Councillors and council leaders sign up for Tim

Over 200 of the party's leading councillors have backed Tim Farron's leadership campaign, including the party's two elected mayors and three of the party's principal authority leaders - Peter Thornton (South Lakeland), Keith House (Eastleigh) and Sue Derbyshire (Stockport).

Led by directly elected mayors, Dorothy Thornhill and Dave Hodgson, the councillors serve on over 109 authorities from Cornwall to Aberdeen. They form the back bone of the party's campaigning wing. Tim has committed to rebuilding the party from the bottom up, building on the success and experience of campaigners like these.

Dave Hodgson, explains why he and the vast majority of the party's campaigners are supporting Tim.

"I'm supporting Tim Farron because he will be a powerful and effective advocate for liberal values and for the Liberal Democrats and, crucially, because he understands and values local government. Tim is a former district and county councillor, and his innate understanding of the power of local politics to improve people's lives for the better shines through. As elected Mayor and leader of a unitary council, that is extremely important to me.

"A Liberal Democrat party led by Tim Farron will be one which gives Liberal Democrat councillors and local voters across the country the backing they deserve to make a positive difference in their communities."

The councillors have been joined by prominent former Pensions Minister Steve Webb who said: "Tim Farron is a principled liberal who has the ability to speak in a language that is understood by people who live outside the Westminster bubble. We need someone who can motivate not only our own party members but also the wider public to join the campaign for the liberal cause, and I believe Tim has the passion and enthusiasm to do this."