John Appleby - Green Hero
Parliamentary Candidate for Tynemouth
John Appleby is the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Tynemouth. He currently works as a teacher of Maths for Engineers at Newcastle University and has lived in the North East for forty years so he is very aware of the issues specific to the area, and has an appreciation for the place he calls home.
No stranger to campaigning and working for local people on local issues, John is a former Newcastle Councillor and has been the candidate for Police & Crime Commissioner.
His professional career has demonstrated his hard-work and exceptional leadership skills where he has overseen a large department of over 1,000 staff and students working with a budget of £14 million. Furthermore, he has showcased his compassion and commitment to the community by chairing a local charity as well as being a trustee for others.
He has also been the president of a local union branch and contributed to regional and national church committees.
John is clear that his politics is that of pragmatism and honesty, and what makes him a real Green Hero is that he lists his priorities, if elected as MP, as centring around the Environment. For him, many issues can be addressed simultaneously whilst linking them back to their environmental roots.
He will bring leadership to the issue of helping us move to a sustainable world, championing the Liberal Democrat value of a transition which is just and equal.
Additionally, improving active travel infrastructure is paramount for John, to ensure that walking and cycling becomes as safe as possible. This would allow for many more people to feel comfortable to incorporate active travel into their lifestyles, encouraging health and helping to decrease air pollution by aiding a transition away from a reliance on cars. In fact, John himself is a keen user of a 'car-club' which utilises a pay-as-you-go model which allows users to save money on petrol and reduce their own dependence on cars.
John's focus on measures which can reduce air pollution, particularly, is entrenched in the value of fairness. Harmful air and poor air quality can be a major barrier to equality, as negative health effects from dirty air often impact the poorest and most deprived communities most, whether that is due to proximity to main roads, lack of walking and cycling infrastructure, or difficulty accessing healthcare - amongst many other reasons.
Fairness for John also means tackling and preventing crime and the cost-of-living crisis. Particularly worrying for Liberal Democrats are rising energy bills which will (amongst other measures) be tackled with free insulation and heat pumps for all homes for those on a low income, and a Windfall tax on huge oil and gas giants who rake in profits. Taxing those with the deepest pockets is necessary and fair. This tackles the twin threats of cost-of-living and clean energy for a healthy climate.
Furthermore, John is committed to helping carers and providing more social care to support those in need and take the pressure off of the NHS.
Finally, one of John's top conerns is with the disgraceful sewage dumping crisis which has polluted our rivers and becahes. The scandal must be ended and we will not allow water companies to continue to get away with the dumping whilst also awarding themselves with bonuses. John will be committed to cleaning up our waterways to create a pleasant environment once again for all people and wildlife to enjoy whilst protecting our precious ecosystems.
Also read John's 10 Questions interview where he expands on some of the issues closest to his heart:
Keep up with John:
Email: johnapplebyld@gmail.com
X/Twitter: @johnapplebyld
Blog: www.johnapplebyld.wordpress.com
Making Change Happen
John Appleby is a key member of the Liberal Democrats team which can, together, make environmental change happen in Parliament, so we'll be doing all we can to help get him elected. Will you join us?
For more Green Heroes go to the Green Heroes front page here >>> https://greenlibdems.org.uk/en/page/green-heroes