Commenting on today's Hometrack report showing that up to 50% of young working households are priced out of the housing market in some areas, Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing minister, Paul Holmes MP said:
Shepway Council Chief Executive Alistair Stewart has announced that Shepway Corporate Director for Planning and the Environment, Jeff Stack, has been offered and accepted the post of Director of Environmental Services at Broxbourne Borough Council in Hertfordshire.
Stoneygate Lib Dem Cllr. Parmjit Singh Gill will propose a motion at tonight's full City Council meeting attacking the government for the lack of investment in Leicester hospitals.
David Cameron went back to traditional Tory issues in his conference speech in an effort to firm up his grassroots. Tax cuts, controlling immigration, a referendum on the proposed European Union treaty and the need to 'support families' were all prominent in the Conservative leader's lengthy speech. Quoting a school teacher he had met who had told him the key to improving schools was "discipline, discipline, discipline", Mr Cameron said the Tories would scrap appeals against head teachers' decisions on expulsions. He pledged to end the "couple penalty" on benefits, and recognise marriage in the tax system. He said the Conservatives were ready for a snap poll, adding: "We will fight, and Britain will win."
Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats are calling for a public consultation which could lead to a ban on environmentally harmful carrier bags across the Borough. The Lib Dems want to put to the public the question of whether a ban, a levy or a deposit scheme for all plastic and paper shopping bags given out at retailers in the Borough should be introduced.
UK troops in Basra are to be cut by 1,000 by the end of the year, Gordon Brown has said on a visit to Iraq. However, it has emerged that the withdrawal of 500 of these troops had been announced in July, and 270 of them are already back home. 4,500 UK troops are expected to remain at the Basra Airport base into next year. The announcement was branded "cynical politics" by the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.
