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 controversial waste processing development in Charlton Lane, Shepperton has been given clearance to go ahed by Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, despite calls from local residents' representatives for a call-in for review of Surrey County Council's decision by his department.
Surrey County Council Liberal Democrats have launched a Facebook page to increase the County Council group's social networking profile in campaigning on issues for the residents of Surrey.
Commenting on the announcement that the Coalition Government will not go ahead with a planned 2% increase in the maximum amount by which train operators can raise fares, Co-chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee for Transport, Julian Huppert MP said: "This is good news for train passengers. The Liberal Democrats are determined to stand up for passengers and I am glad the Coalition has done the right thing and protected them from the planned increase."
Surrey County Council's Liberal Democrats have welcomed the major U-turn by the Conservative administration in its plans to turn a further nine libraries into "Community Partnership Libraries", but say it doesn't go far enough.
The Coalition Government has announced ambitious measures to kick start house building, help first time buyers get on the housing ladder and make social housing fairer.
On the first day of the UN's climate change summit in Durban, South Africa, UK Lib Dem MEP and President of the ELDR party Sir Graham Watson,has urged the EU to join forces with smaller nations in trying to urgently secure a new climate agreement.
