 
                
        
        County Hall Fiasco
When the Conservative administration at Surrey County Council took an axe to its Emergency Planning Department (as part of a major review), the 11 staff were reduced to just 7, but it gets worse ...
 
                
        
        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.
 
                
        
         
                
        
         
                
        
        When the Conservative administration at Surrey County Council took an axe to its Emergency Planning Department (as part of a major review), the 11 staff were reduced to just 7, but it gets worse ...
Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Jonathan Lees, has issued the following press statement against the borough council's increase in council tax of 4.5%.
 
                
        
        For years Epsom has had arguably the worst display of Christmas decorations and lights in Surrey. At last this looks set to change.
The Tories' Business Delivery Review (BDR) will hit Surrey Arts, Music and Museums. Surrey County Arts currently provides 278,000 music lessons annually. However, tuition fees in Surrey are already 30% higher than the national average. Some 42% of local authorities do not charge any tuition fees.
Amongst the cuts in Surrey County Council front line services proposed by the Conservatives' "BDR review" is the closure of the local libraries, at Bagshot, Caterham Hill, Ewell Court, Hersham, New Haw and Virginia Water. The decision will be taken at the County Council meeting on 11th April. If it is agreed to go ahead, the libraries will be closed from September 2006. County Councillor Diana Smith, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Community Services. said: "It makes no sense to close these popular facilities, especially as the BDR itself admits that the aim is not to save money, only to meet a CPA target imposed by the Labour government."
 
                
        
        Willie Rennie's election as the new MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, home of chancellor Gordon Brown, takes the total of Liberal Democrat in the House of Commons to 63. His by-election victory not only saw a 16% swing from New Labour to the Liberal Democrats, it also saw David Cameron's Conservatives retain fourth place with a swing of 9% from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats.
 
                
        
        The contaminated blood scandal is one of the gravest injustices in NHS history. We must honour victims with recognition, dignity, and compensation – and ensure no one ever suffers from such injustice again.
 
                
        
        Years of Conservative cuts have hollowed out the legal aid system, leaving millions without access to timely legal advice. Our new policy will legal aid a guaranteed right, ensure no one is left without help.
![New Homes [Image: Tim Prater]](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/a/csm_newhomes_23c101933f.jpg) 
                
        
        Millions of people are still trapped in England’s broken leasehold system. Our plan will end the leasehold rip-off, strengthen building safety, and give residents the control, fairness, and dignity they deserve in their own homes.