After very careful thought, I have come to the conclusion that I can best serve the interests of my constituents by joining the Liberal Democrats.

Brexit has not only sucked all the political oxygen from government over the past three years, but it has also consumed the funding and energy that should have been invested in local communities, tackling climate change and supporting the workforce and infrastructure of our NHS, schools and transport.

We've had an exception two months, winning elections, breaking records and growing our movement. Get the low down here:

Local Elections

We saw our party's best ever local election results, taking control of twelve councils and winning 706 council seats across England.

We took control of Vale of the White Horse, Hinckley & Bosworth, North Norfolk, Winchester, Bath and North East Somerset, Cotswolds, Chelmsford North Devon, Mole Valley, North Devon, Somerset West & Taunton and Teignbridge Councils.

Leaving a political party is never an easy decision - nor one that one makes lightly. I know that from my own experience nearly 40 years ago!

Tonight, Chuka Umunna announced that he has joined the Liberal Democrats.

And I am delighted to welcome him to our party, as the Liberal Democrat MP for Streatham.

So as you may have heard - Vince is stepping down. That means a leadership contest has been triggered. Here's how to have your say on the future of our party!

But who can vote for the next Lib Dem leader?

The answer is simple - to vote, you need to join the Lib Dems as a member.

Who's standing to be leader?

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service was recently inspected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, with a disappointingly overwhelming rating of 'inadequate' and 'needs improvement' across the board . As a result of this, Surrey County Council are currently consulting on their 'Making Surrey Safer' plan which aims to improve the standing of the service. The consultation is open to the public until 30th May 2019.