GRASSROOTS Liberal Democrats have vowed to fight the Conservatives despite their national coalition.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg’s dual premiership at Westminster caused speculation that their two parties would not fight each other at local level.

But that has been scotched in the Fens after Councillor Dave Patrick called for new candidates to “take on the Conservatives across the whole of Fenland”.

He said there were “too many Conservatives” in the area and that people deserved more of a choice at the next local elections in May 2011.

In an appeal for more people to put themselves forward, Cllr Patrick said: “It is not healthy to have too much representation from a particular group.”

At the last local Fenland District Council elections in 2007 half the seats had just one candidate, which meant many Tories were elected unopposed.