THE Liberal Democrats should not be "written off" in Newcastle ahead of local elections, according to the party's president.
Tim Farron claims his party faced a “difficult” battle to keep control of the city’s council on May 5 with a handful of seats deciding the result.
But he insisted local voters recognised how well the Lib Dems had run Newcastle in recent years ahead of a visit to the city this week.
Mr Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, also said he expected party leader Nick Clegg to hit the campaign trail in Newcastle – despite suggestions some Lib Dems seem him as an election liability.
The Lib Dem leader and Deputy Prime Minister has already said his party faces the “mother of all battles” to keep control of Newcastle, a flagship authority for his party, because of the potential backlash over spending cuts.
Mr Farron said: “These are going to be a difficult set of elections. For the first time in 80 years we have got to defend a record in Government and if you are in Government you have to make difficult decisions.”
But he added Labour had made worse decisions, with the Lib Dems going into coalition with the Tories to clear up the financial mess left by the previous Government.
“Undoubtedly, we are up against a difficult narrative. But people shouldn’t write us off,” said the Lib Dem president. “I think the people in Newcastle are rightly considered as special and what makes them special is an understanding this is about local issues and the local council. You would have to be the most utterly robot-like new Labour spin doctor not to accept that Newcastle has been run well.”
And a return to Labour control would be a “massive step back”, claimed Mr Farron.
He dismissed suggestions that his party leader would not be hitting the campaign trail, saying: “We expect to very much see Nick deployed.”
The Lib Dem leader’s approval ratings were higher than Labour leader Ed Miliband and that showed claims of being Mr Clegg being “toxic” were “rubbish”, said Mr Farron.
Last month, Mr Miliband signalled an election onslaught against Lib Dems in Newcastle.
He said: “We are going to be fighting very hard.
“And I think people will judge what the Lib Dems have done, because they will realise these cuts are being imposed are a product of Lib Dems propping up a Conservative government.”
