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| Campaigning already under way in Chris Huhne's constituency | Campaigning already under way in Chris Huhne's constituency |
| (2 months later) | |
| Some were deeply upset for Chris Huhne while others said they felt betrayed by him. All expressed huge shock. | Some were deeply upset for Chris Huhne while others said they felt betrayed by him. All expressed huge shock. |
| But by the afternoon the Liberal Democrats of Eastleigh were doing what they do best: pounding the streets, banging on doors and explaining how and why they were going to hang on to this prized seat. | But by the afternoon the Liberal Democrats of Eastleigh were doing what they do best: pounding the streets, banging on doors and explaining how and why they were going to hang on to this prized seat. |
| "I was very saddened when I heard," said Anne Winstanley, Huhne's agent at the last election. "I was sad for us, for Chris. He was a fine MP and I count him as a friend. I'm upset it's come to this for him. | "I was very saddened when I heard," said Anne Winstanley, Huhne's agent at the last election. "I was sad for us, for Chris. He was a fine MP and I count him as a friend. I'm upset it's come to this for him. |
| "But we carry on. The party is bigger than any one of us. It's the party's philosophies and policies that we'll be promoting. And with spring coming, it's not a bad time to be out there campaigning." | "But we carry on. The party is bigger than any one of us. It's the party's philosophies and policies that we'll be promoting. And with spring coming, it's not a bad time to be out there campaigning." |
| Just one issue was cleared up on day one of this byelection campaign: the leader of the United Kingdom Independence party will not be standing. Nigel Farage said he would be concentrating on his job as an MEP and heading his party's campaign for seats at the county council elections in May. | Just one issue was cleared up on day one of this byelection campaign: the leader of the United Kingdom Independence party will not be standing. Nigel Farage said he would be concentrating on his job as an MEP and heading his party's campaign for seats at the county council elections in May. |
| Farage said his romantic side had been tempted to stand again almost 20 years after he fought the 1994 Eastleigh byelection (when the Lib Dems took the seat from the Tories) but he was "a bit busy" at the moment and there were other talented Ukip party members who could do well in Eastleigh. | Farage said his romantic side had been tempted to stand again almost 20 years after he fought the 1994 Eastleigh byelection (when the Lib Dems took the seat from the Tories) but he was "a bit busy" at the moment and there were other talented Ukip party members who could do well in Eastleigh. |
| The likes of Keith House, the Lib Dem leader of Eastleigh borough council, may be relieved that the Farage roadshow will not be parking up in Hampshire. Both the Lib Dems and the Tories are keen to say that this is just a two-way fight and House was champing at the bit to point out the differences between the coalition parties. | The likes of Keith House, the Lib Dem leader of Eastleigh borough council, may be relieved that the Farage roadshow will not be parking up in Hampshire. Both the Lib Dems and the Tories are keen to say that this is just a two-way fight and House was champing at the bit to point out the differences between the coalition parties. |
| "We've got the potential to demonstrate on a national stage that the Liberal Democrats are a different party to the Conservatives. We're in government because we had to be but we've got different policies, different traditions, different values." | "We've got the potential to demonstrate on a national stage that the Liberal Democrats are a different party to the Conservatives. We're in government because we had to be but we've got different policies, different traditions, different values." |
| Tim Farron, the president of the Lib Dems, was the first of the party's big hitters to arrive in Eastleigh. Just a day after Huhne admitted perverting the course of justice by dodging a speeding penalty and resigned as the constituency MP, Farron joined activists delivering leaflets. | Tim Farron, the president of the Lib Dems, was the first of the party's big hitters to arrive in Eastleigh. Just a day after Huhne admitted perverting the course of justice by dodging a speeding penalty and resigned as the constituency MP, Farron joined activists delivering leaflets. |
| He had gentle words for Huhne: "Chris is a friend, he's been a brilliant MP, an outstanding servant to the party. He will pay a price for what he has done. We'd rather this hadn't happened but we're up for the fight and determined to win it well." | He had gentle words for Huhne: "Chris is a friend, he's been a brilliant MP, an outstanding servant to the party. He will pay a price for what he has done. We'd rather this hadn't happened but we're up for the fight and determined to win it well." |
| But this is not going to be a pretty fight. Godfrey Olson, the leader of the Tory group on the borough council, summed up the relationship between his party and the Lib Dems as "confrontational". | But this is not going to be a pretty fight. Godfrey Olson, the leader of the Tory group on the borough council, summed up the relationship between his party and the Lib Dems as "confrontational". |
| Olson said this byelection would not just be about Westminster and national matters but about controversial local issues such as plans to build homes on a golf course. And the Tory candidate is likely to be a character who can ruffle feathers. Maria Hutchings gave Huhne a run for his money at the 2010 election – the Lib Dem majority is 3,864 – but is better known as the mother of a son with autism who hit the headlines when she tackled the then prime minister Tony Blair about special needs schools on a chat show. | Olson said this byelection would not just be about Westminster and national matters but about controversial local issues such as plans to build homes on a golf course. And the Tory candidate is likely to be a character who can ruffle feathers. Maria Hutchings gave Huhne a run for his money at the 2010 election – the Lib Dem majority is 3,864 – but is better known as the mother of a son with autism who hit the headlines when she tackled the then prime minister Tony Blair about special needs schools on a chat show. |
| John Denham, Ed Miliband's parliamentary private secretary, was also in Eastleigh to rally the activists. "This is a tough one for us. We only got one in 10 votes at the last general election," said Denham. "On the other hand there are thousands of people in Eastleigh who voted Tory or Lib Dem last time round and feel bitterly disappointed." | John Denham, Ed Miliband's parliamentary private secretary, was also in Eastleigh to rally the activists. "This is a tough one for us. We only got one in 10 votes at the last general election," said Denham. "On the other hand there are thousands of people in Eastleigh who voted Tory or Lib Dem last time round and feel bitterly disappointed." |
| This feels like the sort of place where Labour ought to do reasonably well. | This feels like the sort of place where Labour ought to do reasonably well. |
| It grew as a railway town in the 19th century and the area's biggest employer today is Southampton airport. It is not poor but neither, for the most part, is it well-heeled. | It grew as a railway town in the 19th century and the area's biggest employer today is Southampton airport. It is not poor but neither, for the most part, is it well-heeled. |
| Ray Finch, who works in Nigel Farage's office and stood in Eastleigh in 2010 for Ukip, is more bullish than Denham. He was in town declaring Eastleigh a "four way marginal", insisting that Ukip could win – and also explaining how Farage was as central to Ukip as Lionel Messi is to FC Barcelona. He bustled off to find an empty shop for Ukip to use as a base, keen to get down to work. "It's going to be close, it's going to be interesting, it's going to be fun." | Ray Finch, who works in Nigel Farage's office and stood in Eastleigh in 2010 for Ukip, is more bullish than Denham. He was in town declaring Eastleigh a "four way marginal", insisting that Ukip could win – and also explaining how Farage was as central to Ukip as Lionel Messi is to FC Barcelona. He bustled off to find an empty shop for Ukip to use as a base, keen to get down to work. "It's going to be close, it's going to be interesting, it's going to be fun." |
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