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.
Following a motion by the Lib Dems, Surrey County Council unanimously agreed to introduce 'school streets' in Surrey with the aim of encouraging active travel, improving air quality and promoting road safety.
Following a question from the Lib Dems, Surrey County Council has confirmed that the cost of its failed bid to become a unitary authority was just under £250,000.
Liberal Democrat Councillors on Surrey County Council note and share the public concern regarding the proposed changes to night cover of firefighters.
Figures published by Surrey County Council and available on the Surrey-I website have revealed a huge rise in the cost of senior officer pay in just 12 months.
Paul Kennedy, a Mole Valley councillor and Liberal Democrat candidate to be Surrey's next Police and Crime Commissioner, has called on David Munro, the current PCC, to give Surrey Police extra resources to address the increasing problems caused by visitors to our beauty spots during the lockdown.
An investigation by the Lib Dems has uncovered that 36,284 crimes were closed by Surrey Police last year without a suspect being identified.
