THE general election may be more than two years away, but Liberal Democrats in South East Cornwall are already out of the starting blocks — they have selected a prospective candidate to fight the seat.

He is 47-year-old Phil Hutty, a social work manager, who will be aiming to topple Tory Sheryll Murray from the seat she won at the last election with a majority of 3,220.

Mr Hutty said it was a privilege to have been selected to stand in his home community — he lives in Callington with his wife Rachel, who is from Kelly Bray, and son Joseph, 16, a student at Callington Community College.

Plymouth-born Mr Hutty says his plan is for the seat to return to 'Liberal Democrat hands' at the 2015 election.

'I think our policies and our ethos speaks well to the people of South East Cornwall — it has a long tradition of Liberal Democrat support and representation.'

Mr Hutty said he supported the coalition agreement, and, despite differences with the Conservatives, it was best to work together for the best interests of the nation. He admitted that he had been 'livid' with the Liberal Democrats in government ditching their party's pledge not to increase tuition fees: 'But we have to move on from that and I think Nick Clegg saying sorry went a long way in doing so.'

He dismissed any concerns that left-leaning tactical voters might desert his party because of the coalition and cost him victory in the Tory/Liberal Democrat marginal: 'The tactical voting days are gone — we are a more grown-up party now. We will say "this is what we believe in and stand for" rather than "vote for us to keep the Tories out".'

Mr Hutty is the first Liberal Democrat prospective candidate to be selected in Cornwall. He fought the Central Devon constitutency at the 2010 election, polling 34.4% of the vote. The seat was won by Conservative Mel Stride.