Vince Cable: Every vote counts in Hampstead and Kilburn

LIBERAL Democrat economic guru Vince Cable made a whirlwind visit to Belsize Park today give a final boost to Ed Fordham's campaign.

He met shopkeepers along England's Lane before stopping for a cup of tea at the Chamomile Caf� with the Hampstead and Kilburn candidate, currently the bookies' favourite to win.

Mr Cable said: "I am winging it across several constituencies where we are expecting to win on Friday and I am visiting Holborn and St Pancras after Hampstead.

"We are not working for a hung parliament. We are working for Liberal Democrat MPs and more Lib Dem votes.

"Our focus is more support across the country. We want job creation, fair taxation with poor people paying less tax and rich people paying more and we want to clean up politics.

"People are very fed up with the government. We have real answers to the economic crisis and we are campaigning on a positive note.

"Glenda Jackson has voted for a lot of the government measures and she is standing as a Labour candidate. But we do have a few people like her joining us."

Mr Cable said this election has had a huge impact for his party because it has put them on an equal footing and given them a proper hearing.

"Nick Clegg communicated our message extremely well and the leaders' debates have made a difference but we had already started off on a strong base," he said.

"Our message has been getting through on the economy and political reform. Every vote counts in Hampstead and Kilburn for the Lib Dems and we want to change the voting system so votes everywhere count."

On whether the party nationally would be tempted to form a coalition like the Lib Dems and Conservatives in Camden he said: "Local government is not national government. The idea of parties working together in a pragmatic way is a good one.