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.
The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council are calling for the threshold number of signatures on a petition to be reduced from 10,000 to 3,000 to allow a petition to be debated at full Council meetings.
Almost one-third of Surrey parents are unable to take up childcare places with most failing to take up the childcare places because it is too expensive according to a recent report published by Surrey County Council. Instead, they have to rely on other family members, particularly grandparents, to help with all or some of their childcare needs if they want to return to work or study.
Liberal Democrat David Lee has regained his seat on Tandridge District Council by winning the Whyteleafe ward by-election with a 50% share of the vote.
Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have proposed that the Conservative run Council shelves its planned cuts to bus services following the recent significant fall in oil prices.
Calls by Liberal Democrats for no more runways at Heathrow and Gatwick were voted down by the Conservatives at County Hall yesterday.
One privately owned residential care home in Surrey has recently been closed by Care Quality Commission meaning that older people had to be moved at short notice. Another home close to Surrey's borders which the council has used for care packages was also closed down. A check of Care Quality Commission's website shows that there are 5 privately owned homes within 13 miles of Guildford where they have been found to be inadequate in one or more categories.
