Lib Dems choose Naomi Smith and Mark Blackburn for Westminster Constituencies

12.00.00am GMT Sat 31st Jan 2009

Westminster Liberal Democrats have chosen local campaigners Naomi Smith and Mark Blackburn as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidates for the Cities of London and Westminster and Westminster North constituencies.

Naomi and Mark take over from Marie-Louise Rossi and Rabi Martins who fought the seats at the last General Election in 2005.

Both candidates live in their constituencies. Naomi lives and works in Pimlico. In her speech to members Naomi stressed the need to improve the sense of community in the constituency, for a protection of civil liberties, and for an end to the victimisation of young people by the government and the Conservatives.

On being selected Naomi said: "I am delighted to be selected as the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for The Cities of London and Westminster. I am incredibly proud to be given the chance to represent the Lib Dems here.

I look forward to carrying on the fantastic work that Marie-Louise Rossi and the team did at the General Election in 2005.

We've had a Conservative Member of Parliament for decades, and our area continues to have real issues of poverty, a chronic lack of affordable housing and little sense of community. I welcome the opportunity of fighting for our residents, and putting their problems and their concerns higher up the agenda."

Naomi began her career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen before moving to Deloitte and later to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants where she currently works. She studied Economics, Politics and Mandarin Chinese at university. Naomi is also Honorary President of Liberal Youth, the youth wing of the Lib Dems.

Mark lives in St Johns Wood and is a self-employed businessman. He stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Abbey Road Westminster Council by-election in May 2007. He emphasised his experience in this election as well as elections in four other Westminster North wards in his speech to members.

After selection, Mark stated: "I am very excited to be selected as the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Westminster North, a constituency which looks much more marginal after the changes made by the Boundary Commission.

Rabi Martins increased the Liberal Democrat vote in the old Regent's Park and Kensington North constituency last time, and I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to build further on his success.

I am particularly concerned with the extremes of wealth and levels of opportunity that exist alongside each other in Westminster, one of the richest boroughs in the country. I am determined to address these iniquities. I am also wary of the amount of unbridled development within Westminster, with scant regard for the green agenda or the quality of life for most residents."

Mark is a graduate of the London School of Economics and had a career in retail for twenty-five years, working his way up from the shop floor to senior management, before he sold his own shoe retail business in 2007. He is currently Chair of Westminster Liberal Democrats.