West Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat plans for free school meals for vulnerable children, investment in roads and footways, action on flooding, tree planting and mental health support in schools have all been voted down by the Conservatives at Hertfordshire County Council.

The Conservatives rejected a fully costed and deliverable plan from the opposition Liberal Democrats that would have delivered free school meals, for children in need, for the next year - while seeking government support for future years.

Under plans released by Liberal Democrat Police and Crime Commissioner Candidate, Sam North, roads are to be made safer.

"I have unveiled plans today for a coherent roads policing strategy that sets out the basis for how our roads can be made safer. After it was revealed that only 3% of Hertfordshire Police's budget is spent on policing our roads, it is no wonder that on average 78% of people see a traffic offence on a daily or weekly basis.

At the Hertfordshire County Council Budget Council Meeting on 23rd February, 2021, the Conservative Administration refused to support Liberal Democrat proposals to fund free school meals for 22,000 children during school holidays, once current funding runs out at the end of the Summer Half-Term. But the £3.5m cost of this could have come from a £5.5m Inequality Reserve created from council tax surpluses.

Why does the Housing Secretary think a zoning system from the Wild West will work in "England's green and pleasant land?" Or anywhere else in the UK come to mention it! And to make matters worse local planning authorities - in our case Dacorum Borough Council - appear to be completely in thrall to the Housing Secretary?

Hertfordshire County Council officers have today confirmed to Liberal Democrat county councillors that the Government has cut direct grant funding for the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), the body responsible for sorting out surface water flooding across the county.

In Hertfordshire the role of Lead Local Flood Authority is filled by the County Council itself. A small team of professionals was set up within HCC 6 years ago with resources and funding to finance its activities. Since then funding has been continuously as the LLFA Grant. This has enabled the team to build up expertise and carried out minor improvements and small flood management works - though any large schemes would need specific grants to have them carried out.

By Ed Davey - Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Feb 10, 2021

"The Liberal Democrats have long called for a rethink on plans on for a new coal mine in Cumbria and I am delighted that's exactly what has happened."

Cumbria County Council now need to do the right thing and throw these plans out, or the Prime Minister must intervene to make sure the coal mine is scrapped.

"It's astonishing that a new coal mine in Britain is even being considered - particularly the year we are hosting the vital COP26 conference."

COP stands for Conference of the Parties, and will be attended by countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - a treaty agreed in 1994. The 2021 meeting will be the 26th meeting, which is why it's called COP26.

Ed continued, "If Boris Johnson is serious about climate action he will call on Cumbria county council to scrap the mine.

"The Government needs to transform its attitude to the climate emergency. That is why I have proposed a £150 billion green coronavirus recovery plan, reshaping our economy to protect the future of our country and our planet.

Liberal Democrats at Herts County Council are delighted that at last a new root and branch review of how flooding issues are dealt with has been agreed.

They had been pressing for urgent action on the growing flooding issues.

In December Liberal Democrat county councillor Sandy Walkington tabled a motion calling for action. This has now resulted in a detailed report to council panels which highlighted the growing problems. As a result, the Conservative administration at County Hall has had to rethink how they deal with flooding and have agreed a root and branch review of the whole issue.

Ed Davey has responded to Johnson's refusal to lay out a timeline for a public inquiry into his Government's response to the coronavirus crisis
Jan 28, 2021

"Johnson says there will come a time to learn the lessons of the pandemic, but the public will rightly ask, if not now, then when?"

"The best time to learn lessons and prevent the most deaths is today," claims Ed Davey. "Johnson can't tell us exactly when schools will return safely, can't tell us when most of the country will be offered a vaccine and can't tell us when the current lockdown will end."

"The UK has suffered terrible COVID death rates. Despite promising an inquiry last year, Johnson has once again refused to commit to a timeline for an independent inquiry. The British people - especially the families of those who have been lost - deserve answers."

An Open Letter from Dacorum Liberal Democrats to Robert Jenrick.

Rt Hon Robert Jenrick

Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government

2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

31^st January 2020

Dear Minister

Initially we welcomed your Ministry's publication on 16^th December 2020 Government response to the local housing need proposals in "changes to the current planning system", which announced among other things: