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.
Paul Kennedy, Liberal Democrat candidate for Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner, has taken the National Farmers Union pledge to make it a priority of Surrey Police to tackle rural crime and increase police visibility in rural areas.
The Lib Dem Group have called for a review into Surrey County Council's failed attempt to build an 'Eco Park' to process much of Surrey's household waste after it was revealed that the Council is in legal proceedings with the builder of the facility.
Cllr Paul Kennedy, Liberal Democrat PCC for Surrey welcomed the comments in the Guardian of Martin Hewitt, the Chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) in recognising that the police's legitimacy is so low in black communities it is damaging the effectiveness of law enforcement.
Following pressure from Lib Dem Councillors, Surrey County Council and Surrey Police will now review having street lights turned off across the county.
The Lib Dems called on Surrey County Council to support EU citizens living locally and lobby the Government to grant EU citizens the automatic right to stay in the UK.
