Spelthorne Liberal Democrats

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This contains artucles on:

• The threat to the Green Belt
• Air pollution
• Council tax
• BREXIT
• Cedar's recreation ground update

Commenting on Theresa May's Brexit speech at Mansion House, Vince Cable MP Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

May's diminished authority is allowing Brexit extremists to neuter any chance she has at getting an acceptable deal for the UK.

"With a listless government beholden to hard-line Tories the only way to protect our future is ensure a referendum on the final deal. Surely, If May believes in her strategy, she would happily take it to the country."

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:

A survey by Kantar Public, published today (Sunday, 18 February), has found that 56% of the public judge the Conservatives' handling of Berexit as poor or very poor.

Whether people are for or against Brexit, there is clearly growing anger that the Conservatives are badly mishandling negotiations.

Warring factions in the Conservative Party mean the prospect of sensible negotiations has long since disappeared.

This is why there is growing support for the Liberal Democrat policy of a vote on the terms of the deal, with the option of an exit from Brexit.

Michel Barnier has warned that a transition period immediately after Brexit is 'not a given' and that he did not understand some of the UK's positions on Brexit.

When Barnier says he doesn't understand some of the positions the UK government are taking over Brexit, he is not only speaking for the EU but also the entire British population.

Talks have today collapsed in Stormont.

British taxpayers have coughed up £1 billion to placate the DUP and keep them on the Government's side during this disastrous parliament. What are we getting for it? Just intransigence.

The British government are heading for a very dangerous situation in Ireland.

If this speech was supposed to offer an olive branch to Remainers, Boris must have picked up the other version.

A clear majority of Remain and Leave voters oppose the damaging hard Brexit Boris so vigorously advocates.

They do not want job cuts triggered by tougher trading conditions with our largest export market or life-threatening uncertainty at the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Boris's antipathy towards the common rules and standards which apply within the EU, and to trade within the EU, is in stark contrast to Brexiters head-long rush to adopt common standards with the US which would require the UK to accept chlorine-washed chicken, hormone-fed beef, GMO products and potentially open up the NHS to US private health companies.

If Boris is seeking to establish himself as the standard bearer of liberalism, he should dump plans to come out of the Single Market and Customs Union and campaign to stay in the world's largest free trade area.

1. Saving lives
The NHS provides some of the best emergency care in the world. Although the NHS winter crisis has placed unprecedented pressure on our health service, the NHS has, historically, maintained an impressive standard of emergency care. Last year an astounding 23.65 million of us attended A&E. This number increases each year. Over the last five years A&E departments have seen a 7.2% rise in attendance. Yet despite this enormous pressure, A&E staff display tireless dedication during gruelling 12-hour shifts and regularly go above-and-beyond the call of duty.

Theresa May is insisting that the UK will leave the Customs Union after Brexit.

The idea that UK will not be in the, or any, Customs Union, confirms that the extreme Brexiters are now in control of the Government.

The Tories' increasing obsession with putting two fingers up to all things European will only ensure maximum damage is done to our country in the long term.