Colin Ferguson has been named as the new leader of Newcastle’s Liberal Democrats.
The Gosforth councillor takes over at the head of the city’s opposition party after Nick Cott announced in December that he would be stepping down due to health reasons. Coun Ferguson, who was first elected to Newcastle City Council in 2018, defeated Parklands ward councillor Christine Morrissey in the leadership race.
He said: “I am humbled to have been chosen by my colleagues to lead them. I didn’t imagine, when I first stood for election in order to speak up for and support my local community, that I would end up here today.
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“It was a very good election carried out in good spirit. Christine made some very sensible suggestions for the future direction of the council, and I intend to work closely with her. I’d also like to thank Nick for his leadership over the past few years and I am grateful he is still on the council as I know I can rely on his wise counsel.”
Coun Ferguson, who is married with a newborn son, was previously the Lib Dems’ deputy leader and finance spokesman. His day job is as general manager of the Altitude Foundation, a charity which supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in technology.
The Lib Dems, who ran Newcastle City Council from 2004 to 2011, currently hold 21 of the 78 seats on the Labour-dominated local authority. Coun Ferguson claimed that Newcastle “deserves better than what Labour has offered over the last decade” and that the council “feels increasingly remote and irrelevant to too many people”.
He added: “Becoming a new father is a reason to step up, not step back, for me: I now have another new reason to fight for a better Newcastle. Whether it be improving the council’s services on green issues, transport, and school places, or transforming the council into a “can do” council with proper targets and open decision making, I believe Newcastle Liberal Democrats can make that difference, just like we did the last time we ran the council in 2004.”
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