Astounded Liberal Democrat Councillors are furious that Tory and Labour Councillors ganged up to stop an urgent debate on policing at last Thursday's meeting of Woking Borough Council - the final Council meeting before the Borough Elections next Thursday (4 May).
From: Dr Anne Lee
Sir Menzies Campbell hit the campaign trail today, visiting four London boroughs - Southwark, Lambeth, Sutton and Richmond-upon-Thames - and highlighting crime prevention as a central theme in the party's local election campaign.
Months of debate came to a head today when Surrey County Council voted on the Business Delivery Review (BDR) - with the Liberal Democrat group rejecting the proposals sanctioned by the Tory-run Executive to cut staff numbers. Staff members and representatives of their trade unions listened in the public gallery and the adjoining Ashcombe Suite as Liberal Democrats fought against the proposals, which included a reduction of 561 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) jobs. A recorded vote saw 56 in favour of BDR, with 14 against and two abstentions.
PRESTON: David Cameron's attempts to reach out to voters in the north of England have come unstuck as two Conservative councillors in Preston quit the party and joined the Liberal Democrats. Councillors Sharon Riley and Marie Milne joined the Liberal Democrats yesterday. The blow for the Conservatives follows a Tory local election candidate commenting that an ethnic minority candidate "wouldn't work" in a "traditional working class seat." Joan Howarth has since issued a retraction but remains on the ballot for the May 4th local elections. Councillor Sharon Riley said:
Woking Liberal Democrats oppose Labour's plan to merge the Surrey and Sussex police forces. This merger plan was announced by the Labour Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, on the 20th March.
Woking's Tory MP Humphry Malins has been accused of caving in to the Government over the introduction of identity cards.
The Lib Dems have swept to victory in the Cheriton by-election for Folkestone Town Council this evening, with over 200 votes more than the Conservatives who came second. The result in full was:
Today, Gordon Brown delivered his tenth budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer. But with more and more people feeling let down by New Labour, the Liberal Democrats are asking where all the money has gone over the years Labour has been in power.
Ed Davey's Leader's Speech to Spring Conference 2026
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.
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.
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.
If the answer to “Is our nuclear deterrent working?” depends on what Donald Trump had for breakfast, then the answer is no, it’s not. And our deterrent is not truly independent.
The UK is facing a mental health emergency. Liberal Democrats have a proud record of pushing Britain’s mental health services forward. Now we are offering the bold solutions we need to fight the crisis unfolding in our communities.
British universities are a world-leading export and an engine for innovation, but today, the sector is at a breaking point. Liberal Democrats have passed a new plan to deliver a fairer deal for students and graduates and secure the future of the sector.
Liberal Democrats are committed to building town centres that inspire pride for generations to come. It is time to stop ignoring the decline of our high streets and breathe new life into them as vibrant hubs for the future.
The right to a trial by jury has been a cornerstone of our democracy for over 800 years. Liberal Democrat members have passed a new plan to tackle court backlogs without scrapping juries.