FROM POLITICAL THEORY TO POLITICAL PRACTICE

6.23.03pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 14th Apr 2005

Ben Farrant with the candidates

Swindon Liberal Democrats' general election agent is to be Ben Farrant, a 21 year old politics student.

Ben is in his second year at Bristol University and joined the Liberal Democrats when he realised how much debt he would be in by the time he completed his degree.

"All students should be voting Lib Dem," Ben says. "It is the only party committed to getting rid of tuition fees and providing maintenance grants so that anyone can go to university if they have the ability. Higher education shouldn't just be for the better off."

Ben helps pay his way through university by working as a bicycle mechanic during the vacations and during the term he does research work for a question-answering service.

Ben will be the (unpaid) agent for both of Swindon's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidates, Sue Stebbing

in South Swindon and Mike Evemy in North Swindon.

Ben, as the election agent, is totally responsible for running the Lib Dem election campaign in Swindon in accordance with the law. He will be responsible for all the financial transactions and for submitting all the legal documents required. Quite a responsibility for a 21 year old! But Mike Evemy and Sue Stebbing have absolute confidence in his ability to do the job.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge", he said. "It will be fun to do some practical politics instead of just learning the theory!"

So where did Ben get his political flair? Simple - he is Sue Stebbing's son.