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Luciana Berger to speak to Lib Dem bosses about where to stand in General Election

The MP, who is tipped to stand for her new party in Finchley and Golders Green, reveals she has passed selection test to be candidate

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Luciana Berger has revealed she is to shortly hold conversations with party bosses about what seat she will contest at the next General Election after admitting: "This is not a decision I make by myself."

Speaking at a packed fringe event at the party's conference in Bournemouth, the new Liberal Democrat MP revealed she had only just received notification that she had passed a tough selection test enabling her to stand.

Asked if she planned to become the Lib Dem candidate in her current Liverpool Wavertree constituency she said the city had "proudly been my home for the past nine years - my children were born there."

She added: "I don't know what the future holds - we shall have to wait and see."

The Jewish MP has been at the centre of speculation she will stand in north London, with an bid to oust Tory MP Mike Freer in Finchley and Golders Green the most likely route.

But she told party members the final decision on where she stood was not actually in her hands - having been made to complete an interview with the Lib Dem's Head of Selections and another with chief whip Alistair Carmichael.

Ms Berger also revealed she had only just been told she had passed a 45-minute test, taken by all new candidates, on policy and values.

During Monday's one hour long Q&A session at the Bournemouth International Centre, Ms Berger also faced questions on Brexit, effective campaigning methods, Israel/Palestine, Travellers' rights and her thoughts on joining a new party.

She was applauded as she spoke of the overwhelming warm and friendly welcome she had been given at the Lib Dem conference, compared to last year's Labour event in Liverpool at which she was repatedly "shouted at."

The former Labour MP, who quit the party in February and joined the Lib Dems earlier this month, said her former party had become “institutionally antisemitic” and that both Labour and the Tories are moving towards extremism.

Ms Berger accused Labour of trying to brush claims of antisemitism “under the carpet”, saying people should be under “no illusions about what festers in the British Labour Party”.

She said she had tried to fix problems in Labour “from within”, but that they had only got worse.

The 38 year-old added: “They are now subject to a statutory investigation by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

“This is not the BNP that was previously investigated. This is Her Majesty’s Opposition. And any party in that situation should be appalled.

“They have sought to basically, like, brush it under the carpet, they have not admitted where they are at.”

She added: “Let’s not be under any illusion about what festers, sadly, in the British Labour Party today.”

But clearly relishing being able to speak freely on a diverse range of topics again, Ms Berger spoke of her ambition to put the Lib Dems under leader Jo Swinson into Government.

She urged members to approach the task with the confidence that she had learned from her time in the once main opposition party.

Ms Berger said: "When you are having to choose between Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson, that is no opposition at all. Having to choose between the two worst opponents is no choice at all."

Ms Berger also spoke of the need to tackle issues such as discrimination against Travellers in a question asked by a member fighting an election in an area where the issue had arisen.

She also offered to meet with the Liberal Friends of Palestine group to discuss policy direction around the topic - and also praised Lib Dem Layla Moran, who is the first British MP of Palestinian descent.

She also refused to rule out more MPs joining the party adding: “We are seeing people essentially being held hostage in their parties, because I certainly know there are MPs of all colours that are really struggling with what they see happen and the decisions that are taken by their leaderships.

“I can’t tell you for sure but I look forward to more colleagues joining us in the future."

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