Sussex Weald Constituency appoints its Liberal Democrat candidate

Danielle Newson, a lawyer working for the NHS, has been appointed the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the new constituency of Sussex Weald which includes Crowborough, Heathfield and Hailsham.  Danielle is currently a Guildford Borough Councillor, representing the largest ward in the borough which is largely rural with areas of wealthy and of social housing.

Danielle was born in York where her father was stationed at Lynton on Ouse Royal Navy airbase and the family move around regularly with his postings.  She certainly did not have a privileged background as her father came from a council house in London’s East End. Her father died when she was a child so Danielle had to grow up quickly to help look after her two younger sisters.  Contracting a very serious illness, and delayed diagnosis, when she was 12 resulted in Danielle spending a long period in hospital, followed by months in a wheelchair and off school for much of a year.  Nevertheless, Danielle fought every step to regain full health and make up for lost time in her early teens.  That determination aids her every step as an adult.  Through her work she also understands the pressures on the NHS and the impact staffing shortages have on services provided to patients, as well as the need to ensure we all have access to good health care which is free at the point of access, including good access to GPs and dentists in all areas.

Danielle is a mother and grandmother, and family are very important to her, as is ensuring we have a world that is habitable for their lifetimes and beyond.  Hence, Danielle has campaigned regularly on issues related to water and unacceptable water outages in her local area. Danielle held Thames Water to account over woefully inadequate infrastructure and issues with lack of consistent supply of clean fresh water to local residents.

The Liberal Democrats are preparing their manifesto for the next General Election and Danielle is fully behind their proposals on education, the economy, the environment, energy and climate emergency as well as health and water quality and pollution.

Danielle will be a local champion for Sussex Weald.  Especially in education, which has faced enormous strain in recent years but is key to unlocking the potential of every child.  The Covid pandemic did huge damage to children’s learning and mental health. Schools are crumbling and pupils' learning is being further disrupted.

Danielle is not alone in saying, “The Conservatives have neglected schools. Their reckless cuts and teacher shortages have let children and parents down. Children are our future and we must ensure they have the best start possible.”

The Liberal Democrats will invest in education through childhood and beyond, to give everyone the skills and confidence they need to thrive.