SITTING Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Chris Davies will today be praying that party leader Nick Clegg’s gamble in taking on UKIP pays off.

If, as one of the LibDem’s highest profile members of the European Parliament, he cannot hang on, the party is in deep trouble.

UKIP, seen as the winners in the Clegg versus their leader Nigel Farage TV debates, are counting on a good result to negate some of the party’s bad publicity.

They hope to add former Blackburn College student Louise Bours to deputy leader Paul Nuttall in their representation at the Brussels/Strasbourg parliament.

Eight MEP places are up for grabs in the North West constituency, which includes Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Cumbria and Merseyside.

Sajjad Karim, the former Liberal Democrat turned Tory from Simonstone, is the only East Lancashire-based MEP and he will look to retain his seat tomorrow.

University lecturer Wajid Khan, currently a Burnley borough councillor in his home ward of Daneshouse with Stoneyholme ward, will stand for Labour with an outside chance of victory on the complicated regional list system of voting.

Gordon Lishman from Briercliffe will contest on behalf of the Liberal Democrats.