Surrey
Liberal Democrats

Surrey Lib Dems

Working hard for you on Surrey County Council

Surrey News

Liberal Democrats call for Surrey County Council to release 'secret' letter to MPs

Liberal Democrat County Councillors are calling for the Leader of Surrey County Council to release a secret letter he has written to Surrey MPs regarding the county council's finances. The letter, referred to as "certain communications from me on behalf of all of you" by the Leader of the Council at the council meeting on 6th December 2016, is believed to spell out in stark terms the financial position of the authority but has not been shared with elected members. It follows council meetings held in October and December 2016 where councillors of all parties agreed that the Leader of the Council should lobby central government for more funding for the council to help meet increased demand for services. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is a Surrey MP, should also have been sent a copy of the letter. Cllr Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Councillors on Surrey County Council, said today: "Making representations to MPs is a crucial step to help obtain the extra money that the county council need

6 Jan 2017
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Surrey's Tory Councillors plan Council Tax bombshell for residents

Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have expressed their dismay at Conservative plans to hike council tax by a massive 16% in the county. According to a report in the well respected Municipal Journal magazine, which covers local government issues, the county council is seriously considering a proposal to hold a county-wide referendum with the intention of raising council tax by 16%. Under the current rules, the county council can only raise the tax by an extra 4.99% a year, 3% of which is ring-fenced for adult social care, and must hold a referendum if it wishes to raise a larger amount. Cllr Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrat councillors on Surrey County Council, said today: "Liberal Democrat councillors on Surrey County Council oppose a proposal to increase the council tax above the threshold to trigger a referendum of Surrey residents. Firstly, there is a national crisis in the funding of adult social care, which needs a long-term solution from the government not a temporary stickin

22 Dec 2016
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Surrey County Council fails on broadband target, say Lib Dems

Surrey County Council has announced today that it has failed to meet its target to deliver a Superfast Broadband service to almost 100% of residential properties in Surrey. Furthermore it is planning to drop this target following a county council report which has revealed that 15,300 Surrey properties in the Intervention Area are unable to access Superfast Broadband. The county council's plans to increase the number of premises able to receive Superfast Broadband will not achieve 100% coverage and will take two years to deliver.

20 Dec 2016
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UK Lib Dem news

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Local Government

Local Government Finance Emergency

After years of neglect, our local councils are in financial survival mode. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to move past emergency bailouts and deliver a sustainable future for local government.

ZF
15 Mar 2026
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Donald Trump - (Gage Skidmore - CC BY-SA 2.0)
International Affairs

Trump and the Wider World

The international stage has been shaken by a series of reckless and illegal actions from Donald Trump’s White House. Liberal Democrat members have passed a new motion to bolster our national defence and strengthen our alliances with reliable partners.

CM
15 Mar 2026
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Child looks at a phone. Next to the child are age-rating symbols: U, 13+, 16, 18
Children & Families

A digital world fit for the next generation

For too long, tech giants have treated children as data to be mined, using addictive algorithms and harmful content to keep them scrolling. While some are calling for blanket bans, we know these are impractical and risk isolating vulnerable groups.

VC
15 Mar 2026
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