Dear Residents of North Somerset

Young or old, working or retired, in work or between jobs, at school or at University. Here's to a Happy, Free, Fair and Green, Liberal Democratic New Year.

It was great to be selected at the end of November as parliamentary candidate for the Lib Dems in North Somerset, and now the real work begins. We know that if we can unite the centre left here, and bring people that have voted for the Labour and Green Parties in the past to vote with us, we can defeat the Tories and give the majority the voice they deserve. We believe in many of the same things and we can start to achieve them together. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, 'United we can win, divided we won't'.

It is an important time, for us locally and nationally.

In North Somerset the cuts that the Tory run council is threatening to bring in will hit education and care for those in need, and hit the environment, and it does not even look like they are needed.

Nationally with our new leader Nick Clegg in place we have a popular rising star to lead us, so log on to his YouTube site by following the link below and hear what her has to say in person:

http://c.cminteractive.com/?1nqhPkffY=1944405

Once again Have a Happy and Safe New Year, and as the Centre Left lets WORK TOGETHER TO WIN IN NORTH SOMERSET!

 

Dr. Brian Mathew  

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for North Somerset

Brian grew up in the West Country and went to school in Somerset. While researching in the Middle East he witnessed first hand the pointless destruction of war.

After University his post-grad diploma in Agricultural Engineering launched him on a 20 year career in water, sanitation and health programmes in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Working with WaterAid in Tanzania, he helped to bring safe water to over a million people.

When studying for an MA he won a scholarship to the Liberal Summer School and joined the Lib Dems.  In 1999 he married Clare, a fellow Aid worker. His PhD thesis for Cranfield University was published recently. He has written a number of publications, made films, and broadcast on radio and TV. He has helped in by-elections from Hartlepool to Southall. In 2005 he stood in a local by-election  in Westminster. This year he co-wrote and presented the new Party Policy on International Development, passed unanimously at Harrogate.