The 2004 European Election team for the North West Liberal Democrats were chosen by a one member, one vote ballot of all party members across the region. We doubled our representation, getting Saj Karim and Chris Davies elected.
They both have their own websites as MEPs:
Chris Davies MEP
Saj Karim MEP
The list was as follows:
Team Profiles:
1. Chris Davies MEP
Chris Davies was born in Lancashire, grew up in Cheshire, has served as a councillor on Merseyside and as an MP for Greater Manchester. As a competitive fell runner he claims Cumbria as his spiritual home!
He is the Liberal Democrat spokesman on the Environment, Transport and Public Health and Consumer Affairs in the European Parliament. He is married to Carol, a school teacher and has a daughter named Kate who is 11 years old.
2. Sajjad Karim
Pendle’s Sajjad Karim could become the first elected non-white Lib Dem parliamentarian if we take one extra seat in the region in 2004.
Born and raised in the small Lancashire town of Brierfield, he went on to set up Marsdens Solicitors in Nelson, where he is a partner working mainly as a criminal defence lawyer. He was a councillor in Pendle for eight years.
3. Flo Clucas
Former regional party chair Flo Clucas joined in 1981 and has since fought in local, national and European elections. As executive member for European Affairs on Liverpool City Council and Chair of the NW Region European Affairs committee, she is already deeply involved in making Europe work for our region.
Flo also campaigned to give more European cash to Cumbria after the foot and mouth epidemic which led to £m’s being directed to the worst affected areas.
4. Qassim Afzal
On May 1st 2003, Qassim Afzal was elected to represent Cheetham Hill, the first ward the Lib Dems have taken from Labour in North Manchester.
He is chair of the Lib Dems for Equality think tank and chair of Lib Dem Friends of Kashmir. He was until recently head of broadcasting at a local community radio station.
5. Stan Collins
Stan Collins has been a South Lakeland District Councillor since 1979. He has held various senior positions and was responsible for launching the successful campaign to end the council tax subsidy for second homes. Over three elections as candidate, Stan was responsible for making Westmorland and Lonsdale a target seat, cutting the Tory majority from 17000 to 4000.
A former regional Policy Chair he is now Chair of the English Liberal Democrats and Treasurer of the North West Region.
6. Allison Seabourne
Allison Seabourne came just a handful of votes from taking a council seat off Labour in Tameside last May.
As a businesswoman she has ten years experience of trading with the countries of the “Euro Zone” and understands the potential which that market has for North West manufacturing industries.
7. Paula Keaveney
Liverpool councillor Paula Keaveney has worked in journalism and in charity marketing. She was an on air reporter on BBC Radio Lancashire and currently has a regular slot on BBC Radio Merseyside. Her first book, "marketing for the voluntary sector" was published by Kogan Page in 2001.
Paula has been a Westminster PPC for the Lib Dems twice - in Battersea in SW London and in Liverpool Garston. She is regional Vice Chair for Membership and Development and was recently reselected to fight Liverpool Garston again.
8. Neil Corlett
Neil Corlett is 36 and was born and grew up on the Wirral, taking Modern History and Italian followed by a Masters degree in European studies at Reading University.
He has been working in the European Institutions since 1990 and is currently senior policy advisor for the European Liberal Democrat and Reformist Group (ELDR) in the European Parliament where he has been working on EU regional and transport policy, enlargement, budgetary control and economic & monetary affairs.
9. Alison Firth
Alison Firth is a longstanding Manchester Withington councillor.
