New Lib Dem Leader: 'The Fight Starts Now'

Tim Farron has told Liberal Democrats the “comeback starts right now" in his first address hours after being elected leader.

He succeeds Nick Clegg who quit after the party's crushing defeat at the general election in May.

The former Lib Dem president beat opponent Norman Lamb by 56.5% to 43.5% on a 56% turnout in the contest.

Cheered on by supporters at a victory rally in north London, Mr Farron said the party would win back support “ward by ward, council by council”.

He added: "Revival is in our grasp. Have hope. Have courage. Have belief.

"We start our plan for the 2020 election right now. And the fight back will begin well beyond Westminster."

He added: "That comeback starts right now, right here, it starts with us."

Mr Farron heaped praise on Mr Norman, telling activists the former health minister was an "outstanding liberal".

He also paid tribute to Mr Clegg for the "passion and gravitas and sanity" he had shown after the party's election meltdown.

He added: "In the election campaign… we weren't bad at telling people what we were against. But we were pretty terrible at telling people what we were for.

"Let me be crystal clear what the Liberal Democrats are for: we are the party that sees the best in people not the worst.

"We are the party that believes that the role of Government is to help us to be the best that we can be, no matter who we are or what our background. That's it. That's our mission."

Mr Farron faces the huge challenge of turning the party round after it lost all but eight of its 57 Commons seats after five years in coalition government with the Conservatives.

Nearly 34,000 party members voted in the leadership election, with Mr Farron securing 19,137 votes and Mr Lamb 14,760.

Earlier Mr Lamb congratulated Mr Farron on his victory, saying he will make a "fantastic" party leader and that he will have his "full backing"

He was also endorsed by Mr Clegg, who said: "Tim Farron is a remarkable campaigner and a man of the utmost integrity and conviction.

"He is a natural communicator with a rare ability to inspire people and rally them to our cause.

"He knows how to win and I have no doubt he can pick the party up and get us fighting again."