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.
At the Annual Meeting of Mole Valley District Council, the votes of the Ashtead Independent group were decisive in electing Conservative James Friend as Council Leader - even though his party is not the largest on the Council. James Friend then announced a coalition between the 2 groups to form a joint administration.
Surrey County Council's Conservatives delivered a kick in the teeth to local residents and businesses when they voted against accepting the on-line e-petition with 26,289 signatures calling for the County Council to abandon plans for on-street parking charges, in what was clearly a heavily whipped vote.
Three-quarters of the Liberal Democrat manifesto is becoming government policy, according to independent research. Sunday's Politics Show featured the results of research by independent academics into how each party in the Coalition Government is doing at getting its polices enacted.
After having heard the news of the death of Osama bin Laden, Guy Verhofstadt, President of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, felt relief. Verhofstadt was President of the European Council back in 2001 when 9/11 took place. In the name of the European Union he called these attacks "barbaric". After having heard the news of the death of Osama bin Laden, Guy Verhofstadt, President of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, felt relief. Verhofstadt was President of the European Council back in 2001 when 9/11 took place. In the name of the European Union he called these attacks "barbaric".
