The Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat group have now launched their manifesto for the forthcoming elections on June 5.

We have also put together a much shorter Action Plan which covers our ten main campaign points, available on the Lib Dem Future website.

I believe these tally well with our aims in Romsey, of which the Local Issues section of this site gives an overview.

I said I would give an update on what I was up to every couple of months, so here is the latest instalment.

Read the rest of this entry.

Cambridgeshire Lib Dems have proposed a 2.9% Council Tax increase, compared to the Conservative plan for a 4.7% hike, one of the highest in the country. We are also proposing to invest an extra £10.5 million in priority services.

Councillor Nichola Harrison of Petersfield said, ‘These proposals can be afforded because we have identified ‘fat’ in the Council’s budget - and cut it out! Reserves are 27% higher than forecast a year ago, yet during the same period highway repairs have been halted and more bus services lost.’

Aside from the Council Tax reduction, our proposals include a £10.5 million 2 year spending package which will fund:

- A new policy to put more police officers into our local communities to beat anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood crime.
- Delivery of lower speed limits and better enforcement where requested.
- A major £7 million package to transform our neglected roads and pavements.
- Practical projects to give young people something to do in the evening.
- Help that enables local volunteers and charities to achieve the best they can for their communities.
- Practical projects in schools that reduce energy consumption and teach children how to care for their world.
- Much needed improvements for bus and rail travel.

This Tory administration is a shambles.  It has frozen highways repairs while spending a small fortune on glossy publications that are shamelessly political; it is cutting back already substandard care for Adults and Children (i.e., everyone) and is now proposing one of the highest council tax increases in the country, in a time of deepening recession.  They call their leaflets “In Touch”, but has any budget ever been quite so out of touch?