A banker by profession, John Ford is a local district councillor and has lived in the area since 1994.

He thinks that the Iraq war, council tax, pensions, affordable housing and public services will be important locally in the forthcoming general election.

With the party at all time highs in the polls, he feels that their range of policies such as their stance against the war, replacing the unfair council tax with local income tax, replacing means-tested, contribution-based pensions with an entitlement based on residency and free personal care for the elderly are issues which will resonate well locally.

He also thinks the party is the one to trust on the protection of civil liberties and local government.

Freedom, Fairness and Trust is their mantra and the party is looking to offer a real alternative not only to Labour in Westminster but also the Conservatives locally in a seat that has not been held by the party since the 1920s.

The Liberal Democrats run the town councils in Chesham and Amersham and are the largest opposition on the district and county councils.

They regularly push Labour into third place at the general elections and expect further gains this time round.