South East Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats

News from Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats

• Aug 17, 2011:
  • Enterprise Zone will boost jobs in Oxfordshire - Cllr Zoé Patrick, Liberal Democrat Leader, Oxfordshire County Council
    The Government has announced a further 11 Enterprise Zones across the country, designed to boost local growth and create more than 30,000 new jobs by 2015. These Zones will have simplified planning rules, super-fast broadband and over £100m tax breaks for new businesses over the next four years. The second wave of Enterprise Zones will be located in: Newquay AeroHub inCornwall The Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus Airfield inGosport Rotherwas Enterprise Zone in Hereford Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent and Enterprise West Essex in Harlow (one Zone, spread over two areas) Science Vale UK in Oxfordshire Alconbury Airfield, near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, and Lowestoft in Suffolk (one Zone, spread over two areas) Northampton Waterside MIRA Technology Park in Hinckley Leicestershire Humber Estuary Renewable Energy Super Cluster Daresbury Science Campus inWarrington. Commenting Cllr. Zoé Patrick, Liberal Democrat Leader, Oxfordshire County Council said: "The Enterprise Zone in Oxfordshire is great news for our area. "This low tax, low regulation Enterprise Zone will give our region a real economic boost and bring much needed business and jobs. "I look forward to working with our Local Enterprise Partnership to ensure this Zone is a success and at the forefront of the growing economy." Commenting further, Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, Vince Cable, said: "Liberal Democrats made the rebalancing of the economy a central part of our vision for Britain: away from an over-reliance on fickle financial services in the City of London towards a vibrant business community creating growth and jobs up and down the country. "These low tax, low regulation Enterprise Zones are spread across Britain to give local areas an extra boost where it is needed most. "We are determined to give small and medium-sized business the tools they need to invest and expand, so they can be the strong backbone our economy needs." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Jul 25, 2011:
  • Pupil Premium Designed to Close Attainment Gap
    Commenting on the figures released recently which show that there is a significant educational gap in Britain, Cllr. Janet Godden, Shadow Spokesperson for Children, Education and Families said: "These are worrying figures for our area but we need to look beyond the headlines. By the time people reach the age of 16, educational underachievement has become difficult to tackle. "For example, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are half as likely to achieve five good GSCEs. "This will not change overnight but requires action from the earliest age because the most important years for a child's development are the early years. "That is why Liberal Democrats in Government are extending free early years education to include the poorest two-year olds and are investing £3.916m in Oxfordshire in the Pupil Premium to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds right from the start of their education. "This will make a real difference to close the attainment gap and ensures everyone child has the fair start in life they deserve." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Jul 19, 2011:
  • Putting Councils Back In Control of their own Finances
    Commenting on today's announcement of the Coalition's plan for Local Government Finances, which includes the re-localisation of business rates and the introduction of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Liberal Democrat Communities Minister, Andrew Stunell said: "The current formula grant system is broken - it is far too complex and lacks transparency. For too long councils have had to do what Whitehall told them and could only spend what Whitehall gave them. "Today's announcement will give councils much greater freedom to raise their own money and promote growth in their areas. "Crucially, no council will lose out in the first year of the scheme and there will be a system of tariffs and top ups so that the richest authorities share the proceeds of growth and the areas of greatest need are protected. "This is a big step towards the empowerment of local communities, and it is vital to get it just right. The consultation on our proposals is an important part of the process, and I want to hear people's responses loud and clear in the coming weeks. "When it comes to localism, this government is determined to practice what it preaches." Cllr Zoé Patrick, Leader of the Opposition at Oxfordshire County Council said: "This is excellent news for local government which puts us firmly back in control of our finances. People will be able to see where money raised will be spent locally." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Supporting Children's Education and Development
    Liberal Democrat Children's Minister, Sarah Teather, today announced a review of the future shape of the early years education workforce and a trial for children's centres to seek to support vulnerable families better, to ensure that in the most important years of their upbringing, children get the highest quality support. Nine local authorities, including Oxfordshire, will become the first to trial payment-by-results in children's centres and will receive up to £3m in support. They will test rewards for reaching the most vulnerable families, improving family health and wellbeing and raising attainment of children at age five. The trial will include: Early Years Foundation Stage Profile assessments - to narrow the gap in attainment at age five so more children start school at the same attainment level as their more well-off peers. Breastfeeding numbers at 6-8 weeks - to encourage and support more people to breastfeed (in partnership with the Department of Health). Parenting/home learning environment - for example, support for vulnerable families who would like advice on bringing up their child through educational programmes which are proven to be effective. Sustained contact with families in greatest need - so that children's centres are targeting families most in need of their services effectively. Additionally, Professor of Education at SheffieldUniversity, Cathy Nutbrown, has been asked to do an independent review of early years qualifications. She will consider how to strengthen current qualifications for those working in early years education to raise the bar and attract a highly skilled, graduate-led workforce to make sure children develop well and are ready for school. This will be supported by a new website Families in the Foundation Years: From Pregnancy to Five, set up with the charity 4Children, which sets out what mothers and fathers can expect from pregnancy until their child reaches the age of five. Commenting, Cllr. Janet Godden, Oxfordshire County Council's shadow spokesperson for Children, Education and Families said: "Education lasts a lifetime: that is why Liberal Democrats are ensuring that our children start off with the best support. "An overwhelming amount of research has stressed the importance of the first few years in a child's development and the effect these foundation years have on their chances later in life. "For example, pupils who start off in the bottom fifth when they get to school at age five are six times more likely to be in the bottom fifth of children at key stage one. "I'm delighted that our area has been chosen to participate in this trial and I look forward to working with the parents and children's centres to make this a success. We are also delighted that we are in the first wave thus ensuring that the work is thoroughly done and that the results will be thoroughly examined. We know that these services are valued across the country." Commenting further, Sarah Teather said: "Parents are the most important influence in a child's early life. The experiences of children in their earliest years, good or bad, can shape the rest of their life. "That's why we want to support families to bring up their children and raise the status of the foundation years. "Working together with parents, local authorities and children's centres, we want to ensure people think more about how they reach and support families in their areas, especially the most vulnerable, and how they can involve parents more actively." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Feb 14, 2011:
  • Lib Dems Offer an Alternative Budget for Oxfordshire
    Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats have revealed their alternative county council budget amendments focussing on four key areas. They have promised their spending plans would give the people of Oxfordshire "the basic services they have a right to expect: decent roads; quality care for the vulnerable; resources for young people; and extra for libraries". "We are keen to lessen the impact of cuts on these four key areas that people say matter most to them," said Cllr Zoe Patrick, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition. "We offer a real alternative to the Conservative administration's plans." The budget amendment includes £500,000 more than the Conservative budget for children and young people, including more for outreach youth workers and support for young carers. It also provides £400,000 more for services to adults including £250,000 for elderly people and £200,000 for carers. There is also money for grants for voluntary organisations to provide benefits and debt advice. "Since publishing our first budget proposals, we are pleased to note that the Cabinet agreed with us not to cut the libraries in the first year and matched our funding. In fact we go even further now by increasing this amount by an additional £100,000," said Zoe. Finally, the Liberal Democrat budget amendment finds an additional £162,000 for maintenance of roads and pavements, including filling potholes. "We think the Conservatives have failed to find ways to save money elsewhere and to lessen the impact of the cuts on people in Oxfordshire who rely on our services," added Cllr Alan Armitage, Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet member for Finance. "We've found in previous years that Lib Dem ideas find their way into the administration's budget proposals a year or two later. We look forward to seeing this tradition continue." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Dec 13, 2010:
  • Oxfordshire Lib Dems Welcome "Pupil Premium"
    County Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news of a pupil premium of £430 for each child on free school meals, in care or, importantly in Oxfordshire, from a service family. This extra £3.8m for Oxfordshire schools was announced today. Councillor Zoé Patrick said, "This extra money for disadvantaged children is something that the Liberal Democrats pushed for in the coalition government, and I am very pleased that it is happening. The money will 'follow' the individual child during their school career, and will hopefully enable schools to provide additional teaching support to help these children achieve good results. All the evidence shows that the best way to help bright kids from poor families achieve success is to target additional resources at them when they are younger and so give them a head start in life." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Dec 7, 2010:
  • Lib Dems Express Concern at Library Cuts
    Cllr John Goddard, the Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet with responsibility for libraries, has set out the Liberal Democrat Group's concerns about the proposals which could lead to 20 libraries being closed in the county. He said: "Who cares about public libraries? I am not sure that the ruling Conservative clique in the County Council do. "A library in 2010 is not a silent zone dedicated to book borrowing. It has become a social hub of the local community. It is where people of all sorts go for their stimulus to read, to view and to learn. It is where interests are developed, access to wider horizons is offered and, not to overstate the case, life made more worthwhile. "The present proposals look as though they have been dreamt up in some bean-counting establishment where Charles Dickens' Mr Gradgrind rules the roost. The cost of cutting library facilities is not to be measured by a bottom line: it will damage the society that lives by more than cash alone. "For success a library needs easy access - not too costly to the user in terms of cash or time and not so rarely open as to be inconvenient. There has to be skilled management of the hardware: this could well be part time. There has to be properly maintained premises: this could well be shared with other community organisations including schools, children's centres and youth clubs, community centres and health centres. For each community the best answer will be locally determined after full public involvement. This requires, immediately, open and full consultation, locally-based. "At present the County Council plans to set a budget in February and to start consultation on the library closures in March. This will guarantee that the key decisions have been taken before consultation. Does this sound familiar to County Council watchers? Come on, County Hall! Show that in your book the big society involves listening, learning and local decision-making!" Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Lib Dems Hit Out at Youth Centre Cuts
    Writing to the Oxford Mail, Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet member for Children, Young People & Families, Janet Godden, has said: "Like many of your readers, the County Council Liberal Democrat group was concerned to learn of the Conservative administration's proposals to cut the funding of the Youth Service, and close some youth centres. We first heard of these proposals the night before they were announced in your pages. "The Youth Service does an excellent job, not just providing much appreciated youth centres and drop-in clubs, but also offering more specialised support to young people at risk of getting into serious trouble, giving practical help and advice and often diverting them from some of the bad choices they might otherwise be tempted to make. "We have for many years suggested putting more money into this work with disadvantaged young people, and we fear that the proposed cuts could have serious long term consequences. "As with the concurrent proposals to close libraries, detail seems in remarkably short supply. For instance, running youth clubs is not an area where volunteers are thick on the ground, how might this work? Many parish councils make significant financial contributions to youth work in their areas; where does this now leave them? "We are asking for more information, but we are currently finding more out from the Oxford Mail than from the Cabinet. "We sincerely hope that, as last year when similar proposals to decimate the youth service caused widespread alarm, the Conservative administration at County Hall will think again." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Dec 6, 2010:
  • County Cuts - Statement from the Liberal Democrat Group
    The national structural deficit, built up by the last Labour Government, is making cuts necessary in the public sector. The County Council cannot be immune to this necessity. However, we are very concerned about the effect of the cuts on the services that the County provides to its residents, especially those who are most vulnerable in our communities. We are also concerned about job losses amongst our staff who have served the public loyally for many years. The Labour suggestion that the banks can be taxed to avoid this is, of course, a financial nonsense. A 100% tax on the £7bn bonuses paid to bankers would make but a small dent in the £150bn structure deficit run up by their Prime Minister and Chancellor. Though cuts are necessary, we as the opposition on the county council, have consistently prioritised in our budget proposals: • the most vulnerable residents and the services that they rely on; • the need to economise on backroom office administration; • non-essential or unnecessarily "gold-plated" services, projects or buildings. Many of our suggestions are now being accepted, many years too late, by the administration, and being trumpeted by the Conservatives as their ideas. Alas, in most cases this is years after the Lib Dems first brought these issues to their attention, and public money has been squandered in the meantime. We are particularly distressed now that the administration is having to cut front-line services, such as the youth service, libraries and day centres. We will try to persuade the Conservatives to limit the effects on those services that are vital to young people, older people and all those most in need of our care and attention. We particularly regret that the years of delay in implementing many of the cuts we suggested - for example to the County Council's extravagantly glossy publications and to the council's team of spin-doctors - mean that the cuts now having to be implemented are worse than they need have been. In their 2009 manifesto the Conservatives boasted of their "robust financial management". The truth is now out: many opportunities for savings were proposed by the Lib Dems each year, but rejected by the Conservatives. More money could have been saved, leaving the Council in a better position now. This may not have avoided all the cuts given the seriousness of the national situation, but it would certainly have provided an extra "cushion" now. We will continue to press the administration to work harder to avoid cuts that will impact on our vulnerable residents. Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Nov 2, 2010:
  • Incinerator: 25 years too long!
    Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors asked the County Cabinet to think again about the 25 year contract for an incinerator at Ardley. They asked the Cabinet to look at other, newer methods of disposal. Speaking in the debate, Cllr Anne Purse said, "There have been several changes just in the last year or so. Much more recycling is being collected, so we can expect residual household waste to reduce even more in the coming years. And new technologies for disposing of waste in more environmentally friendly ways are constantly being developed. It might, for instance, be better to have smaller disposal sites around the county, making use of some of these technologies. It makes no sense for the County to tie itself into a 25 year contract for one big incinerator when everything is changing so rapidly. All we'd like is for the Cabinet to commit to look at this once more before committing itself - and us - finally." All the opposition councillors voted for the proposal, but unfortunately the Conservatives voted en masse against. Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Lib Dems Lead On Renewable Energy at Council
    Liberal Democrats today persuaded the County Council to start looking seriously at ways of producing its own renewable energy, for example by solar panels on County buildings. Cllr Anne Purse, Shadow Cabinet member for Sustainable Development, said, "The government has said that it wants half of all new energy generation to come from renewable sources by 2025. And the County has also pledged to reduce its own carbon footprint. "One way to do this is to generate part of our own energy for heating or lighting County buildings from renewable sources. I'm delighted that the administration has agreed to look into this." Cllr Jean Fooks added, "As well as helping the environment, the Council is now able to sell any surplus electricity back to the national grid. This is since the new coalition Government changed the rules to allow local authorities to do this, and it makes investing in renewable energy cost-effective as well as climate-friendly." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Sep 16, 2010:
  • Lib Dems Say County Must Concentrate on Most Vulnerable in Society
    Liberal Democrats have called upon the County Council to think about the poorest and most vulnerable Oxfordshire residents when it has to decide upon cuts. They said these people should be the Council's priority ahead of "gold plating" other services. The Council should also share more facilities to reduce costs. Speaking at Tuesday's Council meeting, Cllr Zoe Patrick said, "the County Council must care for the most vulnerable in our society, those without a voice and those who cannot shout the loudest. There are people suffering now who may be just above the poverty line, there are young people who we may not know about - we need to ensure they do not slip through the net." Related Links Zoe's speech Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Lib Dems Welcome Pupil Premium Proposals
    A Liberal Democrat motion to welcome Government proposals to introduce a pupil premium was successfully agreed by the County Council on 14th September. The pupil premium, a Liberal Democrat manifesto policy, would provide schools with extra money for any pupils from poorer families. The Coalition Government is currently consulting on the details of how this could work and the Oxfordshire County Council will now respond favourably to that consultation. Speaking at the Council meeting, Cllr Altaf-Khan said, "It is very noticeable that children who are eligible for free school meals, because their families are poor, gain fewer qualifications than other pupils. In Oxfordshire only 20% of these children from poorer families get A* to C grades in 5 GCSEs, whereas 55% of other pupils do. This is not unique to Oxfordshire, but shows that poverty has a serious effect on how much children achieve at schools. "Giving schools extra money for these doubly-disadvantaged pupils should provide the extra help they need." A Conservative amendment to add to the consultation response the needs of children from service families, whose frequent moves from school to school can disadvantage them, was accepted. Liberal Democrats also voted for a Labour amendment to add further categories of deprivation and to make it clearer that the pupil premium should be additional to existing schools' funding. However, the Conservatives did not agree, and this amendment fell. The motion as a whole, however, was passed. Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Lib Dems Support Changes to Reduce Bureaucracy Costs to Councils
    Oxfordshire County Council has agreed with a Liberal Democrat motion to support Government changes that reduce unnecessary bureaucracy on local authorities, freeing up money that can be redirected to support frontline services. Speaking at the Council meeting on Tuesday 14th September, Cllr Roz Smith welcomed the cancellation of burdensome central government micro-monitoring of councils, such as the Comprehensive Area Assessment introduced by the previous government. This was supported by all councillors, including Labour. She hoped that the money thus released from having to fill in lots of Government forms could be used to help cushion frontline services from the spending cuts made necessary by the huge deficit that is the equivalent to £22,400 for every man, woman and child in the UK. Roz also pointed out the many measures in the Coaliton Government budget that help the lowest paid - such as raising the personal allowance by £1,000 which took 880,000 people out of tax altogether - and defended the budget against Labour attacks, by noting that the Labour government also had plans for £50bn spending cuts. She said, "The Liberal Democrat Party understands that given the tough economic climate and the difficult decisions being made by the government there are real concerns over the economic wellbeing of the poorer sections of society. However the Liberal Democrats as a party have always sought to maintain fair and real levels of financial support and welfare for the poorest members of society." The Conservative administration agreed with the motion and it was passed successfully. Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Aug 13, 2010:
  • Academy Decision for Oxford School to be Scrutinised
    Liberal Democrat Councillors are leading a call in of the decision to continue with the legal process to turn Oxford School into an academy, with support from Labour and Green Councillors. Speaking at the Cabinet meeting that decided to publish the legal notice of the change in September, Lib Dem Cllr Altaf Khan argued that the decision was premature and should wait for the start of the new school year so that discussions could take place with neighbouring schools about collaborative working. Also, it is not known whether the money needed for building works will be available from Government until after the Comprehensive Spending Review which is taking place at the moment; the results will not be announced until October. Altaf said, "There needs to be a properly thought out decision; there is no need for this rush. Things could change in September. We know that other schools might want to go into some sort of collaboration with Oxford School but discussions cannot go on at the moment because they are on holiday." A Scrutiny Committee meeting will now be set up to consider the decision and to decide whether to confirm it or ask the Cabinet to think again. UPDATE: 16.30 Call in now to be heard at meeting of Children's Services Scrutiny Committee at 2pm on Tuesday 31st August. Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Call in of Ardley Incinerator Decision
    Lib Dem councillors participated in the recent call in of the decision by the County Council's Cabinet to sign the contract with Viridor to build an incinerator at Ardley. The call in, stating that the incinerator was not in the best interests of the people of Oxfordshire was supported by Lib Dems Anne Purse and Zoe Patrick and Labour's John Tanner at the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee on 9th August. Cllr Anne Purse argued that the root of the problem was that the decision whether or not to go ahead was driven by finances. She said: "We always wish the Council to be financially prudent, but in something as important as this the final decision should have been about ensuring that the solution chosen to dispose of the County's waste was the least environmentally damaging. Instead, we are allowing a very hungry monster to be built, and that monser will need feeding whether or not Oxfordshire alone has enough waste. "In the last 25 years enormous strides have been made in recycling and reducing waste. We do not want to see waste dragged to Oxfordshire from all over the place if similar changes reduce this county's waste so much in the next 25 years that the monster's needs are not being met." The call in, like previous ones, failed when the Conservative dominated Scrutiny Committee rubberstamped the decision of their Conservative Cabinet colleagues. Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Aug 12, 2010:
  • Lib Dems Oppose Switching Off of Speed Cameras
    As most people by now know, speed cameras in Oxfordshire were switched off on 1st August. This is because the County Council on 27th July decided to cut its whole £600,000 contribution to the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership (a partnership that includes Buckinghamshire and Berkshire councils, and the police). The Government grant to local authorities towards the funding of the partnership was reduced by £300,000 but the withdrawal of the additional £300,000 as a cost-saving measure means that the partnership is no longer workable in Oxfordshire. At the Council meeting Liberal Democrats opposed the cut of £300,000 and proposed other measures to replace it. Unfortunately, the Lib Dem amendment was rejected without debate or a vote. Cllr David Turner, Lib Dem spokesperson on Transport, said, "Figures show that in Oxfordshire the introduction of speed cameras was followed by a noticeable drop in road traffic accidents. Speed limits, of course, remain in place, and can be enforced by the police on an ad hoc basis. Drivers should not need the deterrent of cameras - but evidence here is that they did seem to work. I really hope that their switching off does not lead to the rise in accidents that the previous drop would suggest - we know, of course, that it has already led to an apparent rise in speed where the cameras used to be." Cllr Anne Purse added, "It is not just the speed cameras themselves, of course, that is the problem here - the whole work of the Road Safety Partnership has ceased in Oxfordshire. That means the other enforcement and driver education (and re-education) classes that the partnership carried out and which have been more effective than fines in the prevention of repeated driving offences, relating not only to speed but to issues such as alcohol and seat-belts. This is most regrettable." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Jun 23, 2010:
  • No "Coalition" at County Hall
    The leading Tory group at County Hall will no doubt be expecting Lib Dem support for new in-year budget cuts that they intend to announce next month, but there is no sign of any give and take on their part in return. The Lib Dems learned at yesterday's Cabinet meeting that it is enough for a Tory councillor to express a specific interest in an activity or service to be announced its 'champion', but no suggestions will be entertained from other groups, nor will any 'champions' be appointed from other groups, no matter what their expertise.Motorcyclists are the latest group to have their own champion. We have no quarrel with that, but all Lib Dem suggestions for possible 'champions' - for Pedestrians, Disabled people, Children excluded from school, Libraries - were brushed aside as irrelevancies. So much for valuing everyone's contribution! Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Jun 15, 2010:
  • Lib Dem Calls to Protect Flora and Fauna Fall on Deaf Ears
    Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats are today expressing their disappointment that the Conservative run County Council has ignored suggestions to help Oxfordshire wildlife. Safeguarding and enhancing biodiversity - the amount and variety of wild animals, insects and plants in an area - has been a duty placed on local authorities since 2006, and today the Lib Dems suggested a number of ways in which the County Council could improve its work in this area. However, this was turned down flat by the ruling Conservative group. Cllr Anne Purse said, "Nationally one-third of priority species and two-thirds of habitats are in decline - and the picture is likely to be similar here, despite very good work by the Oxfordshire Nature Conservative Forum. I had hoped to throw the weight of the County Council behind their work - besides what it could do itself, the Council could have had a huge influence on others in a position to make those small changes that together have a major effect. I am very disappointed that in this, the International Year of Biodiversity, the Conservatives are still so stuck in the mud that they can't see the trees for the wood." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Public Set Ridiculous Barrier
    Lib Dem calls to set thresholds for petitions from members of the public at achievable levels were today turned down by the Conservatives and Labour Councillors at County Hall All Councils have to decide on the numbers of signatures needed to trigger either a Council debate or a senior officer being called before a Scrutiny Committee to answer questions. The Conservative administration had proposed these levels be set at approximately 16,000 and 4,000 signatures respectively. The Liberal Democrat opposition called for these levels to be significantly lower, at 500 each, to provide more chances for local people to get their concerns properly discussed. Cllr Jean Fooks, moving the amendment, said: "Requiring 15,995 signatures to call a Council debate is ridiculous - how many petitions will get that? It's 2.5% of Oxfordshire's population. The Government said that the number of signatures should be set at a level to encourage rather than discourage petitions. Clearly the Conservatives and Labour do indeed want to discourage petitions; what are they afraid of? "Whilst a petition is only one way of encouraging public participation, setting such a high barrier sends totally the wrong message to residents. They will look at this, and think - reasonably enough - that County Hall is just not interested in hearing from them." Published and promoted by Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY