---

Political Parties and Elections Bill

In considering this, I say to the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, that some of us have been involved in by-elections where the Liberal Democrats tend to pride themselves on fighting vigorous and extremely well resourced campaigns, which are sometimes successful in exploiting a situation and are sometimes—as in Crewe and Nantwich—staggeringly unsuccessful. The resources that are deployed and co-ordinated nationally by the Liberal Democrats are immense. I am sure that the noble Lord, Lord Rennard, will have heard the remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, about local resources. Perhaps they will be followed in future by-elections.