Thank you to all who voted for her, and for the army of volunteers who put so much effort in.
The work starts now.
You can watch her gracious acceptance speech via this link.
A proposal clarifying that Epsom & Ewell Borough Council will not voluntarily ask residents to show ID Cards or add residents' details to the National Database was defeated recently by RA Party councillors. Instead they agreed not to decide their policy until after the government announces whether they will force councils to insist on seeing ID cards and hand over residents' data.
It seems that gross misrepresentation of the facts is party policy for the Conservatives all over Surrey, since the same strategy is being adopted in their Ashtead newsletters.
With local schools being expanded this year, and others expected in the next few years, Cllrs Anna Jones and Colin Taylor, together with county council candidate Diana Coman, are leading the way in a dialogue with local residents over concerns about traffic and safety.
The Surrey Police Authority is to hold a widespread public consultation on their plans to expand their force by about 200 new constables over the next 3 years, paid for by cutting about 50 senior officers and relocating Police Stations to council offices and supermarkets. About 100 of the new officers would join the neighbourhood police teams of "Bobbies on the Beat". This initiative has been supported by the Lib Dem members of the Surrey Police Authority.
The new Conservative administration, following David Cameron's lead, has now proudly proclaimed a conversion to "localism" (the devolution of decision making to the lowest level) which is a complete reversal of the policies of the last Conservative government. However the first test of the new approach revealed that not much had changed.
Throughout Surrey there was a failure to fill and top-up grit bins during the periods of heavy snow in December and January resulting in many justified complaints from residents. Just how chaotic the situation was has been revealed following questions from County Cllr Stephen Cooksey.
As liberals, we believe that true equality is achieved when individuals are not only free from prejudice and discrimination, but also free to fulfil their potential. So fighting for LGBTQ+ rights is not a choice Liberals make.
The Liberal Democrats' bold plan to restore UK leadership in science and innovation will drive investment, boost global collaboration, and ensure technology benefits everyone, not just the privileged few.
Reflecting on the year’s International Women’s Day theme of “accelerate action”, I am sadly reminded of how much more we still need to achieve.
