Di Keal and Stephen Kearney selected for the Lib Dems

Up in Yorkshire Di Keal is one of the latest set of Liberal Democrat PPCs to be selected:

A local councillor has been chosen as the Liberal-Democrat parliamentary candidate for the Thirsk and Malton seat.

Di Keal has been at the forefront of local politics for more than a decade and serves on both Ryedale District Council and on Norton Town Council – where she has lived for more than 25 years…

“I want to demonstrate what the Liberal Democrats have done working from inside the coalition. Too often Liberal Democrat policies have been wrapped up in blue tape and passed off as Tory ideas. We need to shout it from the rooftops just how much we have achieved that has a direct impact on the lives of hard pressed families.”

She’s one of the impressive band of former Liberal Democrat councillors who have gone on to regain their seat during this Parliament. Regaining a seat is impressive; to do so in this Parliament all the more so.

Meanwhile, in Devon former Parliamentary by-election candidate Stephen Kearney has been selected:

Stephen Kearney was selected at the weekend as Liberal Democrat candidate for the Tiverton and Honiton seat in Devon. He will challenge the sitting MP, the Conservative Neil Parish.

Mr Kearney said he wanted to challenge all forms of cruelty – from bullying and child abuse to ill treatment of animals.

“I feel strongly that we aren’t looking after children and young people as well as we could be,” he said. “I’m not suggesting that any of us is setting out to be cruel, but the system is creating suffering.”…

Mr Kearney said he wanted to create a new kind of politics. “Politicians aren’t trusted any more. My dream is to ensure that the whole community has a real opportunity to be heard in the town hall and in Parliament and every person has a real chance to act locally.”

He said he wanted to set up a system of “pioneers” – volunteers who would go out and listen to their communities and try to arrive at a cross-party consensus on a broad range of local issues.

But, unlike the present system of localism set up by Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, local people would be given the funding and resources to deliver what is needed in their communities.