Liberal Democrats the only real opposition

7.33.05pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 10th Oct 2005

Responding to Francis Maude's comments on the Liberal Democrat away day, Liberal Democrat Party President, Simon Hughes MP said:

"Unlike the Conservatives the Liberal Democrats have not spent the weekend engaged in internal bickering.

"We will once again establish over the coming parliamentary session that it is the Liberal Democrats who are the real opposition to new Labour.

"Tory MP's will be spending the next few weeks plotting in the tea rooms where as the Liberal Democrats will be holding this failing Government to account.

"Our MPs and spokespeople missed no parliamentary business this morning and will return this afternoon to hold the Government to account over its ill-though out terror laws."