LIBERAL Democrat leader Charles Kennedy yesterday called for a fairer deal for the North-East as he launched the party's campaign for the European election.
Mr Kennedy was in the region to bolster the party's efforts to secure its first North-East seat in the European Parliament.
Mr Kennedy said the Lib Dems would scrap the Government funding formula, which gives more money to Scotland than the North-East.
He said: "Liberal Democrats are fighting for a fair deal for the North-East.
"We want fair funding for a fair future in the region.
"This means a fair deal for public services threatened by under-funding and over-prescriptive central Government targets.
"The gap between the North-East and the South has widened under Labour.
"The formula gives millions of pounds of extra funding to Scotland but not to the North-East.
"We will abolish it and replace it with a needs-based formula."
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