundreds of NHS jobs locally follows record investment in the NHS, and is a damning indictment of government policy. Ministers must understand that the financial regime they have imposed on NHS Trusts is leading to death by a thousand cuts in many areas," said Richard Burt.

"Richard has a strong track record both as a local campaigner and an effective politician. He will be a big asset and we look forward to working closely with him," said Party Chairman, Charles Tucker.