Epsom & Ewell Liberal Democrats

I want another vote on the final Brexit deal

Before the referendum I was mainly positive about the EU. I had voted to go into the "Common Market" in 1975 at the age of 25, three years after gaining a degree and at the start of my career as a graphic designer. I say mainly positive, because although I took advantage of the open borders to travel, enjoyed the wealth of produce we were importing and appreciated pan-European co-operation, I was greatly concerned at the prospect of a federal Europe. I was also incensed that some judgements of the EU courts were impinging on our own justice system. It seemed that we were losing our sovereignty and that worried me. Still, I didn't really want to come out of the EU and I certainly wasn't clamouring for a referendum.

Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have expressed their concerns over the long waiting times faced by children and young people with mental health problems in the county.

Ahead of next week's Children and Education Select Committee, where the matter is due to be discussed, Cllr Chris Botten, Lib Dem Spokesperson for Children & Education, said:

The Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservatives of having to "close their own loopholes" on the 5p plastic bag charge, after the Government announced plans to extend the charge to cover nearly all retailers.

Restrictions on the plastic bag charge were imposed by the Conservatives in coalition, despite backing from the Liberal Democrats, charities and business groups to remove all exemptions.

It will probably come as little surprise to see the Conservatives in government saying one thing in a highly public forum, then quietly doing the opposite in less public votes.

Barely a fortnight after the Prime Minister's very public commitment to reducing plastics, they are found opposing measures that would actually help this aim.

The world's oceans are slowly turning into a plastic soup.

Unless we take action, plastic waste will continue to pollute our oceans with devastating effect.

We have all heard the reports of seabirds strangled by 6-pack rings and whales washing up with guts full of plastic, but did you know the average seafood consumers eats around 11,000 plastic particles a year?

The Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have criticised Surrey's local Conservative MPs after they all voted in favour of the Local Government Finance Settlement in the House of Commons on Wednesday 7th February.

The Settlement sets out the level of funding from central government to local authorities for the next financial year and has been heavily criticised for not providing adequate funding to councils to provide essential services. All 9 Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey had written to the 11 MPs asking them to vote against the Settlement. However no Conservative MP in Surrey spoke in the debate and all voted in favour.

A petition set up by Liberal Democrat county councillors calling on Surrey County Council to axe its charges on residents disposing of DIY waste has attracted over 1000 signatures in just over 2 weeks. The petition was set up after the Government, as part of a wider consultation on fly-tipping, stated that "The Government's view is that residents should be able to dispose of household DIY waste free of charge" and "The Government will consider clarifying the law if councils continue to charge for disposal of reasonable amounts of DIY waste". The County Council introduced the unpopular charges, dubbed the "Tory Tip Tax", in September 2016 and earlier in January this year ended the daily allowance for local residents to dispose of waste for free.

Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have written to the county's 11 MPs asking them to vote against the Local Government Finance Settlement in Parliament on Wednesday 7th February. The Settlement sets out the level of funding from central government to local councils for the next financial year, and has been widely criticised for failing to address the financial problems that many councils face.

Lib Dem leader Vince Cable, pictured here with Ruxley By-Election candidate Julia Kirkland, was the guest speaker at Epsom & Ewell Liberal Democrats annual dinner on Friday.

He recorded these encouraging words:

Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have criticised the Conservative-administration for budget proposals containing £54m of further cuts to services and a 6% council tax rise. The budget recommendations will be approved by the Council's Conservative Cabinet on Tuesday 30th January, and then by the County Council on Tuesday 6th February.