Derbyshire Dales Lib Dems select Barry Holliday as candidate to fight next election
Lib Dem members have selected Barry Holliday as their parliamentary candidate for Derbyshire Dales, choosing someone whose roots in the constituency run deep and whose life experience means he understands, first-hand, what people here really need.
Born in Matlock and raised in Derbyshire, Barry came through the care system as a baby and was adopted as a young child. He went on to study at Sheffield Hallam University and built a career spanning the NHS, education, the voluntary sector and healthcare management, always working directly with people who needed support most.
As a teacher in an inner-city school, Barry worked with disengaged and disadvantaged young people. He later supported unemployed young people through the Prince's Trust, helped oversee 14 care homes for adults with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has held union roles championing workers' rights in education.
Barry has been a Liberal Democrat activist and campaigner for many years, holding roles at local, regional and national party level.
He says: "It's a real privilege to be selected to fight for the constituency I was born in. Derbyshire Dales is in my DNA. I was born in Matlock, married my wife in Bakewell, and proposed at Chatsworth. I know this area, I love it, and I want to fight for it.
“We’re lucky to be blessed with some of the most beautiful places on earth in our county and there is nowhere I would rather live than here. But it’s not always as idyllic as it should be - not when our rivers are being poisoned by sewage and people are waiting hours for buses, or weeks just to see a GP, let alone find an NHS dentist.
"Residents here are telling me they've utterly lost faith in other parties. They turned their backs on the Tories, and now on Labour too who promised so much and have utterly failed to deliver. And residents can see Reform for what it really is – more interested in stoking grievances than solving problems. The Liberal Democrats are the party that actually delivers in local government, and we're already the largest party on Derbyshire Dales District Council. I want to take that same commitment and energy to Westminster.”
Claire Cadogan, Chair of Derbyshire Dales Liberal Democrats commented, “I’m delighted that we have Barry on board. This area deserves a representative who understands local issues, and will fight for it with everything he’s got. With his deep roots in Derbyshire, his record of service and his commitment to Liberal Democrat values, he will be an exceptional champion for our communities."