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 county councillors in Surrey have written to the county's 11 MPs asking them to vote against the Local Government Finance Settlement in Parliament on Wednesday 7th February. The Settlement sets out the level of funding from central government to local councils for the next financial year, and has been widely criticised for failing to address the financial problems that many councils face.
Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have criticised the Conservative-administration for budget proposals containing £54m of further cuts to services and a 6% council tax rise. The budget recommendations will be approved by the Council's Conservative Cabinet on Tuesday 30th January, and then by the County Council on Tuesday 6th February.
Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have launched a petition calling for Surrey County Council to abolish its charges for residents disposing of DIY waste - known locally as the "Tory Tip Tax". The petition follows a consultation from the Government announcing that they oppose the principle of councils charging residents for disposing of DIY waste and will consider changing the law if councils continue to charge. Surrey County Council introduced these charges in September 2016 despite overwhelming opposition to the charges in the responses to the County Council's consultation.
The Government have stated that they wish to see an end to charges by local authorities, including Surrey County Council, for residents disposing of DIY waste. A consultation released this week by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) states that "The Government's view is that residents should be able to dispose of household DIY waste free of charge" and
The Government has published proposals calling on local authorities, including Surrey County Council, to be more open and transparent about their purchases of commercial properties for investment purposes. The consultation, which closed on December 22nd 2017, states that local authorities need to "demonstrate more transparency and openness and to make it easier for informed observers to understand how good governance and democratic accountability have been exercised", and that "local authorities need to remember that their prime duty is to deliver statutory services for local residents". The new rules, if adopted, will be introduced in April 2018 and take effect immediately. Cllr Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council, said today:
Liberal Democrat county councillors have criticised Surrey County Council's plan to set aside income derived from property acquisitions into further property speculation rather than investing in services. According to the latest budget figures, the County Council is facing an overspend of £19 million in the current financial year but is planning to set aside £3.8m of income generated from property to invest in more property, rather than take the pressure off council services which are facing cuts of £104 million pounds this year.
