Newcastle Lib Dem councillor 'suspended without prejudice' after complaint

The Liberal Democrats have confirmed that they have suspended the membership of Thom Campion after a complaint was lodged against him.

The Castle ward councillor, who is now listed on Newcastle City Council’s website as an independent, is “suspended without prejudice” until the conclusion of a party investigation.

No details of the allegation against him have been made public.

A spokesperson for the council’s Lib Dem opposition group said: “The group has been informed that Thom Campion has been the subject of a complaint received by party HQ. His party membership, together with his group membership, have been suspended without prejudice until an investigation is concluded.”

Coun Campion has sat on the city council since 2021, having originally won a by-election following the death of former Newcastle Lib Dem leader Anita Lower, and has been his party’s spokesman on transport issues.

His Castle ward covers the villages of Brunswick, Hazlerigg, and Dinnington as well as sections of the Newcastle Great Park and Kingston Park.

He recently stood as a Parliamentary candidate for Cramlington and Killingworth at this summer’s general election and previously for the Blyth Valley constituency in 2019, under the name Thom Chapman.

Prior to his election in September 2021, Coun Campion apologised for a series of offensive tweets posted when he was 14 years old.

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The Lib Dems are the second largest party on the Labour-run city council and have been in opposition since 2011, having previously been the city’s ruling party from 2004 onwards.

Following Coun Campion’s suspension, the political composition of the city council is:

• Labour 45
• Lib Dems 22
• Independents 5
• Newcastle Independents 3
• Green Party 2
• Conservatives 1