Over at The Guardian today, Councillor John Shipley, Lib Dem leader of Newcastle city council, writes a robust response to Tristram Hunt’s partial (in every sense) attack on the Lib Dems’ record in local government. Here’s an excerpt:
Tristram Hunt’s claim that the many cities and urban councils now run by Liberal Democrats lack the leadership and vision of Labour authorities such as Manchester and Glasgow is nonsense. … He fails to mention Newcastle upon Tyne at all. Lost by Labour to the Lib Dems in 2004, civic leadership flourishes here with a new £40m city library and investment in cultural buildings (with partners) of over £50m. The vote by businesses to create a business improvement district for the city centre was won here on the same day it was lost in Glasgow. What does that say for civic leadership?
If Hunt has “no idea what a Liberal town looks like”, perhaps a day trip from London to Newcastle would help him. He might also discover why it is that, five years after winning Newcastle locally, Liberal Democrats topped the poll in the European elections here last month.
You can read the article in full HERE.
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