According to Henry Bolton, the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Runnymede & Weybridge, there is a real need to introduce a pension that ends means testing for the oldest pensioners and removes discrimination against women. He says, "Women should be entitled to a pension in their own right. The LibDems would address this immediately once in power."
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.
With the recession people are hurting. 1 in 4 of Surrey's residents are living in financial stress and 30,000 are financially excluded - as they don't have bank accounts, savings or insurance. Without them people turn to loan sharks, some even for basic things like when their washing machine breaks down.
This coming Monday 29 March will see the first of the televised election 2010 debates. Vince Cable will face Alistair Darling and George Osborne at 8pm on Channel 4. Following the Budget, this will be the time to see the mettle of the three Chancellors head-to-head. Don't miss it!
Following the chaos experienced in many parts of Surrey this winter, Lib Dem Councillors at County Hall called for the Conservative Administration to ensure that grit bins are ready before next winter.
At the Council meeting on 23 March, the Lib Dems called for changes to make Surrey County Council more open and transparent, for the benefit of Surrey residents.
Today, Britain needed a Budget that gave us honesty in spending and fairness in tax. Alistair Darling has given us neither.
The former leader of the Conservative MEPs, Edward McMillan-Scott, the Conservatives' most senior MEP, has joined the Liberal Democrats, it was announced at the Liberal Democrats' Spring Conference in Birmingham.
