Lib Dem candidate for Brent North pledges do donate half of his MP salary to community libraries

The Liberal Democrat candidate for Brent North has pledged half of his MP’s salary to help pay for community libraries in Brent, if he is elected in the May general election.

Paul Lorber says he is pledging £25,000 a year for the full five-year Parliamentary term to help support a community library in Barham Park and at least a further £5,000 a year to help support a re-established community library in Preston.

He said: “Local communities across Brent lost out when Labour Councillors decided to close six local libraries against the wishes of local people. Many local volunteers are determined to reopen as many of the closed libraries as possible and I fully support their efforts.

“I am now committing to donate at least half of any Parliamentary salary I receive to support this worthy local cause and I challenge Barry Gardiner the Labour candidate to do the same.”

The former councillor has been an outspoken campaigner against the closure of the six local libraries in Brent including Barham, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Kensal Rise.

For the past three years he has been an active local volunteer helping to run Friends of Barham Library two volunteer libraries and bookshops in Wembley High Road and Sudbury Town Underground station.

Mr Lorber lost his seat in Sudbury in the 2014 local elections which he held for 32 years.

He will be standing against incumbent Mr Gardiner MP, Conservative Luke Parker, and the Green Party’s Scott Bartle.