Liberal Democrats and Reform UK announce candidates for North East mayoral election

Aidan King, a physician at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary who specialises in clinical pharmacology, is a former city councillor.

Dr King’s early campaign pledges include plans to build the UK’s largest on-shore wind farm and deliver a ‘house building renaissance’ across the region.

While the new mayor will not hold any direct powers over healthcare, Dr King said that finding ways to support the NHS would be one of his top priorities.

His ideas include building the UK’s largest on-shore wind farm, located predominantly on higher land across Northumberland and County Durham, to deliver energy security and thousands of high-skilled jobs.

He also promised that he would deliver three new, small building plots in “every town and village” in the region, through compulsory purchase orders on “low grade” farmland, to deliver new, energy efficient housing.

Meanwhile, Sunderland councillor Paul Donaghy has been selected as the candidate for Reform UK.

A councillor in the Washington South ward, he defected from the Conservatives to join Reform – formerly known as the Brexit Party – in January 2023.

He said: “I know what the people need; a regional mayor who will put the people first, not party political point scoring or favouritism.”

The historic mayoral election will see a political figurehead elected to lead a combined authority stretching across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham.

Also expected to stand in the election, due to be held on May 2, are independent Jamie Driscoll, Labour’s Kim McGuinness, Conservative Guy Renner-Thompson and Green candidate Andrew Gray.