What a Dunfermline swing could mean in the north east

Posted by Chris

Following the sensational by-election victory for the Liberal Democrats at the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election last night, Lib Dems in Redcar are keen to point out that the same swing in the North East would win the party 10 of Labour's 28 seats in this region. The seats are:

City of Durham
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central
Blaydon
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North
Hartlepool
Blyth Valley
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East and Wallsend
Bishop Auckland
Wansbeck
Redcar

Ian Swales, who stood in Redcar for the Liberal Democrats in 2005, commented:

“This is a sensational victory. The Liberal Democrats have shown that we are the clear challengers to Labour in their heartlands and that we can win all across the country. The same swing would see us take 10 seats from Labour in this region.

“The Liberal Democrat message that we want a fairer, greener and more democratic society is one that wins widespread appeal.”

“Labour have stopped listening to the people who have supported them for generations. The latest example is the attempt to have our local police force run from Newcastle. They have taken the North East for granted for too long – and they cannot expect to win when they do no work. The Conservatives are irrelevant in this region.

“This result has proved that people want a better choice than Labour or the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats are the real challengers to Labour in the North East.”