Proudly introducing our new MEPs for the Eastern Region:

BARBARA GIBSON MEP

A relative newcomer to politics, Barbara is a businesswoman and academic who became a Hertfordshire County Councillor in 2016. She holds a PhD in Intercultural Communication, and has lectured on intercultural communication and global business for universities and business schools in the UK and across Europe.

The Liberal Democrats have secured the best ever European Election result in the party's history, returning 16 MEPs and taking second place in vote share.

Having run an unambiguous campaign to stop Brexit the party has made huge gains across the country, which follow the party's best ever gains in English local election results at the start of May.

Responding to the result Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said:

"Our clear, honest, unambiguous message has won us our best ever European election result, and pushed Corbyn's Labour into third place.

"We have shown ourselves to be the strongest Remain force in British politics.

"We will always stand up for the people who have put their faith in us, taking this mandate forward to campaign harder than ever to stop Brexit.

"There is a clear lesson for Labour in tonight's results: get off the fence. In trying to please everybody they have pleased nobody.

"With a Tory leadership contest increasing the risk of a "No Deal" Brexit, Britain can no longer tolerate an Opposition which ducks and dives on the biggest issue of the day.

"If you want to see an outward looking Britain, standing tall in the world with our European partners, and offering opportunity to everyone at home, there is no better moment to shape the future of our party and our politics, by joining the Liberal Democrats."

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Yesterday, following the best local election results in the Liberal Democrats' history and a surge in Lib Dem support, our leader Sir Vince Cable announced he would be stepping down to make way for the next leader.

Unlike the other big news story of yesterday, where Theresa May quit as Conservative Leader after virtually being dragged from her post after a disastarous stint as prime minister, Sir Vince announced his plans back in March allowing an organised and dignified succession plan for the party.

Our message in these European election is simple: we want to stop Brexit.

The Liberal Democrats are biggest party of Remain. We've been proudly pro-European throughout our history, and we are firmly on the side of Remainers now.

Tomorrow vote Liberal Democrat to stop Brexit.

There's no change at the top for the Lib Dem team in Brentwood as Cllr Barry Aspinell and Cllr Philip Mynott were re-elected as leader and deputy leader, respectvely, for the municipal year 2019-2020.

Barry said:

"I am delighted to have been re-elected as leader for the 7th year running. This is certainly going to be an interesting one wtih a group of considerable size challenging a diminshed Conservative party that still appears to be in dissaray whilst I lead a group of talented and high calibre councillors with a mixture of experience and potential.

Cllr Vicky Davies was returned to her Pilgrims Hatch seat last week with a staggering 72% of the vote but that's no surprise to anyone who knows her. Everyone in the chamber has time and respect for the former council leader and Mayor who was first elected in 1991 in the ward of Brizes & Doddinghurst - the year of Lib Dem landslide victory when the party took control of the council.

In May 2016 the British people were given an over-simplistic vote - to stay or leave the European Union (EU). It split the country almost exactly in half and we are still very divided - and the two main political parties at Westminster in England are ignoring their voters and fighting internally. They appear to be more interested in their own careers rather than providing leadership and direction to the country.