Liberal Democrats in the North East

Fiona and Sir Alan Beith MP

In 2008, the North East Lib Dems have been campaigning against Post Office closures, hospital closures, and against ID cards. Lib Dems all over the region have also called for more police on the streets and campaigned against closures of successful schools due to the arrival of new academies. The most recent Lib Dem campaigns are against fuel poverty and on helping small businesses survive in the recession. Regional website.

Fiona Hall is not the only Liberal Democrat representing the region. In fact, in the last few years the Liberal presence in the North East has gradually grown due to the Lib Dem's strong engagement and team effort at the local level and Labour's neglect of the region.

The Liberal Democrats are now the alternative to Labour in the North East.

Sir Alan Beith MP is the only Liberal MP in the region. He has represented Berwick-upon-Tweed for 35 years and is well respected throughout the region for his dedication to the North East and defending its interests in Westminster. Most recently, he secured a commons debate on the devastating Northumberland floods at the beginning of September 2008. In February 2009, he met with Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the economy of the North East and to demand access to European Funding for the region, which the Government is blocking at the moment.

There are also some very strong Lib Dem candidates for the next General Election. Prospective parliamentary candidates include Carol Woods for Durham City and Ron Beadle for Newcastle North who both achieved impressive swings to the Lib Dems at the last general election in 2005.

The North East Liberal Democrats have been most successful in the local councils, retaining control under Councillor John Shipley OBE of Newcastle City Council at the recent local elections in May 2008. With 50 Liberal Democrat councillors, Newcastle now has the biggest Liberal Democrat council group in the UK. The new unitary Northumberland County Council is under Lib Dem minority control, led by Councillor Jeff Reid. In 2008 the new Durham County Council also saw the share of Lib Dems rise from 5 to 27 members making the Liberal Democrats the biggest opposition party on the council. Most recently, the Lib Dems in Redcar and Cleveland have been able to celebrate three impressive local by-election wins in formerly strong Labour wards, showing once more that the Lib Dems are now the alternative to Labour in the North East.