Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Menzies Campbell MP, today called for the Guantanamo Bay detention facilities to be closed, and the detainees to be released without delay or swiftly brought to trial. His demand follows the publication of a UN report on conditions in the camp.
The new leader of the national Liberal Democrat party is currently being chosen by the party's thousands of ordinary members, on the basis of "one member - one vote" using the democratic Single Transferable Vote system by ranking the three candidates in order of preference. The deadline for ballot papers is 1st March and the name of the new Leader will be announced on 2nd March in time for the party's Spring Conference at Harrogate, starting on 3rd March.
Our Regional Spring Conference will be held at County Hall in Northallerton this Saturday and promises to be an energetic affair. Members have been re-invigorated by the recent Lib Dem victory by Willie Rennie in Dunfermline. We all needed to be reminded just how little the public trusts the 'flip-flopping' Tories and how we are recognised as being the only antidote to years of blairite authoritarianism and spin.
The County Council's budget for 2006/07, including a 5% increase in Council Tax, was passed by the Conservative majority at the Full Council meeting on 7 February.
The Tory budget is proposing to cut grants to voluntary organisations in Surrey by £838,000. This means a significant reduction in the money available to organisations that have a fundamental role in supporting Surrey residents and will cause an already fragile sector to fail in key areas.
The Tories' BDR (Business Delivery Review) will adversely affect the County Council's countryside services. The proposals, if approved, will:
