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.
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.
By Tim Prater, Lib Dem County Councillor for Folkestone West, Kent County Council. [Originally published by Tim Prater with the title "Access to Meetings: The Government View".]
Nick Clegg MEP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister, has launched the Youth Contract, a £1billion programme to get every unemployed young person earning or learning again before long-term damage is done.
Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West of England and Gibraltar, and former leader of the Liberal ALDE group in the European Parliament, Sir Graham Watson MEP has been elected President of ELDR, the European Liberal Democrat and Reform party, at their annual congress in Palermo, Sicily.
