Welcome for by-election boost

LIBERAL Democrats in Gateshead have welcomed the party’s election winning performance in council by-elections held in November.

At a meeting of members where campaign plans for next May’s local elections were stepped up a gear, Lib Dem campaigner Councillor Jonathan Wallace said the results showed that Labour had everything to fear from a Lib Dem challenge.

“The Liberal Democrats ended November with the most gains,” said Jonathan. “The Conservatives made no gains at all from Labour in November whilst the Liberal Democrats gained 4 from them.

“In large parts of the country, the Conservatives are irrelevant and barely exist. This is especially the case in large cities and urban areas where it is the Liberal Democrats who are challenging Labour hard.

“Former Labour voters are turning to the Liberal Democrats. They see the Conservatives as all spin and no substance. And they find David Cameron’s sudden conversion to the environment to be completely unconvincing.

“Here in Gateshead the Conservatives are third or fourth in every council seat and they have no hope at all of making any gains. There is absolutely no campaigning from them at all. They have disappeared off the face of the borough.

“Liberal Democrats head towards 2007 in great confidence. Recent by-elections show people are turning to us rather than the Conservatives as the main challenger to Labour.”

The net changes in seats contested in the November by-elections were:
Liberal Democrats +6
Conservatives +4
Labour -3
Independents/other -7