At a hustings meeting this evening, held at The Station Hotel, Worksop, Leon Duveen was selected as the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Bassetlaw.

Leon has been active in the local Lib Dem party for a number of years and has lead their campaign in recent local elections. Although born in London, he has lived in Worksop with his family for over 25 years and, in addition to his party political activities, has taken prominent roles in a number of local community groups including Fairtrade for Bassetlaw & Bassetlaw Against Fracking.

Now an IT Consultant, running his own company, Leon has worked in a variety of industries both in the UK and in Israel after leaving school at 16.

At the Hustings meeting, in his address, Leon said “I am a convinced Lib Dem. Although I only joined the party after the Coalition was formed, I have voted, when I could, Lib Dem over the years in both national & local elections, back to the first time I could vote, in February 1974.

“The Preamble to the Party Constitution is as good a summation of my own political philosophy as any I could write “…to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community and in which no-one is enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.”  

“Our role is to make the dream expressed in those words a reality here in Britain. Too many people are trapped by their place of birth, their upbringing, their circumstances into a life where their potential cannot be fulfilled. This is a waste, not just to the person concerned but for all of us as we do not benefit from the contribution those who are trapped can make to the wider society”

He went on “.. having the Lib Dems in Government has been good for ordinary people. From the Triple Lock guaranteeing proper pension rises for the elderly, a £700 a year tax cut for ordinary working people, a fairer loan system for University Students and through to the Pupil Premium, free hot lunches for Infants and more free childcare for 2 & 3 year olds. Help for ordinary people, making a fairer society against the background of a strengthening economy.”