The Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson, Simon Reed, talks about the next General Election

2.57.01pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 8th Jun 2009

In this question and answer session Simon Reed explains why yet another Labour win Wansbeck Constituency is not a foregone conclusion.

Q. Wansbeck has always had a Labour MP, so what's different now? A. Local people, families and businesses have been hard hit by Labour's incompetence and many feel it is time for a change. In last year's unitary council election, the Liberal Democrats won 47% of the vote in Wansbeck Constituency with Labour behind on 34% and the conservatives with only 11%. Yes, the General Election is going to be different, but here it won't be Brown versus Cameron that matters because the Conservatives can't win in Wansbeck. Voting Conservative will ironically help Labour back into power. If voters who don't want Labour to win vote Lib Dem, Wansbeck will get a Liberal Democrat MP and that will send a clear message that local people have had enough of being taken for granted.

Q. What do the Lib Dems offer? A. I think the Liberal Democrats offer something unique in today's political world - fairness, freedom, and trust. We have kept to our principles when the other two parties have been hastily abandoning theirs. Labour is no longer the party of the poor, the workers and those least able to cope. The Conservatives, while talking up 'green' issues still have the rich and big business as their priorities. The Liberal Democrats, by contrast have put forward costed plans to help those most affected by the economic crisis, offering up to £700 in tax cuts to families earning less than £100,000. On other issues we follow our liberal instincts - instead of wasting billions on ID cards, we would invest in more police and better security services; improve public transport and offer people a viable 'green' alternative through investment in trains, including a high speed link to London and Europe. We care about the kind of world we live in and what we leave behind for our children.

Q. Why vote for Simon Reed? A. In Wansbeck Constituency, which includes Morpeth, Pegswood and surrounding villages there has been a Labour MP since 1945. Many people feel that despite the fact that we have had a Labour government since 1997 and a Labour run County Council from 1991 to 2008 at the same time, we have made very little progress in tackling issues such as the decline of our traditional industries, deprivation factors, affordable housing, improved public transport - the list goes on. I am proud of the part I have played as an executive member on Northumberland County Council in bringing change and opportunity to local residents and businesses and I would relish the opportunity to help them as their MP. 

Q. Could Wansbeck really follow the Berwick example? A. Liberal Democrats have been a part of the Welsh Assembly Government and Scottish Parliament, introducing support for university students and free personal care for the elderly. Locally Liberal Democrats have run Newcastle City Council for over 4 years to great acclaim, gaining more support from local residents as they go. Since May 2008 Liberal Democrats have been running Northumberland County Council during the challenging transfer from county and district councils to one unitary council for the whole of Northumberland.  One year in we are making real progress, but the job is not yet done. We are really fortunate that our neighbouring MP, Sir Alan Beith, a lifelong Liberal and Liberal Democrat has led the way for his local residents in showing what a hard-working and respected constituency MP can achieve. I hope I can earn the same trust and respect as the first Liberal Democrat MP for our own constituency at the next election!