The Liberal Democrats in Hull

02 May 2010 - Labour Look After Their Own

Local residents in Hull North were shocked to hear their local Labour MP say she considered she was "elected to represent Labour" at a recent public meeting. While her voting record in parliament shows that she is more concerned about the party line than about Hull, it surprised many to hear her admit it in public.

In contrast Denis Healy was adopted by the Lib Dems as their Hull North candidate later that day, and pointed out that he wanted to be elected to serve the people of Hull, not just to toe the party line like the current incumbent. The past month has seen support for Denis come out in the open, with the number of window posters and garden posters in the area showing he has a very good chance of evicting Labour from a city they have too long taken for granted.

17 Apr 2010 - Denis Healy welcomes Nick Clegg to Hull

Following his success in the leaders' debate, Friday saw Nick Clegg come to Hull on a visit to Hull Engineering Training Association. He said: “In Hull, just like in cities across the North, Liberal Democrats are providing hope and opportunity to local people. We are the only challenger to Labour here. Liberal Democrats have a vision for doing things differently that will make life fairer for millions of families who have been let down by Labour."

Denis Healy, the Hull North Lib Dem candidate, was there to welcome him and together they talked to trainees and saw the facilities. Nick Clegg's visit to Hull is a clear indication of how serious the Lib Dems are about winning in the city. It is clear that Denis Healy's campaign in Hull North is really gaining momentum.

16 Apr 2010 - Clegg Heads for Hull After TV Victory

Last night Nick Clegg triumphed over his opponents on the first of three TV debates between party leaders. Speaking to the local press, Denis Healy said: "While Brown and Cameron were busy arguing with each other, Nick did what the viewers wanted. He answered the questions and we heard what the Liberal Democrats were proposing." He added: "This debate marked the beginning of real change in Britain and I'm so pleased that Nick Clegg's first act after this excellent performance is to visit Hull to bring his message of change to our city."

Nick Clegg's visit to the Humberside Engineering Training Association (Heta) on the Sutton Fields Industrial Estate comes just hours after his appearance on ITV gave the public a good impression of what he and the Lib Dems stand for. After the programme had finished, a number of opinion polls revealed Clegg as the clear winner of the debate, causing a surge in Lib Dem support around the country. If you missed it, you can watch it online at http://www.itv.com/.

14 Apr 2010 - Diana Johnson to Face Denis Healy on BBC

Tonight local people can watch Hull North's Lib Dem prospective MP Denis Healy face to face with Labour candidate and outgoing MP Diana Johnson on the BBC's local news programme Look North. Support for Denis has been increasing in the area and is now on display with Denis' distinctive posters in windows and gardens around the constituency.

Many people have spoken to Denis over the past few years in his role as active local campaigner. Tonight the contrast between him and Labour's candidate will be broadcast to TV viewers around the region. Look North will be on BBC One at 6:30 pm.

09 Mar 2010 - Labour MP's council tax feeze boast falls flat

Recently Hull North's Labour MP Diana Johnson boasted that the Hull council tax freeze from the Lib Dems was actually thanks to the generosity of the Labour Government. She claimed that an increase in local government funding from the national Labour government meant that there was no excuse for council tax rises, and that Labour councils in London were "leading the way" in council tax freezes.

However, the council tax rises of four of our closest Labour councils this year have made these claims look embarrassing for the MP. Rotherham and Barnsley had already put up their council tax by at least 2.5%, and North Lincolnshire had voted through a 2.9% rise - just short of the government's 3% cap reported by Channel 4 news last year. More recently Wakefield also announced a 2.4% rise.

So why have these Labour councils not been able to take advantage of the government's apparent generosity as reported by the Hull North MP? Is it perhaps because local government finance is more complex than she would have us believe, and is she taking local people for idiots once again?