Deborah Burns and Tom Appleby have been confirmed by Newcastle’s Liberal Democrats Party as the candidates standing in North and South Jesmond respectively in May’s city council elections.

Burns will be known to some local voters as she stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate in South Jesmond at the last local election in 2019. Appleby is running as a councillor candidate for the first time. He cites the outbreak of COVID-19 combined with a desire to “improve people’s quality of life” as the impetus behind his candidacy for South Jesmond.

The announcement was welcomed by Councillor Gerry Keating, the only Lib Dem representing a Jesmond ward at present. Keating was re-elected in 2019 as a councillor for North Jesmond. “The first year was business as usual, but the second brought us COVID-19 and a considerable increase in antisocial behaviour,” he said. “I now spend a lot of time walking all the back lanes and terraces, including at night, to gauge noise and litter problems, and I’m keeping in regular touch with the police, universities, council and adversely affected residents.” Keating said he had found it difficult at times to contact the correct person at the Civic Centre.

Lib Dem candidates Appleby and Burns join Labour hopefuls Charlie Gray and Tanya Pretswell, as well as Conservatives Mellissa-Jane Pearson and Olly Scargill in the running for election on May 6th, as JesmondLocal has reported.

The seats that are up for grabs in North and South Jesmond are being vacated by Labour councillors Wendy Young and Arlene Ainsley respectively.

You can meet and quiz all the local election candidates when JesmondLocal hosts a Zoom version of its traditional local election hustings on Tuesday May 4th from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

This online event is free, but to be able to attend, you must register. Details of the Zoom link and passcode will be emailed to all registrants just a couple of hours before the event begins. We will also be emailing registrants with details of how they can put their questions to the candidates.

To get your free ticket, register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jesmond-local-election-hustings-2021-online-tickets-152269302583