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 Democrats on Surrey County Council have condemned the County's ruling Conservative administration for continuing to hoard council taxpayers money in reserves while putting up Council Tax by the maximum central government will allow without a referendum.
Speaking at a Surrey-wide Conference on the threat to Green Belt organised by the Surrey Branch of the Council to Protect Rural England in Dorking on Saturday, Liberal Democrat County Councillor Ian Beardsmore said the County has been suffering from a decade of pressure under successive governments.
The Coalition Government has announced a £2.7 million boost for school sports in Surrey from September. Every state primary school in Surrey will receive funding for sports in 2013/14 and 2014/15.
Surrey County Council's Conservative administration is covering up the true state of the County's roads according to the Liberal Democrat opposition at County Hall.
The Liberal Democrats are calling on Surrey County Council to protect the County's Green Belt. In a motion to the County Council next Tuesday, 19 March, Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Beardsmore will call on the Council to do everything in its power to protect Green Belt land and to ensure that any Green Belt development in the County is in line with the needs and wishes of Surrey residents.
Commenting on the further raising of the Personal Allowance, Hazel Watson the Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition on Surrey County Council, said:
