Owen Patterson has resigned in a cloud of Tory sleaze. He's handed us a golden opportunity to send a message to this Conservative government - but we need to grab it now.

The Lib Dems are in the best possible position to compete with the Tories. We are the clear alternative to the Tory vote.

This by-election is a chance to embarrass the Tories in what was one of their safest seats.

The 2019 General Election Review (the Thornhill Review) set out how we must change in order to succeed at future elections. Since its publication, in many areas we have made strides, but there is still much to do.

The Party is currently consulting with members on our governance. Yet more Tory sleaze this week highlights how important for the country it is that we, once again, become a competitive liberal voice in the UK.

Conservative MPs just voted to prevent Owen Paterson from being suspended despite abusing his position.

It's clear that Boris Johnson believes that he and his colleagues shouldn't have to face the consequences of their actions. His Government has laid the groundwork for a crony committee of Conservatives to protect each other from the consequences of sleaze.

The merits of standing in a council by-election we have a chance of winning are obvious. So too for wards which we might hope to win in the future and where the by-election is a chance to accelerate that progress.

But there are also huge benefits in standing even in wards that we are not likely to win for a very long time yet (if ever).