The Liberal Democrats follow a long British tradition of liberalism and strive to build a free, fair and open society. Liberal ideology roots in the freedom of the individual: this includes the freedom from poverty, the freedom of education, and the freedom to live in a secure and healthy environment. The Liberal Democrats believe that these goals can only be achieved if all public bodies and members of society - regardless of creed, colour or conviction - work closely together at the local, national, European and international level.
In the North East, the Liberal Democrats have gradually built up a strong local basis of support and are now the main opposition to Labour in the North East. Read more.
At the national level, the Liberal Democrats are represented by 63 MPs and 75 peers in Westminster under the leadership of Nick Clegg.
In the European Parliament, Fiona leads a delegation of 11 Liberal Democrat MEPs who form part of the Alliance of Liberal and democrats for Europe (ALDE) group led by Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister. Read more
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