Liberal Democrats pledge power to sack MPs - between elections

7.54.15am GMT Sat 13th Mar 2010

Edinburgh South Liberal Democrat Candidate Fred Mackintosh was one of ten key candidates speaking at party's main pre-election rally in Birmingham tonight. With only 405 votes separating Labour and the Liberal Democrats in Edinburgh South this is a key constituency for the coming general election.

Fred said, "I have called on thousands of people in Edinburgh South in the past few years and when I say I want to become their MP to clean up politics it is fair to say some people are a little cynical.

"They say, "You are all the same". Well we are not. At the moment is nothing - apart from a general election - can shift an MP who has seriously broken the rules - and the Liberal Democrats are the only people who want to change that.

"We will give local people the power to sack their MP if he or she step over the line. People like that - not all candidates are the same. Some are Liberal Democrats.

Speaking at the rally Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said, "This Government knows it's come to the end of the road. The Tories know people have started to see through them. And voters know the Liberal Democrats offer something different.

"They've seen us calling it right, taking a stand, putting principles back into politics and they believe us when we say: Don't waste this election. Even if you feel hopeless after everything the other parties have put you through. Don't give up on change. And don't accept anything less than change that works for you."

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