News from Rickmansworth Liberal Democrats
SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
SERVICES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Greener transport, more reliable passenger trains, fewer lorries on the A14 and increased rail capacity are promised for the East of England by significant railfreight improvements at Nuneaton. The 16th November saw the completion of an important £30 million rail scheme contructed by engineering companies Atkins and Balfour Beatty. The 1 mile of track, bridges and a junction were jointly funded by the Coalition Government, Network Rail and the European Community's TEN-T programme. This short new freight line and flyover has been officially opened and now links the cross-regional Nuneaton - Felixstowe route to the West Coast Main Line.
Help where it's needed to encourage new jobs
South West Hertfordshire resident, Liberal Democrat Sharon Bowles MEP is already well known both as the powerful chair of Europe's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. Now, after being chosen as MEP of the Year last month and then named by a Financial News publication as one of the '30 most Inspirational Women in the City of London' , she has been named by a poll across Europe's senior politicians and civil servants as "the most influencial Briton on and in European policy making".
Against expectation, the Conservative favourite for Hertfordshire in the ill-considered Police & Crime Commissioner elections failed to win 50% of the first preference votes. However, since the elections were held under a form of Proportional Representation (PR), second preference votes enabled David Lloyd for the Conservatives to achieve a majority of support in this poorly supported election.
The Watford Central Ward By-Electionwas caused by the standing down of one of the sitting Lib Dem councillors having obtained a job in the Midlands - meaning he had to resign his seat and move home. The resulting by-election campaign was remarkable for the barrage of Labour personal attacks against the Lib Dem candidate, deliberate misrepresentation and a curious attempt to use spurious legal measures to block Lib Dem participation in the election at all.
Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has announced radical reforms to parental leave, allowing both parents to share up to a year's leave to look after their new-born children.
Tesco Rickmansworth Car Park Scam
Cllr Nick Hollinghurst, Tring Town Mayor, reflects at the War Memorial on the losses of war.
The £1bn third round of the Coalition Government's Regional Growth Fund was announced by Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at the end of October. This is another massive investment in new jobs across England. It will create or safeguard thousands of jobs over the long term, benefitting around 130 projects and leveraging £6bn of private sector investment.
Cllr Nick Hollinghurst is seen here at the recent East of England Liberal Democrat Conference in Cambridge with Simon Wright, Liberal Democrat MP for Norwich South. Simon is passionate about green issues and environmental matters dominate most of his time in Parliament. He is a member of the Environmental Audit Select Committee in Westminster and during this last year has been active on several inquiries into such issues as: sustainable food production; wildlife crime; protecting the Arctic; measures to strengthen and deepen the Green Economy. He also participated in the Rio+20 Sustainability Conference.
Church Chimes: There has been considerable local concern about the Noise Abatement Notice served on the clock chimes (not the church bells) at All Saints, Croxley.