Despite assurances to protect the budget the Chancellor is secretly slashing police budgets by over £200 million. Independently elected Police Commissioners will now be forced to raise the additional funds to keep their communities safe by upping council tax. Buried deep within a ministerial statement the Government today has finally had to admit that it […]

Community is at the heart of what Liberal Democrats in local government are about. In the ward Ashley Evans and I work with local community groups and help to set them up. The Friends of West View Park, and the Friends of Roils Head Moor are two examples of initiatives that we have had that […]

This Thursday the Economy and Environment Scrutiny panel that I chair recommended that the Council makes provision within its winter services budget for new grit bins. There are many streets in Calderdale that are not gritted and the provision of grit bins allows residents on those streets to attempt to clear ice and snow themselves. […]

Commenting on reports that the Government may force the bill of flood defences on local taxpayers, Tim Farron, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said: “Not only are the government not paying the bill that currently exists, they are now supporting a tax rise. For a party that talks a […]

As chair of the Economy and Environment scrutiny panel on the Council I was keen that our scrutiny support team publishes news on the work that the Council’s scrutiny panels do. Scrutiny panels are not decision making bodies, but they do help hold the cabinet of the Council to account. All scrutiny meetings are open to […]

According to reports on the Huddersfield Examiner the Huddersfield Labour MP Barry Sheerman has blammed the problems facing our local health services on the awful PFI contract that ‘Health chiefs in Halifax got into’. Mr Sheerman and his colleague, Colne Valley’s Jason McCartney, have both insisted the move is to shore up the controversial Private […]

At every meeting of Calderdale Council Councillors such as myself get to ask questions to the portfolio holders of the cabinet. Currently the cabinet of Calderdale Council is all made up of Labour Councillors as they are running the Council. If you have a question that you would like me to ask on your behalf […]

We are making slow but steady progress on getting the Council to resolve traffic problems around Brow Foot Gate Lane and its surrounding roads. Your ward Councillors have met with a Council traffic officer and we are in the progress of drawing up an official consultation on the scheme. This consultation is being run by […]

Commenting on today’s debate on the abolition of student maintenance grants on those coming from lower income families, Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland said: “The poorest students will be hit hardest by the ending of maintenance grants. Trying to do this through the backdoor shows not only their contempt for students but also their families. […]

Liberal Democrats have today called for all private contractors doing public work to also be subject to FOI requests and promised strong opposition to any attempts from the Conservatives to water down the FOI system. The call comes amidst reports that ministers may extend FOI requests to charities. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael […]