Renewed attempt to stop Brexit with votes
Candidates
ONE of the UK’s newest political parties is hoping to make an immediate impact in the North East.
Pro-Europe ‘Renew’ was only officially launched in February with the aim of stopping Brexit and holding a referendum on the final deal.
It has 16 candidates standing at this week’s local elections and, while the majority are in London, they have two fighting for seats on North Tyneside Council.
They are chartered surveyor Tom Bailey, who is hoping to win in the Tynemouth ward, and local businessman Alex Jacobs, who is standing at Monkseaton South.
Mr Bailey said: “It’s time we pushed back against the politics of fear and mistrust and handed back to local residents some real control over their community.
“We will ensure decisions are taken at neighbourhood level on issues like traffic, urban development and regeneration.
“We need to stop throwing money at Brexit and concentrate on what matters to local people.”
Mr Jacobs added: “Renew is a party dedicated to reducing inequality in the UK.
“For many years the North of England has had a raw deal from successive governments.
“It’s also clear that younger people in the UK are not being well-served by government policy. Renew wants to change that.”
While Renew was formed in Lon- Tom Bailey don, the first time some of its principal leaders including James Clarke and James Torrance spoke to the public about the party was in the North East.
North East co-ordinator Judi Alex Jacobs Sutherland said it happened after an invite from Durham University.
She described it as a ‘centrist’ party, occupying the centre ground “Labour and the Tories had vacated” and was dismissive of the Lib Dems as they are scoring around 8% in the opinion polls despite having “years to get their message across”.
Ms Sutherland added: “I was a Labour supporter until I decided to leave about nine months ago because I don’t like Jeremy Corbyn and don’t think he is the right person to run a major party.”
She said it was difficult to predict how Renew would do as the party was new and the original intention was to organise for the next general election.
But a number of members said they wanted to stand at the local elections, including Mr Bailey and Mr Jacobs.
And while Ms Sutherland said it was not a one-policy party, being antiBrexit was its main standpoint and it hoped to pick up support in the region because, she says, it has so much to lose from leaving Europe.
“Reports say how much Brexit will damage the economy, manufacturing and exports and the amount of money from the EU development fund.
“The North East is not in a position to come out of that very well.”
Sean Michael Brockbank (Conservative)
Julia Anne Erskine (Green party)
Ian Raymond Grayson (Labour) Alex Jacobs (Renew) Phyllis Eleanor Masters (UKIP) Simon Roffe (Liberal Democrat)
Tom Bailey (Renew) Lewis Carlo Bartoli (Conservative)
Thomas William John Clarke (Liberal Democrat) Sarah Louise Day (Labour) Henry Marshall (UKIP) Jean Frances McLaughlin (Independent)
Alan Steele (Green party)