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 welcomed the setting up of a task group to look at reducing the congestion and damage caused by utility companies digging up the county's roads, but say action should have been taken years ago.
Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have said they are "disappointed" at the decision by the county council's Communities Select Committee not to refer plans for 10 libraries to be run by volunteers back to the Cabinet.
Speaking at County Hall, Cllr Fiona White, the Liberal Democrat Adult Social Care spokesperson, said; "The issue is to make sure that the right sort of advice and support is available to Surrey residents as many of them cope with the changes in welfare benefits arising from the Coalition's need to reduce the financial deficit this country faces.
