Mark is the Liberal Democrats candidate for the Newcastle East & Wallsend constituency.
Mark really wants to hear from you and your ideas on the challenges facing you, our communities, our city and our country.
He can be contacted at mark.ridyard@ncl-libdems.org.uk
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Get involved with the campaign here
Mark lives in Heaton and has a track record of actively fighting for Newcastle East & Wallsend. Have a read below to see learn about him and what he stands for:
Bringing the Community together - Mark has led or been on the core team for Heaton Festival since its inception in 2011. This massive community event brings over 10,000 locals and 200 community groups together to build community and support each other.
A local Football coach - Mark coached Heaton Hawks youth football team for 5 years and now coaches (and plays a little!) in an adult team across the North East.
Treasurer for several organisations - Mark has been the treasurer of 3 groups doing the behind the scenes work to keep some brilliant organisations running.
A local who is committed to the area - Mark has been in Heaton since 1995 and has seen his family grow up in the local schools and with the local activities.
Knows what it takes to get things done - Mark is a Director in Research and Development at Procter and Gamble where he has led the global development of new products, factory designs as well as global data and IT systems.
Experience in making partnerships work - At work Mark has worked with people from across the world and as a volunteer with people from all sorts of backgrounds, and he has learned that with the right people and by nurturing their passions we can deliver a lot together.
Many of us are fed up with national politics and can't work out the differences between the the parties and that's why Mark is different. He's a member of our community and as a Liberal Democrat sees the different set of values needed to lead our city and our country into the future. You may ask yourself why vote? Does any of this make any difference? The answer is yes! We need to stand up for a different set of values. We believe that a successful city and country is built on a successful local community. Mark and the Lib Dems believe that if we help communities to help themselves then we all end up winning. Mark has been active in our community for years trying to live this out.
The Tories keep showing us they are out of touch with life for normal people; they are out of excuses and out of time. Keir Starmer’s Labour is afraid to stand for anything, and they’re basically committing themselves to follow the Tory script.
Mark and the Lib Dems are the ones offering real change; from the NHS, where we commit to getting doctors appointments in 24 hrs and addressing the crisis with social care; to being the first to demand an end to the sewage scandal which has blighted the Ouseburn; or getting a fair deal on the economy so that people can afford a home to live in.
Mark says, “I think my experience and local knowledge puts me in a great place to serve our area, and I hope you, like me, want to see us create a better future together. Please vote for the only party offering new solutions to our nation’s needs."
Click below to learn more on Mark and the Liberal Democrats position on the biggest issues we face
Have a look below at the people and places Mark been connecting with and the issues that Mark has been addressing.
Liberal Democrats will continue their campaign in Newcastle and nationally to stop sewage polluting our rivers, lakes and coastline after Labour councillors and ministers missed opportunities to effectively tackle the water companies
Mark spent time learning from the Changing Lives team at Walker Clusters who support people to transition to independent tenancies.
Heaton Festival team, of which Mark is the coordinator, created an event for thousands in Heaton Park on Saturday. Truly an amazing event that shows what incredible community we have
October is Black History Month - a chance to celebrate the Black British community, acknowledge their contributions and discover their stories.
Read Ed Davey's speech to the Liberal Democrats' Autumn Conference in Brighton
Carers are not just support for their loved ones—they are the glue holding our fragile social care system together. They deserve more than token acknowledgements or empty promises.
