While families across Runnymede struggle to afford basic pleasures and treasured local pubs face closure, the Liberal Democrats are putting forward concrete solutions to help real people and businesses facing the cost-of-living crisis.
The Runnymede Council Alliance has secured a major £3.2 million investment in vital healthcare services at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, bringing life-saving improvements to cardiac care and neonatal intensive care for families across our community.
A devastating safeguarding review has revealed how 10-year-old Sara Sharif should never have been in the care of her father and stepmother, who murdered her in August 2023 after inflicting more than 70 injuries including burns and fractures.
The Labour government has announced it will abolish Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales, bringing an end to what Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called "a failed experiment" introduced by the Conservatives in 2012.
Meet your local Lib Dem team standing in the Addlestone by-elections on 21st August 2025!
Surrey's Conservative leader is trying to rewrite history as his council faces dissolution - but families across our county know the real story of Tory failure
The Liberal Democrat Group on Surrey County Council is calling on the Conservative-run Executive to reconsider its plans to close six of Surrey's libraries. Diana Smith, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Schools and Communities, said that over the years a lack of investment by the Tories in one of the county's key resources had left it unable to grow to meet modern needs, with the number of people using libraries falling. "In an increasingly 24 hour society it's no wonder people aren't using the libraries, when opening hours are so limited. And when they get there, often the choice of books is restricted and there isn't room for the range of computers that a modern information centre needs."
Conservative-run Surrey County Council today refused to maintain current funding to the county's voluntary sector, choosing instead to oppose a Liberal Democrat motion which had called for an end to the proposed £838,000 cut in funding. Fiona White, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Adults and Community Care, said after the meeting that the Tory amendment to the motion was "woolly" and had no funding substance to it on which the voluntary organisations could rely.
This Motion to Council is not an attempt to ignore the financial situation in which we find ourselves. Rather, it is a recognition of that situation and the need to get the best possible returns for the investment of the Council's money. Let me ask councillors a question. What sort of return do you think we get for every one pound given in grant to a voluntary organisation? Is it three pounds, six pounds, ten pounds? The information which I have gleaned leads me to believe that it is ten pounds or above; if so, the effect of the cuts will be more than £8 million in service provision. I think that any business would be delighted to have such a return on their investment and within a very short space of time.
Following pressure from the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council, proposals to abandon the Student Fare Card Scheme have been withdrawn. The cards allow Surrey students up to 18 to travel at the under-16 rate. They remove a barrier to youngsters travelling to the course that suits them best, keeping them in the education system.
Dear Editor.
The Tory budget is proposing to cut grants to voluntary organisations in Surrey by £838,000. This means a significant reduction in the money available to organisations that have a fundamental role in supporting Surrey residents and will cause an already fragile sector to fail in key areas.
Space is no longer science fiction – it underpins our economy, security, and daily lives. Our new policy will renew the National Space Strategy, support UK spaceports and hubs, and designate space as a strategic industry.
The UK’s asylum system is failing, leaving people fleeing conflict stuck in temporary housing, unable to work, and separated from their loved ones. Our new policy gives practical solutions to clear up the broken system left by the Conservatives.
The Online Safety Act was meant to protect people, yet its flawed implementation risks undermining privacy, free expression, and secure communication. Our new policy addresses our concerns and fights for a digital future where rights are protected.