Kingston Park and Dinnington is a new ward for the 2026 elections and is campaigned for by your local Liberal Democrats Focus team, Mohammad Farsi, Barbara Down and John Mansfield
(It takes a part of Castle ward - currently represented by Lib Dem Councillor Ali Avaei, which now focuses on Great Park and the Villages)
The Focus Team are always out and about speaking to residents across the ward.
Key issues for our area are:
Mohammad, Barbara and John work closely with the 22 strong Liberal Democrats Official Opposition Group on Newcastle City Council, holding the current Labour administration to account and pressing for change to improve our area and the wider city.
Barbara Down - is a trained nurse who worked for several years at the Freeman Hospital. Her career has always been centred on helping people and listening to their concerns. Alongside her professional work, Barbara has volunteered throughout her adult life with an international charity dedicated to building trust and overcoming divisions between people and communities. She later worked for the organisation as Head of Human Resources, gaining valuable experience in leadership, problem-solving and supporting others. Barbara believes that good local representation begins with listening. If elected, she promises to work hard to understand the concerns of residents all across Kingston Park and Dinnington Ward, and to actively seek ways to help resolve local issues. She will be a strong, approachable voice for residents and will always take your concerns seriously.
Dr Mohammad Farsi MBE - Dr Mohammad Farsi MBE is an academic, community leader, and advocate for democracy and public service. A former Commander in the Iranian Navy, he left Iran after opposing authoritarian rule. After settling in the UK, he joined Newcastle University, earning a PhD in Automation and Control Engineering and later serving as Senior Lecturer in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. He published around 150 research papers and supervised many postgraduate students. Since retiring, he has served the community through roles with HM Prison Frankland’s Independent Monitoring Board, police misconduct panels, and school governing bodies. A Newcastle resident for over forty years, he was awarded an MBE in 2019 for designing and implementing an automation protocol, which is used worldwide in automation systems and to education and the community.
Dr John Mansfield - spent 35 years working as an NHS doctor, leading the gastroenterology department at the RVI. He led a research team focused on new treatments and genetics of inflammatory bowel disease, and dedicated his career to helping people. He and his wife raised their three daughters in Newcastle, and have called the city home ever since. John volunteers at Gosforth nature reserve, helping promote accessible green space for locals, and a home for wildlife in Newcastle. He cares passionately about local community, the provision of healthcare, and the environment.
You can contact the team in the following ways:
Email us at: kp@ncl-libdems.org.uk or just click on the button below
or email us directly:
Meet Ali at his regular surgeries: 1st Tuesday of each month at Kingston Park Community Centre - 7pm; 1st Thursday of each month at Great Park Community Centre - 7.30pm; 3rd Wednesday of each month at Dinnington Memorial Institute - 6.45pm and 4th Thursday of each month at Hazlerigg Community Centre - 6.45pm. Brunswick by appointment via email.
Party leader Ed Davey has been in Newcastle today with local Lib Dem councillors and candidates to launch our campaign for the city council elections on May 7th.
Labour and Greens combine to stop Lib Dem proposals for more investment in road and pavement repairs, improvements to parks and play areas and better council housing.
Barbara Down raised the state of Kingston Park and Dinnington's roads and pavements at the March Council meeting
Sign the petition to get this unique historical engineering marvel working again
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Cllr Mark Mitchell challenges Labour’s proposed digital ID scheme, calling it “wrong then, wrong now, and wrong for the future.”
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Cuts to fire service funding could cost over 2,000 firefighter jobs nationwide, with the North East among the worst hit. Lib Dems urge Labour MPs and the Mayor to protect local fire services.
Many residents tell us how much they appreciate receiving a copy of the local FOCUS newsletter through their letterbox - with local news and campaign updates from the Liberal Democrats.
If you would like to receive more frequent updates on issues and stories affecting your local neighbourhood then eFocus is for you - a regular email newsletter sent direct to your email inbox from the Kingston Park and Dinnington Focus Team. It is formatted to read easily on your computer, smart phone, tablet or other device.
If you would like to receive Kingston Park and Dinnington eFocus then sign up below.
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