LIB Dem leader Nick Clegg will visit Colne Valley at the weekend.

The news was revealed by the party’s candidate for the crucial marginal seat during a live question and answer session with Examiner website users.

Clr Nicola Turner was also quizzed on her controversial campaign tactics during the lively hour-long discussion yesterday lunchtime.

The Lib Dem revealed she is in favour of motorway tolls and against downgrading the classification of cannabis during the webchat.

John Wrigley asked Clr Turner: “If you are so close to winning Colne Valley then why haven’t any of your Shadow Cabinet bothered to visit the area?”

She replied: “Nick Clegg is coming on Sunday.”

Clr Turner revealed later in the day that Mr Clegg would make a soapbox speech in Marsden Park from 12.30pm to 1.30pm on Sunday.

Clr Turner was also challenged on her election leaflets which claim Labour can’t win the Colne Valley seat and that only she can prevent a Conservative victory.

At the last general election Labour won with 17,500 votes – 1,500 ahead of the Tories and 6,000 ahead of the Lib Dems.

But Clr Turner said: “We have taken our information from the last three local elections. We have been clear about this in all our literature.

“Support for Labour has fallen since 2005. Gordon Brown’s government is very unpopular and we have drawn the conclusion that they can’t win here. Our canvassing returns and recent opinion polls have shown that this is the case.”

Clr Turner was also asked why she referred to her Tory opponent Jason McCartney as “the Conservative from Leeds” in her leaflets.

She said: “Jason McCartney actually stood for the Liberal Democrats in Pudsey just a few short years ago. He only came to the Colne Valley from Leeds, where I understand his wife and children still live, when selected for the seat by the Conservatives.

“As a resident I have to question his commitment to both his party and the area.”

Clr Turner was asked why she was standing for re-election to Kirklees Council on May 6 – the same day she hopes to be elected MP.

She said: “I would really like to keep my feet firmly rooted in the community and do not want to disappear to Westminster as so many MPs seem to do.

“There are other MPs who successfully combine being a councillor with being an MP.”

Clr Turner added that if she was elected as an MP and a councillor, she would continue to take her councillor’s salary of around £12,000 a year.

Website user Pete asked what her position was on cannabis.

She said: “I can only speak personally on this issue. I would not want to see cannabis downgraded.”

Clr Turner added she was “not sure” if this was Lib Dem policy.

Website user Markham asked Clr Turner what the Lib Dems meant by a “tax on polluters”. She replied that her party would bring in motorway tolls and improved public transport.

You can read the full question and answer session at www.examiner.co.uk/election

Labour’s Colne Valley candidate Debbie Abrahams took part in a similar live webchat last week.

Mr McCartney will answer your questions on Friday from 12.30pm. Email questions to digital@examiner.co.uk up to 11am on Friday.