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.
Epsom & Ewell Lib Dems have called for a unified approach toward the future of Epsom General Hospital. They have invited all local political parties and interested organisations to meet for a round table discussion in December.
At the end of November the council will be starting green waste collections. Residents can "buy" a brown 240 litre wheelie bin or a bag and have green waste collected fortnightly.
The RA candidate, Michael Guest, who resigned last year as a councillor in Woodcote ward, has been returned to the council for Ruxley ward, but only by a small margin and after a recount. The turn-out was low at less than 20%. Unlike the 2003 election, when the closest challenger was Labour, this time it was the Tories - who nearly took the seat.
Surrey County Council Conservatives' claims that extra funding has been put into education, social services and road maintenance by sweeping cuts in administration and bureaucracy could be described politely as misleading or perhaps more accurately as downright lies, according to Councillor Janet Maines, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council. Most of the extra funding in the budget has come either from the government or from prudential borrowing says Mrs Maines.
Councillor Janet Maines, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council, commenting on the County Council budget said, "I welcome the single figure increase in the Council tax for Surrey residents, which is good news for people on fixed incomes including pensioners. But I have opposed the budget because the Conservative administration at County Hall has not gone far enough to reduce bureaucracy and inefficiency within the Council. The base budget has not been examined in detail as was agreed by the Council one year ago. A number of multi-million pound contracts are not being adequately controlled by the Council. Although the Council is now making a welcome start to introduce cost-saving preventative measures such as key worker housing and energy efficiency promoted by the Liberal Democrats, it has been slow to do so."
Liberal Democrats are urging Surrey County Council to keep a commitment to invest in preventative services that will save money in the long term. For example, increasing allowances could encourage more people to become foster parents in Surrey and would save money currently spent on very expensive agency placements outside the County. This approach would take the County Council away from the current culture of crisis management and save taxpayers money at the same time.
The Liberal Democrats have laid out a bold and ambitious plan to restore the UK’s natural environment and ensure that everyone can access a clean, healthy, and thriving green space.
For many people, Buy Now Pay Later is a useful and convenient solution, offering them flexibility with their purchases. But consumers need stronger protections.
With the right investment, we have the opportunity to turn things around and ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has the chance to succeed.
