Lembit & Mick Congratulates Nick Clegg as new leader of the Liberal Democrats

8.36.26am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 19th Dec 2007

Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates warmly congratulates new leader of the Liberal Democrat Party, Nick Clegg MP, on a successful leadership campaign. The vote was extremely close with Nick Clegg receiving 20,988 votes compared to the 20,477 gained by Chris Huhne.

Commenting, Mick Bates AM:

"I am pleased to offer my congratulations to Nick Clegg. Nick's hard work during this campaign is a reflection of his dedication to our party.

"Nick is vibrant, has a wealth of experience across a range of portfolios and I look forward to working with him in the future.

Lembit Opik MP added "As we enter a new era in the Liberal Democrat party I know that Nick will work hard to uphold our party values and will be committed to ensuring that our policies become reality.This campaign has been incredibly close with two strong candidates in the running for leader of the Liberal Democrats. This is extremely positive for the party and I am confident that this is a vital turning point towards a brighter future ahead for the Liberal Democrat party."