Rob Earnshaw

Local Elections May 2025

Local Issues. Real Answers

This section of the website is dedicated to my campaign for Northumberland County Council, standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Corbridge, now covering areas such as Riding Mill due to the boundary change

For more information about the wider work of the Northumberland Liberal Democrats, you can visit:
🔗 www.northumberland-ld.org.uk

Agent - N Salvesen (Liberal Democrats), all at Low Leazes, Leazes Lane, Hexham, NE46 3BA

Below, you’ll find the priorities, plans, and pledges I’m putting forward – and what I’d work to deliver as your local councillor.

– Rob Earnshaw

What Matters to You: Local Issues, Straight Answers

Below I have brought together a series of FAQs and summaries that reflect the key concerns I’ve heard across the ward – and more importantly, what I’ll do to help.

Whether it’s backing our brilliant local businesses, protecting the River Tyne, improving rural bus services, or supporting young people and older residents alike, I’m ready to work hard for our community.

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A Stronger United Kingdom

Local Devolution: Give councils and regions more control over housing, transport, and economic development. Empower Nations: Support further powers for the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Community Funding: Provide sustainable long-term funding for local authorities to run essential services effectively. UK Unity: Promote cooperation between UK nations, rejecting divisive nationalism in favour of a federal future.
Rights & Democracy

Proportional Representation: Replace the First Past the Post voting system with a fairer proportional system to reflect votes cast. House of Lords Reform: Replace the unelected Lords with a democratic upper chamber. Protect Civil Liberties: Repeal authoritarian protest laws and surveillance powers; defend freedom of speech and assembly. Political Integrity: Introduce new rules on lobbying, donations, and MP behaviour to clean up politics.
Education & Children

Free School Meals: Roll out to all primary school children, starting with those in poverty. Childcare: Expand funded hours of childcare and raise provider funding to ensure quality and accessibility. Teacher Recruitment & Retention: Boost pay, cut bureaucracy, and restore morale in the teaching profession. Pupil Support: Provide school-based mental health services, including counsellors in every secondary school.
Housing & Communities

Affordable Housing: Build 150,000 new social and genuinely affordable homes per year through new planning powers and investment. Renters’ Rights: End no-fault evictions (Section 21), introduce longer-term tenancies, and explore fair rent controls. Decent Homes Standard: Enforce stronger energy efficiency and safety standards in rented housing. Rural Support: Protect post offices, expand mobile coverage, improve public transport, and support rural tourism and agriculture.
Health and Social Care

NHS Investment: Increase funding to tackle waiting lists and restore GP appointments within 7 days for routine issues and 24 hours for urgent ones. GP and Dental Access: Train more doctors and guarantee access to NHS dentists by reforming the dental contract. Mental Health: Treat mental health as seriously as physical health. Commit to mental health hubs for young people and support in workplaces and schools. Social Care Reform: Introduce free personal care for those who need it and establish a long-term solution for care funding.
Cost of Living & Economy

Fair Taxation: Increase taxes on wealth and capital gains to fund public services while closing loopholes used by large corporations. Support for Families: Scrap the two-child benefit cap and lift the benefit freeze to help the most vulnerable. Energy Costs: Implement a new home insulation programme and cap energy bills to keep homes warm and reduce emissions. Workplace Fairness: Make flexible working the default, outlaw exploitative zero-hours contracts, and boost worker protections and pay.
Climate & Environment

Net Zero by 2045: Launch a £150 billion green investment plan to decarbonise the economy, create green jobs, and support renewable energy. Clean Water & Air: Enforce penalties on water companies that pollute rivers with sewage and cut traffic-related air pollution Nature Recovery: Create new National Parks and restore wildlife habitats. Animal Welfare: Ban factory farming, live animal exports, and strengthen animal protection laws.
International Outlook

Closer EU Ties: Lay the groundwork to rejoin the EU Single Market and Customs Union, recognising the damage caused by a hard Brexit. Restore Foreign Aid: Return the UK’s aid budget to 0.7% of national income to support the world's poorest. Champion Human Rights: Lead on global issues like climate justice, democracy, gender equality, and refugee protection. Ukraine & Global Security: Maintain military and humanitarian support for Ukraine and strengthen NATO alliances.
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