Edinburgh North and Leith comes under national media spotlight as Brown finally calls the General Election.

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th Apr 2010

The campaign to elect Kevin Lang as the new local MP for Edinburgh North and Leith has already come under the national spotlight, just hours after Prime Minister Gordon Brown named the date of the General Election for Thursday 6th May.

Tavish Scott and Kevin Lang - The Scottish media descended on Edinburgh North & Leith as a key seat in this General Election.

The Scottish media descended on the local Lib Dem campaign office, when Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Tavish Scott MSP visited the constituency on this first official day of campaigning. Kevin and Tavish met with campaign workers in the busy campaign office before going out and meeting voters in Pilrig.

Local resident Kevin Lang has lived in North Edinburgh almost all of his life. He currently lives at the Granton Waterfront with his wife Jennifer and baby daughter Madeleine. He really understands local problems because he has to live with them too.

The Liberal Democrats have a real chance of winning here in Edinburgh North and Leith. The party came a close second to Labour, both at the last General Election and in the more recent Scottish Parliament elections. It is clear that only the Liberal Democrats will be able to beat Labour here in Edinburgh North and Leith on 6th May.

The Liberal Democrats are putting fairness at the heart of the campaign, including promises to:

• make the first £10,000 you earn free from income tax, saving the average person around £700 per year. This can be paid for by closing the tax loopholes exploited by the very rich.

• invest in 3,000 extra front line community police officers to help tackle crime by scrapping the expensive and ineffective ID cards scheme.

• boost our economy by investing in green jobs, with better insulated homes, more renewable energy and a new high speed rail line.

• change our politics with a new fairer voting system and giving people the right to sack corrupt MPs.

Speaking as the campaign officially began, Kevin said, "Gordon Brown has called the election at long last. On Thursday 6th May, people in Edinburgh North and Leith will have a chance to vote for real change.

"Our community is a great place to live and work. However, we still face many challenges, particularly during this economic downturn. We need a hard working local MP who will really stand up for local people, both in and out of Parliament.

"We also need an MP who will help to restore the trust in politics that has been so badly damaged over the last year by the expenses scandal. That is why I have made my own promises, which go beyond what the current rules say, and promise never to take on any additional job whilst serving as our area's local MP."

If you want to help Kevin become our new MP, why not come along to the campaign office. You can find directions and contact details at www.northandleithlibdems.org.uk/help