Following a request by the Lib Dems, Surrey County Council has agreed to exempt young care leavers from paying its share of Council Tax.
Earlier today, Surrey's Full Council approved a report from the Cabinet to give young people who have been in the care system a discount of 75% on their Council Tax, which is the Surrey Council portion of Council Tax bills. About 600 young people under 25 who have left the care of the Council will no longer have to pay full Council Tax from next April.
The Lib Dems have called on Surrey County Council to back a bill that would increase the fines for leaving vehicles idling and make it easier to levy fines.
During tomorrow's Full Council meeting, Councillor Will Forster will ask the Leader of Surrey County Council to call on the Government and Surrey's MPs to support the Vehicle Emissions (Idling Penalties) Bill.
The Liberal Democrat Group at SCC is concerned that the service was declared inadequate by Inspectors in December, and that the service is still seriously short of trained firefighters as a result of previous proposed cuts and a recruitment freeze. We believe the current plan to cut night time cover will unacceptably reduce response times; any change to the SFRS agreed by the Council should not reduce response times.
The Liberal Democrats have backed proposals to demand better for the over four million people who are trapped in deep poverty in the UK.
The proposals, passed at Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in Bournemouth, includes calls to invest £5 billion per year to make the benefits system work for people and a £50 billion capital Rebalancing Fund to address the historic investment disparities between our nations and regions.
Speaking after the debate, Liberal Democrat MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Tim Farron said "Nothing robs you of your freedom more than poverty. Poverty is a despicable stain on any society, whatever the country. In the UK the situation is so bad that the UN felt the need to send its Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty to the UK - and his report was damning. A fifth of the country live in poverty, one and half million people are destitute and can't afford the most basic essentials, and child poverty is rising and threatens to reach record highs. With the Tories bungled roll-out of Universal Credit, their brutal 2015 cuts to benefits, and their senseless two-child limit and scandalous rape clause, millions of people's lives have worsened under this Conservative government. The Liberal Democrats demand better for those struggling in our society, we demand real freedom, not theoretical freedom. With the bold policies we passed today, we will create a stronger benefits system. Liberal Democrats will tackle poverty and ensure everyone can access the services they need and have the same opportunities regardless of where they come from with £5 billion per year investment to make the system work and a £50 billion capital Rebalancing Fund to address the historic investment disparities between our nations and regions."
In the Coalition years Secretaries of State for Energy and Climate Change, Lib Dems Chris Huhne and then Ed Davey, were in constant battle with the Tory controlled Treasury, yet made significant progress towards our goal, and continued to do so until 2015.
The Conservatives are desperate to deliver Brexit as soon as possible, for the sake of the Conservative party. If it means a "No Deal" departure from the EU, that is fine by them, whatever it costs.
Food and medicine shortages? They don't care.
Sheep farmers exporting lamb to the EU hit by a tariff rise from zero to 48%? Tough.
Break the law, break democracy, break up the United Kingdom? Fine by them.
They have thrown out over 20 loyal MPs, including Churchill's grandson, who voted with their consciences against the madness of "No Deal".
The Supreme Court has made it's ruling - the prorogation of Parliament was illegal.
MPs should be allowed to scrutinise the Government without having their voices silenced. This is the basis for our democracy.
The Conservatives' authoritarian power grab wasn't just illegal, it was downright wrong.
The Conservatives' authoritarian power grab wasn't just illegal, it was downright wrong. Parliament - not the Government - is sovereign, and this cynical attempt to stop MPs from doing their job was simply outrageous.
The Liberal Democrats are delighted to announce that Sam Gyimah MP has joined the party.
Speaking after his reveal at the Party Conference in Bournemouth, Sam Gyimah said "I'm delighted to be joining the Liberal Democrats at this pivotal time in our country's politics. The two old parties have moved to the edges of the political spectrum - each with their own brand of intolerance and division - leaving millions politically homeless. It doesn't have to be like this. Jo is leading a real movement to unite the centre, bringing together liberal-minded people to offer a real alternative."
The Liberal Democrats plan to address the pressure faced by young carers, including reforming the Carers Allowance giving young carers a free bus pass.
The party's new Shadow Chancellor, Ed Davey, was himself a young carer for his mother before she passed away when he was 15.
Reflecting, he said: "You have to grow up early as a young carer. As we saw today, without adequate support, being a young carer can hurt your life chances. We must demand better."
The raft of new policies include reforming the Carers Allowance so young people who undertake more than 21 hours a week of education can qualify for the allowance, and treating being a carer by learning institutes and employers as a diversity issue.
