LIBERAL Democrats in Blaydon constituency have chosen a local hero as their candidate in a crucial council by-election.John McClurey will fight the Whickham South and Sunniside ward to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the party’s deputy leader on Gateshead Council, Councillor Alan Ord.
John, who lives in Sunniside village, shot to fame in May when he helped to rescue a young mum and her four year old daughter from a house fire near his shop in Blakelaw, Newcastle.
“I was working in my shop and someone rushed in asking us to call the fire service,” said John. “When I went out, I could hear screaming from the house.
“I just did what I had to do, broke in and helped the mum and her daughter to escape the flames. Only afterwards did I think about my own safety. It only dawned on my how big a story this was when the Evening Chronicle ran a big feature on it.”
The by-election is taking place in the heart of Blaydon constituency where a close battle is looming with the Liberal Democrats fighting hard to take the seat from Labour. They need to overturn a Labour majority of only 5,000 from the last general election.
Peter Maughan, who is Parliamentary Spokesman for Blaydon, said, “John is just the sort of person we want on our local team, representing people on Gateshead Council.”
The by-election will take place on Thursday 31st July.
Pictured above: Peter Maughan (Parliamentary Spokesman for Blaydon), Councillor Jonathan Wallace, Councillor Marilynn Ord and John McClurey.
For further information on John McClurey and the house fire, please see: Evening Chronicle
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