At the County Council meeting on March 23rd, Lib Dem councillor Colin Taylor commented that pictures of the new County Hall show a glass-clad building. Such buildings tend to feel too hot in summer and too cold in winter - or use lots of energy maintaining comfort.
After six years of campaigning, the Liberal Democrats at County Hall have succeeded in convincing Surrey County Council to undertake urgent work to make its properties "disabled friendly". The County Council has approved a Liberal Democrat motion that puts disabled access high on the County Council's priorities. A report recently commissioned by the County Council highlighted the current situation of the County's public buildings.
Surrey County Council Conservatives' claims that extra funding has been put into education, social services and road maintenance by sweeping cuts in administration and bureaucracy could be described politely as misleading or perhaps more accurately as downright lies, according to Councillor Janet Maines, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council. Most of the extra funding in the budget has come either from the government or from prudential borrowing says Mrs Maines.
Councillor Janet Maines, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council, commenting on the County Council budget said, "I welcome the single figure increase in the Council tax for Surrey residents, which is good news for people on fixed incomes including pensioners. But I have opposed the budget because the Conservative administration at County Hall has not gone far enough to reduce bureaucracy and inefficiency within the Council. The base budget has not been examined in detail as was agreed by the Council one year ago. A number of multi-million pound contracts are not being adequately controlled by the Council. Although the Council is now making a welcome start to introduce cost-saving preventative measures such as key worker housing and energy efficiency promoted by the Liberal Democrats, it has been slow to do so."
Liberal Democrats are urging Surrey County Council to keep a commitment to invest in preventative services that will save money in the long term. For example, increasing allowances could encourage more people to become foster parents in Surrey and would save money currently spent on very expensive agency placements outside the County. This approach would take the County Council away from the current culture of crisis management and save taxpayers money at the same time.
The efforts of Lib Dems on Surrey County Council to save council tax payers' money, while protecting Council services, have resulted in the adoption of a scheme to support the County Council's key workers wishing to access housing within the County, that will save thousands of pounds in future years.
Ed Davey has said Rishi Sunak is living in a “parallel universe,” after today’s figures reveal NHS targets are being missed
Ten years ago today, the UK’s first same-sex marriages took place.
Liberal Democrat Leader rallies his party ahead of this year's General Election.
It's time for change. We cannot sit idly by as our local services crumble. Liberal Democrats will always stand up for a fair deal for communities.
Let's focus on what truly works: tackling the backlog, creating safe routes, and upholding our commitment to human rights. As Liberal Democrats, we will continue to fight for a fairer and more compassionate asylum system.
Navalny cast a light on the corruption of Putin and his cronies. His tragic death, at the hands of Putin, cannot and will not stifle the democratic ideals that he fought for. Together, let us be a voice that speaks for those who have been silenced.
