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 Conservative administration at Surrey County Council have today refused to debate a motion from the Liberal Democrats which highlighted failings by the County Council in preparing for flooding, while agreeing to debate a motion discussing an "anodyne approach" to tackling flooding .
Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have welcomed a review of Surrey County Council's road safety policy that is taking place throughout Surrey's boroughs and districts.
Liberal Democrats are proposing a six point action plan to tackle Surrey's flooding. The proposals aim to reduce the impact of future heavy rain by putting in place preventative measures. They are:
Claims by Surrey County Council's Conservative administration that they will "invest up to £10m to support the response to flooding" have been criticised as "propaganda that muddies the water rather than giving hope to residents and businesses", according to the Liberal Democrats at County Hall.
Surrey County Council's Liberal Democrats are opposing the County's Conservative administration's budget at tomorrow's Council meeting as it is "half baked and unrealistic".
Local Liberal Democrat Euro MP, Catherine Bearder, has written to the chief executive of Surrey County Council, David McNulty, to encourage him to apply for EU funding to help rebuild and develop flood defences in Surrey.
