North East Mayor election: Lib Dems and Reform announce candidates

The Liberal Democrat and Reform Parties have announced their candidates for 2024's North East Mayor election.

Dr Aidan King will contest the May 2 election for the Lib Dems.

He was brought up in Newcastle and is a physician at the RVI specialising in clinical pharmacology, therapeutics and toxicology. He also lectures in pharmacology at Newcastle University and was a councillor in the city.

Dr King said: “This May, residents have the opportunity to finally put our region first, rejecting Labour in-fighting and Conservative chaos, by electing a mayor who will fight tooth and nail for them.

“We need a strong champion for our region, ready to fight our corner and ensure Westminster will finally give us what we deserve, rather than the scraps this current Conservative Government throws our way."

Reform candidate Paul Donaghy was elected to Sunderland City Council as a Conservative in 2021, but switched to Reform in 2023 and is now the party's mayoral candidate.

Cllr Donaghy said: "I was born and raised in Newcastle and have lived across the North-East for all of my life.

"From High Heaton to Morpeth, I know the North East and I know what the people need; a regional mayor who will put the people first, not party-political point scoring or favouritism.”

Richard Tice, leader of Reform, said: "I am delighted Paul is our candidate for the Mayoralty. Knowing him, he will be a strong and independent voice for the people of the North East."

The other candidates include Kim McGuinness, currently the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner for Labour.

The Conservatives have Guy Renner-Thompson, a Northumberland councillor representing Bamburgh and a member of the county council’s cabinet.

For the Greens it's Andrew Gray, an archivist at Durham University and a party campaigner in Newcastle, where he lives.

The single independent candidate is Jamie Driscoll. He served for a year as a Labour councillor for Newcastle city centre, he was elected in 2019 as North of Tyne mayor.

Mr Driscoll was controversially blocked from standing in Labour’s selection contest, after a row over an appearance he made on stage with film director Ken Loach who was expelled from the party in 2021.