Castle Ward
Castle Ward is the northernmost ward in Newcastle. Under boundary changes which came into effect in May 2018, a part of the previous ward of the same name is now in the Kingston Park South and Newbiggin Hall Ward.
In the May 2021 City Council elections were held. Helen Laverick (pictured) was elected with 1522 votes, a majority of 496 over Labour after a 5-way contest
Your Liberal Democrats Focus Team councillors are always pleased to hear from you with any queries, problems or suggestions, wherever you live in the existing ward. Their promise is "service and action all year round"
You can contact them all via castle@newcastle-libdems.org.uk, or individually at
Cllr Ali Avaei ali.avaei@newcastle-libdems.org.uk
Ali is a local pharmacist, who was first elected in 2018
Cllr Helen Laverick helen.laverick@newcastle-libdems.org.uk
Helen is a business administrator. She was first elected in 2021
You can meet them in person at their monthly surgeries when normality returns after Covid at:
St John's Church, Kingston Park Shopping Centre - 1st Tuesday of each month - 6.00pm to 7.00pm
15 minutes before Parish Council meetings at Brunswick, Hazlerigg and Dinnington (See Parish Notice Boards for Variations)
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Article: Jul 3, 2021It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of our friend and colleague Anita Lower. She will be sorely missed by many in local government, in Newcastle and further afield, and by her constituents who she has served with great commitment over many years.
Cllr Anita Lower was first elected to the Council in 1994, serving continuously as a councillor since then until her death. She was councillor for Blakelaw ward for 10 years and then councillor for Castle ward from 2004 to 2021. Anita held many important roles in the Council, including serving in the Council's cabinet during the years of the Liberal Democrats administration between 2004 and 2011. She also held the post of Leader of the Opposition between 2013 and 2020. Anita had been serving as chair of the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee, a role which won her great respect across the Council, for her ability to work constructively in ensuring that council decisions and decision-makers were open and held to account.
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Article: Apr 29, 2021The Liberal Democrats have accused Conservative MPs of "placing anti-immigration ideology ahead of tackling the scourge of modern slavery", after the Tories voted for new legislation that will weaken safeguards for victims and lead to more of them being held in immigration detention centres.
The Immigration (Guidance on Detention of Vulnerable Persons) Regulations were passed by 358 votes to 270, with all Liberal Democrat MPs voting against.
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Article: Apr 21, 2021Liberal Democrats are calling for a new local and national government strategy to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the UK
In a debate in the House of Lords this afternoon, Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Teverson will call on the Government to set a proper roadmap for local authorities as well as the government in Westminster to meet targets, and demand the creation of a new Minister for the Climate Emergency to oversee targets being met.
There has been no government department explicitly dedicated to tackling the climate emergency since Theresa May scrapped the Department for Energy and Climate Change in 2016.
Lord Teverson, who led a debate in the House of Lords Grand Committee, argued that the Government needs more bravery when it comes to climate change, particularly in light of the Tories latest announcement this week that they will cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035. He said:
"It is absolutely essential that Westminster works with our local councils to tackle climate change. Local authorities are best placed to know how to cut emission in their area. If they don't then this commitment is nothing more than the Tories announcing they can run before learning how to walk.
"Liberal Democrats have a proud record on promoting a greener country, with dozens of council groups declaring climate emergencies and promising to slash emissions.
"We need a Minister for the Climate Emergency to sit in cabinet and oversee a real working roadmap that brings government and councils together. If this does not happen, I fear their recent announcement would end up being nothing more than a predictable disaster."
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Article: Apr 20, 2021According to the latest unemployment statistics, 80% of those losing their jobs in the year to March are under 35. Cllr Robin Ashby, who speaks for Newcastle Liberal Democrats on employment issues, said he was appalled and called for action.
"People all across the UK - especially young people - are worried about their future. Millions still rely on job support and thousands are still out of work. We can't leave any of them behind as we get out of lockdown", he said.
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Article: Apr 15, 2021
The House of Lords has passed a Liberal Democrats amendment that would allow individuals trapped in unaffordable mortgages, known as 'mortgage prisoners', to access mortgages with much fairer rates.
Mortgage prisoners had their mortgages nationalised after the financial crash (like Northern Rock) and then sold on by the Treasury to vulture funds or inactive lenders, and therefore have been stuck paying what MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis has called "obscene interest rates".
The amendment, tabled by Liberal Democrats Peer John Sharkey, would require the introduction of a cap on the rates charged to mortgage prisoners and, under specified circumstances, ensure their access to fixed rate interest deals.
Treasury spokesperson in the Lords for the Liberal Democrats, Susan Kramer said:
"So many stories from mortgage prisoners have been shared with me over the past few weeks, many of them quite frankly heartbreaking.
