A Unite/Mori student survey carried out in January 2004 on voting intentions gives the Lib Dems a leading share of 34%, with Labour on 28% and the Tories third on 19%. Students will have a major impact in 2005, as the elections are expected during the university year, on May 5, unlike in 2001 when the elections fell during the holiday period.
Commenting on the launch of an online map to tell homeowners about flooding risks in England and Wales, Norman Baker MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, said:
Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy today launched the Liberal Democrat Pre-manifesto - the first important stage in the manifesto process, which will take the Party into the General Election.
Under new Liberal Democrat proposals police chiefs would sign contracts with local communities setting out how many officers they would deploy. The "minimum policing guarantees" would set funding levels for local police for a rolling three-year period. The guarantees are part of the party's new plans to tackle crime. The plans include using money earmarked for the government's ID card plan to hire an extra 10,000 front line police and 20,000 community support officers.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Peter Lambell (Reigate Central) has condemned the recent refusal by Surrey County Council's Conservative administration to sign up to the national 10:10 climate change campaign. This high profile initiative is supported by all the main national party leaders. It seeks to achieve a 10% cut in carbon emissions in 2010.
Less than a year since they took the decision to maintain the service until 2011 the Tory administration at County Hall has decided to axe the very popular Pegasus buses from the end of the current school year. The decision to discontinue the service has been made without consultation with parents or the schools.
The outgoing Interim Chief Executive of Surrey County Council, Mr Michael Frater, has issued a damning hand-over report to his successor about this Tory-led council. His report describes the council as arrogant, bureaucratic, lacking in vision, direction and strategy, obsessed with itself, inefficient and unsophisticated, with a culture of blame and bullying plus a lack of leadership - and in denial about its own shortcomings.
Despite massive public support for the Surrey Police, the government has won a vote in parliament confirming a spending "cap" that will force the police to shed a further 48 jobs, including 31 front line police officers. Astonishingly, although some Surrey MPs spoke against this move, when it came to a vote not a single Conservative voted against it. That was left to the Liberal Democrats, supported by two rebel Labour MPs and one DUP member from Northern Ireland.
Liberal Democrats at Surrey County Council have called for improvements in the way the County Council plans and prepares its budget. They criticised the Conservative administration for its unrealistic and short-term approach to budget setting, which has resulted in some council services underspending - whilst others overspend their budgets, year after year.
The Liberal Democrats have gained seats in Reigate, Spelthorne, Tandridge and Woking, despite losses in Godalming and Guildford. The new Lib Dem group will number 13 and the Lib Dems will remain the main opposition party on Surrey County Council.
