by Nicholas Cecil, Mike Laycock and Megi Rychlikova

North Yorkshire MP Phil Willis is to stand for leader of the Liberal Democrats when Paddy Ashdown steps down.

Westminster sources said the Harrogate and Knaresborough MP would be a candidate in the leadership ballot on his home ground at Harrogate Conference Centre.

One senior Liberal Democrat said of Mr Willis: "He is certainly a dark horse candidate."

The revelation confirms Mr Willis' position as a leading politician nationally and North Yorkshire's position at the top of the political spectrum. Another county MP, Tory William Hague, is already the leader of his party.

Asked if he would seek the top Liberal Democratic job, Mr Willis would only say: "I'm not ruling anything out or anything in.

"The target for us all now is to do well in the European elections under Paddy's leadership. Then leadership contenders will turn to fighting it out."

Mr Willis, a former headmaster and his party's further and higher education spokesman, said: "There are a lot of people with qualities to lead the party. We will just have to wait and see."

He entered the political arena in North Yorkshire when with RATS, Rufforth Against Tip Secrecy, he led a powerful, but ultimate unsuccessful campaign in the 1980s against plans for a massive rubbish tip at Harewood Whin near his village.

The campaigners claimed that their efforts secured a series of important environmental safeguards. Mr Willis became a Harrogate borough councillor in the same year that Paddy Ashdown became party leader and sensationally beat Norman Lamont to enter Parliament as the town's MP in 1997.

Paying tribute to his leader, Mr Willis said: "We owe him an enormous debt of gratitude".

Mr Ashdown had led his party from the wilderness to a place on the international stage and a major role in British politics, he added.Officially the contest begins in June when Mr Ashdown steps down, and the party hierarchy is strongly discouraging earlier unofficial campaigning.

But jockeying behind the scenes is expected to begin almost at once.

National and local politicians of all levels are queuing to praise Paddy Ashdown.

Keith Orrell, Ryedale Parliamentary spokesman, said Ashdown had made the party much stronger during his 11 years in control and would leave a "tremendous legacy".

Prime Minister Tony Blair described Mr Ashdown as "one of the outstanding party leaders of his generation".

And Mr Ashdown's predecessor as Liberal leader, Lord Steel of Aikwood, said he was not surprised by the announcement.

"I have thought for some time that it was likely that he would go after the European elections.

"It is a very exhausting job leading a minority party."

He praised his efforts in building up the party to its current strength in Parliament, adding: "It is a very, very strong record and he goes out on a high point".

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.