Category Archives: Local government

John Sweeney

Met police found to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic – Now what?

By John Sweeney | Mon 27th March 2023 - 12:30 pm

The Baroness Casey Review into the Met Police makes for very grim reading for all Londoners. The contents outline some horrific attitudes and behaviours towards minorities, women and LGBTQ+ people across the city it polices as well as within its own ranks. Baroness Casey has simply held a mirror up to this organisation and stated very clearly this has to change.

What makes reading the report even more depressing is that these same issues within the Met were identified back in 1999 in another independent review – the MacPherson report. This report only arose from years of campaigning by the Lawrence family seeking justice for their son Stephen. Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racist attack in Eltham in 1993. The Macpherson report concluded the investigation into Stephen’s murder was “marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership”. 

I grew up in Lewisham in a ‘tough neighbourhood’ not far from Eltham within miles of the racist attitudes that prevailed at the time. My local pub, the Golden Lion, was the scene of the unsolved Daniel Morgan murder in 1987. Daniel’s family still wait for a justice that may never come and can only take some comfort the  Independent Panel enquiry they campaigned for established the Met was “institutionally corrupt” and  Britain’s biggest police force engaged in “the denial of the failings in investigation, including a failure to acknowledge professional incompetence, individual’s venal behaviour, and managerial and organisational failures”

Continue reading »
Also posted in London and Op-eds | Tagged , , and | 3 Comments
Mark Valladares

Your Parish and Town Councils need you!

By Mark Valladares | Fri 28th October 2022 - 12:30 pm

ALDC are often reminding us that we should run candidates everywhere in local elections, and far be it for me to disagree. But it isn’t always easy – not everyone wants to be a councillor, and in years like 2023 with the prospect of a Conservative collapse in the Districts, there is a risk that even supposedly paper candidates may get elected.

But let me introduce you to a world where elections are usually uncontested, and where not every seat is filled.

The National Association of Local Councils has published its review of the 2022 elections at Town and Parish Council level and, whilst it was a relatively “off year” for the tier, with just 10% of local councils holding elections, just 11% of those elections were contested, representing 888 of the 8,068 council seats up for grabs. Worse still, 1,639 seats remained vacant after the elections, or 20% of the available places.

As liberals, that tends to offend, especially given our general view that citizens should be engaged and consulted by those who represent them. Indeed, the laws that determine how local councils are elected permit co-options within thirty days of an election where vacancies remain unfilled, a recipe for affirming undemocratic local cliques.

For many small Parish Councils, the lack of power is a contributory factor – how can you entice people to sit in meetings every two months where most of the issues are dealt with at higher tiers of local government? – but even towns with five figure populations and significant budgets struggle to find sufficient candidates.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 7 Comments
Mark Valladares

1 July 2022 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 1st July 2022 - 10:30 pm
  • VAT cut: Ministers need to stop dithering and act now
  • Suspending Chris Pincher should never have taken this long
  • Concern Over Cardiff Council Plans to Tackle Begging
  • Southwark Liberal Democrats Demand More Ambition in Plans to Tackle Air Pollution

VAT cut: Ministers need to stop dithering and act now

Responding to reports the government is considering cutting VAT, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

Families across the UK are facing a cost-of-living emergency. Ministers need to stop dithering and act now.

Liberal Democrats have been calling for an emergency VAT cut for months. It was a key part of our successful by-election campaign in Tiverton and Honiton. Families need it, businesses need it, and voters clearly support it. So why haven’t Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak done it already?

The sad truth is that we have a Government has no plan and a Prime Minister too busy fighting with his own party to help the British people.

Suspending Chris Pincher should never have taken this long

Responding to the news Chris Pincher has had the Conservative whip suspended, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP said:

It should never have taken Boris Johnson this long to act and withdraw the whip.

Once again it seems Johnson has had to be forced into doing the right thing

There can be no more cover ups or excuses. If this investigation confirms these serious allegations, Chris Pincher will surely have to resign.

The Liberal Democrat Voice team have recently started to receive more press releases from Council Groups around the country, perhaps a sign of greater confidence and ambition, and we’ll try to publish some of them going forward…

Continue reading »
Also posted in News and Press releases | Tagged , , , , , , and | 14 Comments
Mark Valladares

East of England – let joy be somewhat unconfined…

By Mark Valladares | Fri 6th May 2022 - 11:00 pm

Greetings from an election-free Gipping Valley, where it gives me great pleasure to report on events in the East of England. In truth, you can pretty much divide the region into two halves today. In Norfolk and Suffolk, only the county towns saw election action, and Bedfordshire sat this one out altogether. That left Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire to fight, and the results have been pretty good.

We’ll start with Essex, which saw gains in Brentwood (2), Colchester (2), Rochford (2), Epping Forest and Southend-on-Sea, as half of the councils were up, which indicates that progress is being made. The Conservative/Independent coalition running Colchester is expected to be replaced with a Liberal Democrat/Labour coalition of partners, with the Liberal Democrats holding one more seat than Labour. Will Quince, no replacement for Bob Russell in truth, should be looking over his shoulder for next time, although the split opposition might be his salvation.

Continue reading »
Also posted in News | Tagged and | 2 Comments
David Brunnen

“Democracy Made in England – Where next for English Local Government?”

By David Brunnen | Mon 14th March 2022 - 11:02 am

In less frenetic times, this report would have grabbed headlines – but attention has already been cornered by outrageous events in Ukraine. Those distractions are, no doubt, mightily convenient for the current cabal who pretend to power in Whitehall.

The report should be required reading for all Liberal Democrat candidates for local Elections next May. There is only one name on the report’s cover – lead author, Michela Palese, Research and Policy Officer, Electoral Reform Society. At first glance you will see this is not the outpourings of some single tortured soul, but the collective views garnered from a cast of hundreds drawn from across the political spectrum.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Books | Tagged | 10 Comments
Richard Kemp

Liverpool loses World Heritage Status accolade

By Richard Kemp | Wed 18th August 2021 - 5:55 pm

The loss of World Heritage Status for our City, even though it was expected, is a huge blow to our international prestige and will, without a doubt, affect our tourism and inward investment.

When, under Lib Dem control, we received the status in 2004 it helped our work, alongside winning the European Capital of Culture, in changing round the national and global and view of our City. Until these two things happened, we were just Beatles and Football globally and a poor man’s version of Coronation Street within the UK. People shunned our City for visiting, living and investment and the people of Wirral demanded a CH post code and not an L one!

Continue reading »
Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 4 Comments
Liz Green

Helping us protect biodiversity with the help of a Lord or two

By Liz Green | Mon 16th August 2021 - 4:00 pm

We really should make use of the peers who have local government experience in the Lords more, so I decide to.

We have a site in Kingston where biodiversity is being destroyed. Seething Wells Filter Beds is a ‘Site of Importance for Nature Conservation’ and Metropolitan Open Land where nature had flourished after Thames Water left in the late 90s, but now the private owners are spraying pesticides, draining the standing water, cutting back grasslands and trees. They have even resorted to using goats to munch though all the vegetation on site! And as a council we are pretty powerless to stop them!

Sound familiar?

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 2 Comments
Simon McGrath

The most important elections you have never heard of

By Simon McGrath | Mon 7th June 2021 - 9:42 am

Today, Liberal Democrat Councillors in England and Wales will be getting an e-mail to vote in the elections for a number of positions on the Liberal Democrat Group on the Local Government Association (LGA). These include the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group (also a Vice Chair of the LGA), Deputy Leader and a number of members of LGA Boards. A full list can be found here.

All of the positions receive an allowance, ranging from £36,769 for Group Leader to £2,919 for Board members.

The most interesting and important contests to my mind are those for Group Leader and Deputy Leader.

Continue reading »
Also posted in News | Tagged | 4 Comments
Mark Valladares

Tales from a Small Parish – David vs Goliath…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 7th December 2020 - 9:18 am

Welcome back to Creeting St Peter, a small Parish in Suffolk’s Gipping Valley…

One of the more visible aspects of small parishes is the role of statutory consultee for any planning applications in, or affecting, the Parish. More often than not, councillors are asked to consider extensions, occasionally an outbuilding for a farm. They generally aren’t very controversial, and as planning controls have been relaxed in recent years, there are fewer of them it seems. And, as a councillor, you probably don’t need much in the way of technical skills to take a view on whether or not the Council should take a view.

There is training available if you’re lucky. In our case, the District Council offers the occasional half-day course, and the County Association of Local Councils also offers both support and seminars offering some basic awareness. But, for the most part, councillors in small parishes don’t take up the offer.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 2 Comments
Holly Burton

How we championed a growing anti-discrimination campaign and made our council a more inclusive employer

By Holly Burton | Mon 30th November 2020 - 1:06 pm

In November’s Full Council, Hull City Council (HCC) unanimously passed a motion calling for a proactive, zero-tolerance anti-discrimination policy and backed a campaign for the law to be changed to make this mandatory for all organisations.

In the summer, the former president of Hull University Union founded a campaign called @MakeDiversityCount following her experience of racism in her role – and how the university was not equipped to deal with it. Her story and subsequent petition calling for all organisations to have a clear, robust and effective policy prompted me to investigate the situation at HCC, which she was pleased to support.

I did some research and discovered a number of potential failings at the council. Despite pockets of good practice, the evidence suggested many did not feel comfortable speaking up: lack of awareness of the reporting processes and the fear that they would not be taken seriously were among the suspected reasons for this. This simply wasn’t good enough.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 2 Comments
Simon McGrath

Why you should think of trying to become a Liberal Democrat Councillor

By Simon McGrath | Mon 16th November 2020 - 10:30 am

London Region have recently been running a series of Zoom calls for people who are thinking of running for their Council in the 2022 elections. I have taken part in a couple of these and it has made me think about what I enjoy being a Councillor and why I would recommend others think about doing so.

I have been a Councillor for the Dundonald Ward in Merton since May 2018 – the ward runs from Wimbledon to Raynes Park along the railway line and it is characterised by terraced houses occupied by middle class professional families many of whom are from the EU. It won’t be a surprise that it voted strongly for Remain.

It’s a great place to knock on doors and talk to people – particularly in the daytime (I am retired) when a surprising number of people even before the lockdown work from home and often have more time to chat. I have had fascinating conversations about PG Wodehouse, the merits of working for different French banks and the details of train operations on the District Line. People occasionally even want to talk about politics!

Continue reading »
Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 9 Comments
Mark Valladares

Tales from a Small Parish: welcome to Dibley?…

By Mark Valladares | Mon 19th October 2020 - 12:45 pm

For those of you who live in urban conurbations, your concept of a Parish Council is possibly associated with the TV series “The Vicar of Dibley”. Funny really, because the Vicar usually works with a Parochial Church Council, a very different animal indeed. But 30% of England’s population is covered by Parish Councils which, for the most part, operate under the radar of political activists…

I moved out of London more than a decade ago but hadn’t been here for very long before a vacancy arose on the Parish Council and, well, …

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 6 Comments
Bablin Molik

My experiences of being a woman Councillor of colour

By Bablin Molik | Mon 5th October 2020 - 4:43 pm

I am very proud to say that I was elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor in 2017 to serve the residents of Cyncoed and Lakeside at Cardiff County Council. Cardiff, capital city of Wales, is very cosmopolitan, a city that celebrates its diversity, but still fails to represent its population in the make-up of the council chamber and the workforce within the council.

I had stood in local elections before in a different area and did notice the ballot papers that came in with crosses next to my ward colleague names and not mine and still this time same occurred on some ballot papers, but luckily I secured just enough votes to become the third and last candidate to be elected. When you see such ballots, many questions and answers come to your mind, why did they not vote me? They don’t know me personally so is it my name, the origin of the name, my faith or the colour of my skin that they considered more than anything I had to offer?

Continue reading »
Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 11 Comments
NewsHound

Over 100 East Midlands Councillors sign letter calling for halt to Unitary Council plans

By NewsHound | Mon 5th October 2020 - 11:57 am

Over 100 Liberal Democrat councillors from across the East Midlands have signed a letter to the Secretary of State for Local Government, Robert Jenrick MP, calling for a halt to controversial Government plans to abolish Borough and District Councils across the region and replace them with larger Unitary authorities.

The letter, signed by 118 Councillors, was jointly authored by Lib Dem Hinckley and Bosworth Borough and Leicestershire County Councillor Michael Mullaney and Leader of Chesterfield Lib Dem Councillors Paul Holmes.

Michael Mullaney said;

Abolishing Borough and District Councils and creating huge unitary authorities would be disruptive at anytime. But to be considering this

…

Continue reading »
Also posted in News | Tagged | 7 Comments
Caroline Pidgeon

A letter from Caroline Pidgeon AM to the Mayor of London

By Caroline Pidgeon | Wed 10th June 2020 - 3:30 pm

Dear Sadiq,

Re: Concerns for London’s Charity Shops

As we know, many businesses and organisations are facing unprecedented challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to write to you about some specific concerns I have for charity shops, a staple of our high streets in London.

Charity shops provide essential revenue for charities in London and across the UK. They are important for all charities, but particularly important for those smaller charities who rely heavily on the income from their charity shops. Furthermore, charity chops provide an affordable place for many people to shop in London and are a lifeline for many in terms of purchasing goods they would otherwise be unable to afford.

An often-underrated benefit of charity shops is also that they are a greener and more environmentally sustainable way to shop – promoting the reuse of items, whilst providing a profit for good causes.

Continue reading »
Also posted in London and News | Tagged | 3 Comments
Mark Valladares

15 May 2020 – today’s press releases

By Mark Valladares | Fri 15th May 2020 - 11:30 pm
  • Govt urged to protect funding to house homeless
  • Lib Dems call for Coronavirus honours list
  • Davey: Govt must get a grip on care homes coronavirus crisis
  • Davey: Public would expect Brexit extension

Govt urged to protect funding to house homeless

Responding to reports that the Government will no longer fund local councils to house homeless people during the Covid-19 pandemic, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said:

The Coronavirus crisis is an unprecedented threat. It is leaving the most vulnerable in our communities at risk and it is our duty to look after them.

It would be irresponsible for the Government to pull emergency funding for local

…

Continue reading »
Also posted in News and Press releases | Tagged , , , , , and | 6 Comments
NewsHound

Lib Dems on the march in Ayrshire

By NewsHound | Thu 5th March 2020 - 11:00 am

The Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald reports:

The Scottish Lib Dems say they have now relaunched the Ayrshire party with residents now volunteering to stand as candidates.

The Scottish Lib Dems say membership has trebled in Ayrshire with residents now volunteering stand as candidates and the party ‘on the march’.

At the constituency event, Scottish Convenor Sheila Ritchie said: “The Liberal Democrats are on a big upwards trajectory in Ayrshire. The local party membership has trebled in the last two years. We have realistic hopes for the Scottish elections next year and to get candidates volunteering for council seats in 2021 this early is a major boost.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | Leave a comment
Ruth Dombey

“Stop blaming local government for the housing crisis”

By Ruth Dombey | Mon 24th February 2020 - 5:22 pm

More than a million homes granted planning permission in the past decade have not yet been built, according to new analysis by the Local Government Association.

Latest figures show that 2,564,600 units have been granted planning permission by councils since 2009/10 while only 1,530,680 have been completed.

The number of planning permissions granted for new homes has almost doubled since 2012/13 with councils approving 9 in 10 applications.

While in some cases there will be a time lag between permission being granted and homes being built, new build completions have only increased by half as much in that time. Encouragingly, completions last …

Continue reading »
Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged and | 7 Comments
Paul Walter

Good luck to Jonny Edge and team in Suffolk this Thursday

By Paul Walter | Tue 28th January 2020 - 4:10 pm



Jonny Edge (left) and his team in Newmarket and Red Lodge

There are two by-elections in Suffolk this Thursday, both caused by the resignations of a Conservative councillor who was elected as an MP in Aberconwy, North Wales.

Jonny Edge is our candidate in both the contest for the Newmarket North seat on West Suffolk District Council and also the battle for the Newmarket and Red Lodge seat on Suffolk County Council.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Council by-elections | Tagged and | 6 Comments
Paul Walter

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water – there are referendums galore this Thursday

By Paul Walter | Mon 27th January 2020 - 8:15 am

Embed from Getty Images

You probably thought that we have had our fill of referendums for the next several millennia.

But, in my researches for this Thursday’s by-elections, I stumbled upon several Neighbourhood planning referendums happening this Thursday, 30th January.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | 18 Comments
The Voice

+++Anton Georgiou wins big in Brent!

By The Voice | Fri 24th January 2020 - 9:04 am


Many congratulations to Anton Georgiou and his team on a stunning by-election win in Alperton ward, Brent!

Anton achieved a stonking 29.5% swing to the Lib Dems, to grab the seat from Labour.

Siobhan Benita, our London Mayoral candidate, campaigned strongly with Anton – this is a great boost for her campaign for London.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Council by-elections | Tagged , and | 19 Comments
Paul Walter

Good luck to our candidates and teams in by-elections tomorrow!

By Paul Walter | Wed 22nd January 2020 - 9:30 am


There are four seats on Brent Council, London, up for grabs in by-elections tomorrow. These contests have been caused by the resignations of four Labour councillors.

Continue reading »
Also posted in Council by-elections | Tagged , and | 1 Comment
News Meerkat

Tim Pickstone named Mayor of Bury

By News Meerkat | Mon 20th January 2020 - 4:00 pm

Bury Town Hall
Many congratulations to Tim Pickstone on being named as the next Mayor of Bury, in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Tim leads Bury Council’s four Lib Dem councillors. There are 29 Labour, 16 Conservative and two Independent councillors. So Tim’s election is a sign of the respect in which councillors of other parties hold him.

Bury Times reports:

HOLYROOD ward councillor Tim Pickstone has been named as the next Mayor of Bury.

Continue reading »
Tagged and | Leave a comment
The Voice

LibLink: Our new President/Co-leader on the surprising number of elections coming up in May

By The Voice | Thu 16th January 2020 - 9:40 am

Embed from Getty Images

Over on his blog, Mark Pack, our new party President and co-leader, gives us a timely warning about the magnitude of voting opportunities this May:

This year’s round of local council elections are only in England and are the smallest round of that cycle of elections. Which may make you think that it’s a small set of elections and one in which many or even most parts of the country will not be voting.

But…

Continue reading »
Also posted in Party Presidency | Tagged , , and | 4 Comments
Paul Walter

Lib Dem gain from Tories in Andrea Leadsom’s constituency

By Paul Walter | Fri 13th September 2019 - 10:27 am


Well done to Mark Allen and team on a fantastic victory in Middleton Cheney. They won the South Northamptonshire seat from the Tories in yesterday’s by-election. This was despite local MP Andrea Leadsom campaigning hard for the Tory candidate (see above).

Continue reading »
Tagged | 8 Comments
Paul Walter

An unusual piece of street furniture seen in Sheffield

By Paul Walter | Mon 9th September 2019 - 4:08 pm


Like most of us, I have spent an inordinate amount of time wandering around the streets of England and Wales. But last week in Sheffield was the first time I have seen one of these.

It is really remarkable.

Continue reading »
Tagged | 12 Comments
Paul Walter

Conservatives do badly in last by-election before May 2nd – UPDATED

By Paul Walter | Fri 26th April 2019 - 9:05 am

There was one council by-election yesterday, in the Belle Vue ward for Shropshire Council. This is a long-standing Labour-held ward.

The Liberal Democrats were represented by James McLeod:

Continue reading »
6 Comments
Baroness Ros Scott

Ros Scott’s closing speech to ALDC Kickstart

By Baroness Ros Scott | Mon 26th November 2018 - 4:50 pm

The newly elected President of ALDC, Baroness Ros Scott, closed the ALDC Kickstart event yesterday afternoon. She has kindly made available the text of her speech…

I hope that you have all had a wonderful weekend.

These are the most difficult and unpredictable political times that I can ever remember. There’s no way of knowing what the backdrop to next May’s elections will be.

But some things never change.

When I joined in 1991, I was a community campaigner in my home town of Needham Market. The only political party who were really engaged with the community were the Lib Dems, and that’s …

Continue reading »
Also posted in Speeches | Tagged , and | Leave a comment
Mark Valladares

Upset in East Herts, solid hold in Cornwall…

By Mark Valladares | Fri 24th August 2018 - 11:05 am

Another Thursday, another unlikely result…

Yes, that’s a 51.7% swing, for the aficionados out there.

For the Conservatives, who had previously held all fifty seats on the council, they’ll just have to get used to having an opposition in the Council chamber. Well done to Sophie Cook, one of our younger members, and her team in a part of the county where success has been traditionally hard won.

Elsewhere, a solid defence in Bude, on Cornwall Council…

See, not all gammon is bad… Again, congratulations to David Parsons and the North Cornwall crew – a lovely bunch from my memory as Presidential consort.

Continue reading »
Also posted in News | Tagged and | 26 Comments
Howard Sykes

Social care is in crisis – the Tories must face up to it

By Howard Sykes | Mon 6th August 2018 - 1:55 pm

In the last six months, more than one hundred home-based and residential care providers have ceased trading, affecting more than 5,300 people, as providers hand back contracts to more than sixty councils, affecting thousands of people. Social care faces a £3.5bn funding gap by 2025. Social care is in crisis and we have a government which is turning a blind eye to it.

Obsessed with Brexit, they have repeatedly ignored the challenge of social care and kicked it into the long grass. A long-delayed green paper on social care that was promised for June has yet again failed to materialise, along …

Continue reading »
Also posted in Op-eds | Tagged | 19 Comments
Advert



Recent Comments

  • Roland
    @Michael BG re. claw back and taper Firstly, with UBI/GBI we need to get away from the current benefits culture where benefits are given out and then if people...
  • Gordon
    “The Lib Dems could be leading this push – but where are they?” Good question! Time and again I find events (this being just one example) put...
  • Jacon Connor
    No it's also a local issue. Many of us use our local GPs and Hospitals, our local health services. I am lucky in that mine does see patients face-to-face and I ...
  • Paul Barker
    To answer the Question of why we are going for a National Issue to launch our Local Election Campaign - a, this is a National launch b, The National Media are...
  • David Raw
    @ Mary, in which case a more muscular stance on the impact of Brexit by the Leadership would be advisable, Mary....