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LIBERAL DEMOCRATS GAIN NORTH EAST MEP

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Fiona Hall has been elected to the European Parliament, ousting Labour MEP
Barbara O'Toole.

This result indicates that the Liberal Democrats are challenging Labour in their North East heartland.

Votes were counted by local authority area. In many areas across the region, the Lib Dems came a comfortable second to Labour, ahead of the Tories. Following the result, Fiona Hall said:

"We are now in an very strong position, poised to challenge Labour at the General Election in seats such as Durham City, Newcastle Central and Blaydon.

"People have voted Liberal Democrats in droves across the North East, because Labour has not been listening and we have. An element of this was the Iraq war, but there were also other local and national issues.

"People have voted Liberal Democrat, not for tactical reasons, but because they wanted the Liberal Democrats to win. I will now fight for a fair deal for the North East in the European Parliament."

The Liberal Democrats polled 17.8% of the vote, an increase of 4.3% from 1999.

Under the proportional representation system, this allowed them to take the third of the three MEP seats in the North East.

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