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.
Last minute papers tabled at the Cabinet meeting of the Conservative administration running Surrey County Council has revealed an underspend of £22.5m on the capital budget, plus a further underspend of £38.2m on its revenue budget for 2010/11, in the year ending 31 March 2011.
The European Parliament has voted today on a number of important amendments to improve consumer rights in the EU. The votes amend the European Commission's proposal for a new consumer rights directive intended to update and replace a set of four existing laws regarding sales of goods and services from business-to-consumer. The vote on the overall text was postponed in order to keep open the chance for a first reading agreement with the Council.
At the Surrey County Council meeting today Conservative Councillors blocked debate on a motion from the Liberal Democrats recommending that the County Council's on-street parking scheme be withdrawn.
