According to Henry Bolton, the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Runnymede & Weybridge, there is a real need to introduce a pension that ends means testing for the oldest pensioners and removes discrimination against women. He says, "Women should be entitled to a pension in their own right. The LibDems would address this immediately once in power."
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 are calling for the Leader of Surrey County Council to release a secret letter he has written to Surrey MPs regarding the county council's finances. The letter, referred to as "certain communications from me on behalf of all of you" by the Leader of the Council at the council meeting on 6th December 2016, is believed to spell out in stark terms the financial position of the authority but has not been shared with elected members. It follows council meetings held in October and December 2016 where councillors of all parties agreed that the Leader of the Council should lobby central government for more funding for the council to help meet increased demand for services. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is a Surrey MP, should also have been sent a copy of the letter. Cllr Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Councillors on Surrey County Council, said today: "Making representations to MPs is a crucial step to help obtain the extra money that the county council need
Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have expressed their dismay at Conservative plans to hike council tax by a massive 16% in the county. According to a report in the well respected Municipal Journal magazine, which covers local government issues, the county council is seriously considering a proposal to hold a county-wide referendum with the intention of raising council tax by 16%. Under the current rules, the county council can only raise the tax by an extra 4.99% a year, 3% of which is ring-fenced for adult social care, and must hold a referendum if it wishes to raise a larger amount. Cllr Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrat councillors on Surrey County Council, said today: "Liberal Democrat councillors on Surrey County Council oppose a proposal to increase the council tax above the threshold to trigger a referendum of Surrey residents. Firstly, there is a national crisis in the funding of adult social care, which needs a long-term solution from the government not a temporary stickin
Surrey County Council has announced today that it has failed to meet its target to deliver a Superfast Broadband service to almost 100% of residential properties in Surrey. Furthermore it is planning to drop this target following a county council report which has revealed that 15,300 Surrey properties in the Intervention Area are unable to access Superfast Broadband. The county council's plans to increase the number of premises able to receive Superfast Broadband will not achieve 100% coverage and will take two years to deliver.
It will come as no surprise to head teachers and many parents that provision for children with Special Educational Needs (SEND) in Surrey has been heavily criticised by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.
Commenting on the Ofsted SEND inspection findings in the letter sent to Surrey County Council, Cllr David Goodwin, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Schools, said:
Surrey County Council should re-think its plans to change the support it gives to carers, according to a cross-party group of councillors.
