The Hampshire Chronicle has reported why the two Conservative MPs in the Winchester District voted as they did on the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. George Hollingbery said: "This was a free vote and one that was a matter of conscience. I have always believed that a defining characteristic of any developed society is that it treats its citizens equally." Steve Brine said: "I have received more contact from constituents on this, mostly opposed to the Bill for what it's worth, than any other subject in almost three years, and many said to me the coalition should not be spending ...
This evening I was speaking to someone who had moved to Morecambe from Leigh. She told me that before she retired and moved here five years ago the A&E in Leigh had been closed, and guess what, nobody who lived in Leigh wanted it to be closed. They fought to keep it open but she felt that those who were making the decisions had not listened to the popular view. I have heard of many local hospitals closing as they were obviously deemed as inefficient. I am also fairly sure that local people appreciated them and did not want them ...
People will have many reasons to support or oppose a planning application. They may be entirely sensible but some of them cannot legally be considered when deciding whether to grant or reject an application. There are lots of valid objections to planning applications, called "material planning considerations". These include: Loss of light or overshadowing (this isn't just a high wall – it means loss of light to the extent that you don't get enough natural daylight to see by). Overlooking/loss of privacy Visual amenity (but not loss of private view) Adequacy of parking/loading/turning Highway safety Traffic generation Noise and disturbance ...
The Life of Pie To the cinema in Melton Mowbray to watch Life of Pie. As this drama is set in that very town's pork pie industry the place is packed to the rafters. The film turns out to tell the story of the hero's rise from crust-raiser's boy to that most trusted of positions - jelly man. We all had the jolliest of times and I shall give it four stars in my review in the High Leicestershire Radical. Lord Bonkers was Liberal MP for Rutland South-West 1906-10. Previously in Lord Bonkers' Diary...Call Nick Clegg
Thu 7th
21:23
Eastleigh Tory candidate Maria Hutchings doesn't 'care about refugees' and isn't a fan of aids inter...
Maria Hutchings might be an MP in three weeks. She has unsurprisingly been unveiled as the Conservative candidate for the vacant parliamentary seat in Eastleigh following the resignation of future Her Majesty's Pleasure tenant Chris Huhne on Monday. The story of Maria Hutchings though is rather an interesting one, from life-long Labour supporter to the Tory A-List along with the likes of Louise Bagshawe, Zac Goldsmith and former Coronation Street Star Adam Rickett to a spot in a very winnable seat all within two years. So what do we know about Maria Hutchings and more importantly her back story and ...
Last month the Daily Post carried this story: Confusion over similar names led to a laughable blunder by vote counters that saw a Tory candidate handed a council seat in Labour's north Wales heartland. Labour stalwart, Paul Penlington, turned red when his true blue rival, Allan Pennington, was declared the winner of the May 2012 poll in Prestatyn North. It cost tens of thousands of pounds and required the attention of no less than three High Court judges before the muddle was today finally sorted, with Mr Pennington being ousted and Mr Penlington handed the seat that should have been ...
As the good members of Eastleigh gather to decide on their candidate in the by-election here are my suggestions for some names likely to be in the frames, based on no inside knowledge whatsoever. Lets see how well I do...and you know something - this is a brilliant list Evens favourite: Martin Tod Candidate at the last election for the constituency next door, a long experienced campaigner much admired in the party and surely it's his turn? 2-1 Gerald Vernon-Jackson Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Hampshire born and bred. also Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Local Government in ...
I'm very fond of Hardwick Park near Sedgefield for two reasons – firstly, I have very happy memories of childhood visits to a place we always referred to as 'Hardwick Hall'. These visits usually involved me getting wet one way or another – with pond dipping or over-enthusiastic exploring by the serpentine the usual causes. The second reason I like Hardwick is that it's actually one of the first places we took Barney for a day out after he came home from hospital. Me, Laura and my mum headed down in an old Saab I had a mercifully brief flirtation ...
I signed Bath and North East Somerset Coucil up to this campaign. This is the latest letter from them 6 February 2013 Dear Councillor Local authority action on fuel poverty I am writing to thank you for your support of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition's local authority commitment and to draw your attention to a set of initiatives that EFPC, Consumer Focus and local authority partners are taking to encourage council action on fuel poverty. They include: Commissioning of the report Going local - this details a survey of council activity and makes recommendations for improvements. In particular, it calls ...
Several weeks of campaigning to keep Mary Seacole and Olaudah Equiano on the schools curriculum has paid off today after the education secretary Michael Gove bowed to public pressure. Seacole, the Crimean War nurse, has ...
Ooops: [IMG: Removed because of broken embargo - The Guardian] But you can read about the Eastleigh poll here.
The New Statesman have today published my article on race equality and the Liberal Democrats. The full article is reproduced below. Liberal Democrats are feeling pleased with themselves over the equal marriage vote with hearty congratulations lavished ...
1st Eastleigh poll puts Con + LDs within margin of error: C34 LD31 Lab 19 UKIP 13 (Ashcroft poll) — Mark Pack (@markpack) February 7, 2013 The Liberal Democrat candidate is being selected at the weekend – and my money is on it being none of the people Guido has tipped [IMG: :)] That doesn't mean you have to wait to help however: Come to Eastleigh and help the campaign on the ground. Make a donation. * Mark Pack has written 101 Ways To Win An Election and produces a monthly newsletter about the Liberal Democrats.
It is always good to talk. This week there has been a lot of talking about marriage. Most of it has been done honestly and respectfully. Overwhelmingly Lib Dems have welcomed the proposals for equal marriage and a higher proportion of our MPs supported the Bill than in other parties. Lauren Keith (pictured on the left below taking part in the 'Breakthrough Breast Cancer' charity Crocus walk in Hesketh Park) has written a guest posting on the issue I'm proud to be a Liberal Democrat this week. Our action in Government, led by Lynne Featherstone MP in her previous role ...
I hope the reader likes the new look of this site. I had to do a revamp for various reasons. While doing it, on the spur of the moment, I remembered a photo I took last week of the Houses of Parliament. I used a tripod for it, plus HDR (High dynamic range mode) and I processed it via Photomatix, which made it look fantastically good. (Photomatix will make even the most mundane photo look as though it was taken by David Bailey). You'll notice that the sun is shining on the elected end of the building, while there are ...
Lib Dem blogger Mark Pack writes that the absence of Lib Dem MP David Ward from Wednesday's Commons vote on equal marriage was the result of his being "abroad on Parliamentary business"; my own absence from the vote was the result of my "sadly not ever having been elected an MP in the first place". It is thrilling to think that, had I not been so careless as to mislay the roughly twenty thousand additional votes that might have swept me to victory in Hendon, then I too might this week have been abroad on the same Parliamentary business ...
In today's edition of the Left Foot Forward blog's 'Look Left' newsletter, Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has been named as 'Regressive of the Week' for voting against gay marriage. No mention of the 22 Labour MPs who voted against gay marriage, then?
There's been an ongoing furore over remarks made by Lib Dem MP David Ward on "the Jews." As the Commentator reports, he hasn't really shown much remorse and has kept on digging. I would like to offer a belated defence of Mr Ward: at least he's not as bad as Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.* Evidence has recently emerged on Youtube of Morsi describing Jews as "bloodsuckers" and "descendants of apes and pigs" during his time as an opposition MP. Morsi now claims he was quoted out of context – he was referring to Israelis, okay!?! – a similarly lame excuse ...
[IMG: Michael Gove - some rights reserved by conservative party] Michael Gove is an awfully nice man. I've heard from at least two people who've had detailed dealings with him that he is one of the most polite politicians on the face of the earth. But he caused consternation when he announced the end of the GCSE to be replaced with single subject exam boards and an "English Baccalaureate Certificate" (a bit like a "English French thing"). So let's enjoy his words today: ...one of the proposals that I put forward was a bridge too far. My idea that we ...
Thanks to everyone who filled in the survey about the plans to block off part of Taggart Avenue. The news today is that the Council has done a U turn on this one and it now won't happen. My colleague Cllr Pat Moloney, who represents Childwall, collected hundreds of responses about the idea. They were all against and people were angry that the first they heard about the proposal was in the media.
Yesterday Owen Jones quite deservedly won the Best Young Writer award at the inaugural Paddy Power/Total Politics Political Book Awards. The prize money was donated by Lord Ashcroft, so Owen decided to tweet during the award ceremony he was giving it away to a Labour MP and anti-cuts activists. Chuffed to win Young Writer of the Year Award at ...
Liberal Democrats are determined to ensure that all our pupils can access qualifications that measure up to the best in the world today. But existing GCSEs have weakened over time. Colleges and employers tell us they don't prepare young people properly for work or further education. While GCSE results have increased steadily, England's results in the internationally recognised PISA tests have remained flat. This cannot be fair for young people who are working hard to achieve their best. GCSEs need to change: the question is how. The original plan to bring back the O-Level was unacceptable. A two-tier system that ...
If you are interested in the future of rehabilitation services in South Gloucestershire, you may be interested in attending an event on Monday 11th February 2013 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm in Yate Parish Hall, Station Road, Yate BS37 4PQ. Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Primary Care Trusts are working together in partnership to deliver the Healthy Futures Programme. Following consultations in November and December 2012 they have created draft proposals. This meeting is an opportunity for patients, carers and members of the public to find out more and give feedback. Sandwiches, cakes, tea & coffee will be provided. For ...
Yesterday, Chris Rennard and John Sharkey raised the important and inter-connected issues of sugar consumption and childhood obesity, respectively, during Oral Questions in the Lords. These related topics prompted fifteen minutes of debate from a packed Chamber, as the responding Minister – Earl Howe – spelt out what the Government is doing to encourage healthier eating and prevent the problems associated with poor diet and lack of exercise, from worsening. John Sharkey began proceedings by pointing out that not one of the companies signed up to the responsibility deal for calorie reduction is a fast-food operator. He asked if this ...
There are currently changes to the patient drop off area between the Bristol Royal Infirmary and the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. These temporary changes are to enable building work that is part of the redevelopment of the BRI to take place and they are expected to last until 8 March. A staffed barrier is in place at the entrance to the hospitals and drivers will only be able to get through in an emergency or if dropping off a child with mobility difficulties. Drivers dropping off adults with mobility difficulties can use the council-controlled drop-off area in front of ...
Cardboard recycling rates across Shropshire have plummeted since kerbside collection was suspended by Shropshire Council in 2011. The amount collected is down 60%, plunging from 4,000 to 1,676 tonnes. Previously cardboard was composted along with garden and food waste. This was never a good option - cardboard is a useful resource that can be reused ...
You all know whether you're going to need Tumblr or My T-Mobile or Pinterest or Smile banking or Spotify, so I'm not going to bother reviewing those. Nor am I going to go into the ones I hate (although who was it recommended flipboard? It's AWFUL!). But I am going to list some of the optional stuff: 1, Juice Defender. This is number one for a reason. With this app installed my phone normally loses 1-2% of battery overnight while I'm asleep. The one night I went to sleep and had accidentally knocked it off the phone was at 36% ...
Writing in today's Financial Times, Lib Dem schools minister David Laws has the following to say about the Government's announcements on reforms to the systems of examination: We need all schools to teach all children well in all subjects. For that reason, we propose judging schools by the progress their pupils make in eight subjects. Two of those subjects will be English and maths; a further three will be any combination of sciences, history, geography and languages. The remaining three are open - they could be further sciences or languages, subjects such as art or music, or high-quality vocational subjects. ...
Julia Neuberger has had a varied career, as a rabbi, as a Lib Dem peer, in the health service and as Gordon Brown's volunteering tsar. But she provided a fascinating insight into why some institutions feel human and some don't, and it could do with revisiting in the light of yesterday's Francis Report on the Mid Staffs Hospital scandal. In her book about older people, Not Dead Yet she described how her uncle was neglected in three of the four hospitals in which he lived his final weeks. She explained that the one exception was also the hospital which was ...
We have supported various legal changes in recent years to remove unjustified discrimination and create greater legal rights for same sex couples and we welcome the fact that previous legal and material inequities between heterosexual and same-sex partnerships have now been satisfactorily addressed Church of England statement In what my friend The Disgruntled Radical rates as an unsatisfactory Today programme Thought for the Day this morning on Radio 4 by the former Bishop of Southwark Tom Butler was an exception. He referred to the Church of England's statement on Civil Partnership and in light of this called for clergy to ...
EMERGENCY ROAD WORKS TONIGHT (7th & 8th February 2013) A1081 London Road ST. ALBANS Due to extensive damage to road surface following the recent winter conditions it will be necessary to undertake emergency repair works at the above location. What are we doing? We will be carrying out works on the worn-out road surface, between Kensington Place & Cunningham Hill Road. Dates & Times The work is programmed to start on Thursday 7th February 2013 and should be completed within 2 nights. We will be working between the hours of 20:00 and 05:00. How will this affect you? We will ...
I've just heard it again on the news; a fallacious argument that comes out whenever job cuts are mentioned. This time it was a one of the usual culprits, a union spokesman, but I have often noticed senior Labour politicians rely on it, and they really should know better. Yet it refuses to die, perhaps because for some reason it is hardly ever challenged by either journalists, or the opposing side. The argument goes like this: "Remember, public sector workers pay their taxes too, so cutting jobs means that people who are currently paying their contribution to society will be ...
Simon Beard's article on what he calls 'the debate around legalising assisted dying' is so replete with errors, half-truths and spin that it is difficult to know where to start with the correcting pen. He refers to "the estimated 500 people who commit suicide each year due to a terminal or chronic illness". The estimate he refers to was made in a report by Demos on the incidence of suicide among seriously ill people. This report does not state that 500 people commit suicide each year because they are terminally or chronically ill. It estimates that "approximately 10 per cent ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... If Tory MPs can't decide what kind of party they want, they'll have to work it out in opposition .@RafaelBehr with alternative look at Tories' probs > "not an aftershock of defeat but a failure to adapt to victory" http://buff.ly/WQVaUF Brian Reade on Chris Huhne and Liberal Democrats law-breakers – Brian Reade – Mirror Online .@THE_Brian_Reade on Huhne "wdn't be surprisd if he tried to persuade his partner 2 look more butch than normal" http://buff.ly/VYRVcG Classy Is retreat the only option? – news – TES The TES on Gove's EBC U-turn – ...
The Social Mobility All Party Parliamentary Group have been working since 2011 to get an in-depth understanding of what it is that enables some people to get ahead in life whilst others fall behind and aren't able make the most of their abilities and potential. What became glaring to us through our report on "The Seven Key Truths of Social Mobility" published last year was the importance of so-called "soft skills", an area all too often neglected in the social mobility debate. To shine a spotlight on this neglected area we held a Character and Resilience Summit yesterday in Admiralty ...
On the 9th of February Liberal Democrats across the UK will hold a nation-wide Action Day for Fairer Taxes and to let everyone know about changes to the Tax System from April 1st, 2013. Liberal Democrats in government, amongst other tax changes, are raising the personal allowance to £9,440 meaning that over 2 million will ... Keep reading →
Following on from my previous posts on Medway's failing primary schools I have had a response from Rehman Chishti MP with a response from Medway Council's new Education officer: Dear Mr Sams, Furthher to my recent letter, I hav now recieved the enclosed response from Barbara Peacock, Director of Children and Adults at Medway Council. Ms Peacock informs me that there are 8 Medway Primary Schools that fall below the nw National Floor Target at Stage 2. In her letter, Ms Peacock confirms that these schools are recieving considerable attention. She states that one of these schools has converted to ...
From The Times via The Week: [IMG: Profumo Affair: letters to The Times] As with those Chinese words of wisdom about the French revolution, the truth can be rather hard to track down.
Yes, you couldn't make it up. "Boris from Islington" put a recorded question to Nick Clegg on his LBC phone-in this morning. Apparently the London Mayor will be in the hotseat next week during the recess. Anyway, this was also the one where Clegg outlined his 3 proudest achievements - cutting taxes for the lowest paid and making the tax system fairer, giving extra money to disadvantaged kids in school, son idea he first wrote about a decade ago and Steve Webb's pensions triple lock, guaranteeing a decent state pension increase. He also summed up a huge difference between us ...
You will soon be able to buy your fruit and vegetable in Birkdale library, if Sefton's Labour Cabinet accept a proposal at next week's cabinet meeting. The proposal comes from Sefton CVS. If the Labour Cabinet decide to close the library, CVS plan to move their base from Shakespeare St to Birkdale library. Their proposal states: Our Vision for Birkdale Library: In relocating from our current premises to Birkdale Library we believe we would be able to: • enhance the profile and reach our existing services that are currently being delivered from the sixth floor of an office block with ...
I wondered if the Tories might try and turn up the heat on Nick on today's LBC Call Clegg now that the starting gun has been fired for the Eastleigh by-election just 3 weeks from today. I wasn't expecting the unmistakeable tones of "Boris from Islington" telling Nick to get ministers out of their cars and onto bikes, and get some investment into infrastructure. Sadly, the London Mayor (for it was he) didn't quite have the guts to actually talk to Nick live. He'd pre-recorded his question. Nick lobbed the ball firmly back into Boris' gob by asking him if ...
OPEN LETTER to Sir Albert Bore and Stephen Hughes Dear Sir Albert and Mr Hughes, I understand that you have announced that the City Council is proposing a council tax freeze for the year. I would welcome this on behalf of my constituents. However, I would ask why if you have a council tax freeze you are still intending to charge people on JSA council tax. In the detailed figures from
[On 6th February I participated in the NHF South West Regional Conference "Building neighbourhoods", held in Exeter. This is the text to accompany my presentation.] [IMG: Choices of a businessman] For half a century the aspiration behind housing policy in England has been captured by the statement "A decent home for all at a price within their means", or some variation on that theme. Embedded in this statement are three key terms: a decent home for all a price within their means. The way in which this aspiration has been articulated may have remained broadly constant, but the vigour with ...
Last year I reported that the owners of the big empty building on Island Road (South Liverpool Housing) had got planning permission to change it into a number of homes. Good news for local people as the building had been empty for some time and let's face it is a bit of an eyesore. We'd hoped to see work start towards the end of last year, but the news is that the housing association has now appointed a contractor and that company should be writing to or visiting people living nearby to let them know what's going on. The whole ...
Over the course of four years at Mid Staffordshire hospital, hundreds of patients suffered from appalling neglect and mistreatment. Relatives that voiced concerns were ignored; staff that tried to speak up were silenced. It was a shocking betrayal of trust of patients and their families. Yesterday Robert Francis QC published his report into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. The public inquiry lasted more than two years, heard over 250 witness statements, considered over one million pages of documentary evidence, and has produced a report nearly two thousand pages long. It makes 290 separate recommendations. The story of Mid Staffs, ...
Liam Byrne, who famously left a note for his successor as Chief Secretary to the Treasury saying "I'm afraid there is no money, kind regards and good luck", is clearly not afraid to say what he thinks. With all the fuss about changes to welfare benefits it is worth recalling this article in the Guardian lastv year in which he is quoted as saying that Labour will cut welfare benefits further if they get back into office in 2015. His rhetoric about social security no longer enjoying "widespread support" and the system needing to work differently to provide a "much ...
The EBC is dead! Long live the GCSE! That appears to be the headline from this morning's news that Michael Gove is about to U-turn on his plans to reform the exams sat by 16 year-olds in England. Five initial thoughts from me... Credit where it's due when a politician listens It's easy to slam a politician when s/he U-turns. Politicians are damned when they do and damned when they don't. Of course, it would have been better if Michael Gove had worked through the details of his plans with the PM and his Coalition partners before they were leaked ...
Look what I found in my junk email this morning. The thought of William Hague handing out £2 million to a selection of random individuals via a Hotmail account appealed to my sense of the absurd. All I have to do is reply to the email with all my personal info. Aye, right. OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER TREASURY AND MINISTER FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, LONDON,UNITED KINGDOM. Our ref: BRT/3470/IDR our ref:..06/02/2013 BRITISH GOVERNMENT (2013) POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM. On Behalf of the British Government,i wish to inform you of your selection as one of the Beneficiary for ...
Bi man writes an open letter to his mp who voted against marriage equality this made me cry (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Dumbing down at the BBC proceeds apace. The Today programme covers Michael Gove's GCSE reforms. Very little discussion of their merits or otherwise. The presenter's agenda is clear, to label changes as a U-turn. We leave the subject little the wiser to race through the possibility of a solar storm. Clearly Sarah Montague wants to get this over quickly. She interviews the scientist as if
[IMG: nick-clegg-birmingham conf] 9.30 am on Saturday morning may not be a prime-time slot, but on 9th March there will be more than usual interest in a constitutional amendment tabled to the Lib Dem spring conference. Why? Because the amendment will make it possible for the Lib Dem federal conference to pass a vote of no confidence in the party leader to trigger an election. Here's the proposed amendment: [IMG: const amend - mar 2013] 'An election for the Leader shall be called upon a vote of no confidence in the Leader passed by a two-thirds majority at Federal Conference' ...
Thu 7th
08:11
Watch and laugh: Clarke and Dawe - Australian Elections. Available in Your Size. Call Now.
More comedy genius from Australia's Clarke and Dawe:
Northern Ireland surrenders powers over Antarctica Just as well really. (tags: Northernireland ) Grammar and punctuation test: take our quiz There is a trick question... (tags: Language ) Pop culture quiz I had no idea! (tags: Films )
You'd have thought there must be a crunch by-election on the way... Michael Gove forced into humiliating U-turn over EBacc – ind.pn/YFnWGQ < "It is 2nd time Lib Dems have forced a retreat by Mr Gove" — Mark Pack (@markpack) February 7, 2013
Answer. When you're pushing minimum prices for alcohol. From the BBC Research published in Canada has linked the introduction of minimum pricing with a significant drop in alcohol-related deaths. The findings, in the journal Addiction, have been welcomed by health campaigners. They come as Scottish government plans to introduce a minimum unit price are on hold pending a court challenge. The researchers say a rise in alcohol prices of 10% led to a reduction in alcohol-related deaths by 32%. Their study was carried out between 2002 and 2009 in British Columbia Following my rule of going to the source material ...
The morning's big news is that Conservative education secretary Michael Gove is set to announce a U-turn today on his plans to scrap the current GCSE exams and replace them with a new EBacc qualification in 2015. Here's how the Independent reports it: The Education Secretary bowed to overwhelming pressure for a rethink from Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, the exams regulator Ofqual and MPs from all parties. It is understood that he decided to act after being warned by civil servants that one key plank of his reforms - handing each of the core subjects over to just ...
Oh joyous day! The GCSE remains! Goodbye to the English baccalaureate Certificate, jovially described by a senior headteacher of this parish as "a contradiction in terms". Let there be cartwheels in the street! Let church bells ring! Sheer joy! ...And it is a good day to enjoy this superb cartoon which encapsulates the Gove enigma brilliantly. [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
So, one of my favorite running companies did something really, really awesome and sweet for me last week. Because they're apparently EVEN MORE AWESOME than I always thought they were! I may have gotten a little overexcited about the new injinji Performance 2.0 line of socks and ended up having the following conversation on twitter: When I say that I've run in injinjis for years, I really mean it. In the fall 2010 Army 10-Miler, I did a serious number on my toes: they hurt so badly after the race from all the pounding that I couldn't even have blankets ...
Yesterday, along with a constituent, I took part in a site meeting in Briarwood Terrace, off West Park Road, with two engineers from the City Council's City Development Department. This was in response to complaints about the very poor, deteriorating road surface in the street - see right. The council officers confirmed that the road here has been "conditioned scored" for possible inclusion in future road reconstruction given its deteriorated state. We were also advised that sections of the pavement are scheduled for improvement later in the year.
As today is an in-service day at local schools, my usual ward surgery at Blackness Primary School does not take place but I can be contacted at any time at home on 459378 or by e-mail at surgery@frasermacpherson.org.uk. My surgeries resume again next week.
But does anyone have a copy of Kerry Thornley's Confession To Conspiracy To Assassinate JFK they could email me? The text of it's up on Sondra London's website, but as dozens of separate, unlinked HTML pages with multicoloured backgrounds. I know there was a txt version floating around about twelve years ago... I could copy ...
Statement by Liberal Democrat County Councillors Hertfordshire Liberal Democrat County Councillors' position on the Rail Freight Terminal on the Old Radlett Aerodrome site has always been quite clear. We have (along with fellow Lib Dem Councillors in St Albans and local residents) strongly opposed the application for a Rail Freight Terminal on this site. Indeed local county councillor Aislinn Lee has been a leading light in helping oppose the scheme and getting the plans rejected at local level. It is our view that the Secretary of State has acted unreasonably in changing his position to "minded to grant" thus overriding ...
Thu 7th
00:05
Hertfordshire Councillors take Main Highway Repairs Contractor to Task over Response Failures
[IMG: SteamRoller] Senior Directors of Ringway had to answer a storm of criticism at a packed meeting in Hertfordshire's County Hall last Tuesday (5th February, 2013). With 37 councillors and council officers in attendance, the contracting company was left in no doubt about widespread dissatisfaction with their failure to deliver an adequate service since taking over most of the County's highways work on 1st Oct last year. Liberal Democrat councillors have been highly critical of the performance by Ringway since November, by which time problems were already coming to light. In an open letter dated 13th January Liberal Democrat Leader ...
