Nick Clegg Launches Euro Election Campaign

Nick Clegg meets local European parliament candidate Jonathan Fryer (right) and members of the High St ward Lib Dem team on his recent visit to Walthamstow.Today Nick Clegg launched the Liberal Democrat Europen election campaign. In his speech he warned that Brtiain must lead within the EU to protect families from crime, climate change and the recession.

Nick (pictured meeting local European Parliament candidate Jonathan Fryer (right) and members of the High St ward Lib Dem team on his recent visit to Walthamstow) published the Party’s European manifesto ‘Stronger Together, Poorer Apart’ in central London, and said:
 
“We can only protect British families from crime, the recession and climate change if our country works with other EU countries.
 
“Criminals, business, climate change – these things cross borders. So the police, regulators, and environmental action have to cross borders too. It’s the EU that makes this essential cooperation possible
“Liberal Democrats backed EU plans for the fast track extradition of thousands of criminals suspects across Europe – including 21/7 bomber Hussein Osman who was extradited in just three weeks from Rome. It would have taken months if UKIP and the Conservatives had succeeded in blocking these new rules.
   
“Liberal Democrats support EU police and judicial cooperation, which have achieved a huge amount in particular in relation to people trafficking and internet crime.
 
“One investigation known as Operation Koala managed to close down a website which contained 150 sexually explicit videos of underage girls and prosecute the people who ran it and its customers.
 
“Because the operators and users of this site were in a total of 28 different countries, it was only because of EU cooperation that the prosecution was swift and successful.”
 
Click here to download a copy of our European manifesto.

Lib Dem Success as Council Agrees to Help Axed Post Offices

Local Liberal Democrat councillors have achieved the first step in assisting residents with the reopening of axed local Post Office branches, after opposition councillors agreed to a Lib Dem motion promising to look at plans to reopen those facilities recently hit by the Labour Government’s closure programme.

Hale End and Highams Park councillor Jane Morgan (pictured above with fellow Hale and Higham councillor Sheila Smith-Pryor) spoke at the Council meeting, in which the Lib Dems agreed to accept Labour amendments to the motion in order to ensure it passed. 

However Cllr John Macklin, the local Lib Dem leader warned that he would not allow the Labour amendments (which removed the responsibility of meeting with those local businesses who plan to invest in local Post Offices from the Portfolio Holder for Enterprise and Investment) to enable the Council to ‘bury’ any proposals for the reopening of local branches.

The Liberal Democrats have vowed to help after being contacted by local resident groups who presented pland for the reopening of local branches through a combination of private enterprise and outside funding.

Head to our Speeches page to see what Cllr Morgan had to say about the Lib Dems support for the plans:

Clegg Speaks Out on Arcade Site

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg in Walthamstow with Farid ahmed and Jonathan FryerLiberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has used a visit to Waltham Forest to give his backing to Lib Dem proposals for the vacant Walthamstow Arcade site.

The national Lib Dem Leader, who was in Walthamstow to lend his support to Farid Ahmed, the parliamentary candidate for the constituency and local European Parliament candidate Jonathan Fryer, took time to speak to the local Waltham Forest Guardian about the need for greater transparency on the Arcade development and the need to find some temporary communal use for the derelict site.

Head over to the Guardian website to read all the details of Nick’s interview on the Arcade site.

After speaking to members of the local press, the Lib Dem leader headed to Walthamstow to speak to stallholders, before addressing business leaders on the effects of the recession and the need for greater support for small businesses.

Lib Dems Want Council Support for Post Office Plan

Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats are to ask the Council to support resident proposals for the reopening of local Post Office branches.

Local Lib Dem councillors have been approached by residents keen to see the reopening of branches axed under the Government’s Post Office closure programme and will request at Thursday’s Full Council meeting that the Portfolio Holder for Enterprise and Investment, Labour member Terry Wheeler, meets formally with local resident groups to hear proposals to reopen local branches using private investment.

Local Lib Dem Cllr John Macklin said that he hoped councillors from all sides would take the opportunity to show local businesses and Post Office users that the Council was “on their side”.

Cllr Macklin continued:

“From an economic point of view, the closure of local Post Offices couldn’t have come at a worse time.  The presence of a Post Office brings people to an area, benefiting neighbouring businesses. 

“Residents didn’t want their Post Offices to be closed, but have had that decision forced upon them.  If we as a Council are able to give practical support to efforts to have them reopened, then surely that is something that we should be keen to support.

“The efforts of residents and local businesses to get their Post Offices back are exactly the kind of entrepreneurial proposals that we should be supporting at a time when fresh thinking by small businesses is sorely needed.”

Local Lib Dems slam MPs fuel poverty snub

Winnie Smith (centre) with local Lib Dem campaignersLocal Liberal Democrats have hit out at local MPs after they failed to turn up in parliament on Friday (20th March) to support an effort to end ‘fuel poverty’ for Waltham Forest residents.

The ‘Fuel Poverty’ bill, which has the backing of organisations ranging from Help the Aged to Friends of the Earth, would promote energy efficiency and cheaper energy tariffs for the less well off.  However the Labour Government blocked the passage of the bill despite the efforts of the Liberal Democrats.

Now Waltham Forest Lib Dems have taken up the cause, calling on Harry Cohen, Neil Gerrard and lain Duncan-Smith to explain their opposition to the Bill.

Figures recently released by the group Consumer Watch revealed that Leyton and Wanstead (5th), and Walthamstow (8th) both ranked in the top ten London constituencies for the number of residents living in ‘fuel poverty’.  A household is considered to be living in ‘fuel poverty’ when it spends 10% or more of its income on energy bills.  The figures revealed that an estimated 17 out of 100 local households fell into this category.  Chingford and Woodford green ranked 30th.

The charity Age Concern have described the result of Friday’s voting as “a huge let-down for the 2.75 million older people living in fuel poverty” adding that “many will question why a Government which claims to be concerned about fuel poverty has acted in such a cynical way.”

Leyton councillor Winnie Smith, who will second the local Lib Dem motion on the issue to Waltham Forest Council at Thursday’s Full Council meeting said:

“The actions contained in this Bill would help some of the most vulnerable residents of Waltham Forest and my ward, Leyton, at a time when fuel costs are rocketing and many people are finding it tough.

“Our local MPs need to start standing up for residents by using their voices in parliament, where it really counts”.

Last year local Liberal Democrats successfully got opposition councillors to agree to a series of measures aimed at ‘greening’ the Council such as improving the energy efficiency of council buildings.

Local Lib Dems welcome government climb-down over rent rise plan

Cllr John Macklin with Lib Dem leader Nick CleggLocal Liberal Democrat councillors have welcomed a last-minute government u-turn over plans to saddle council tenants with huge increases in rental costs.

Under growing pressure from local authorities, Housing Minister Margaret Beckett has announced that councils will now be allowed to cut their planned rent increases for tenants. Waltham Forest council tenants were facing a rent rise of 5.8% due to government guidelines.

“These rent rises (are) a cowardly act that put politics before people.”

Local Lib Dem Leader Cllr John Macklin has welcomed the government climb-down, but warned that the affair highlighted the government’s lack of understanding of the impact of the economic crisis.

Cllr Macklin said:

“This announcement, whilst perhaps not completely unexpected, will come as a relief to some of our most vulnerable residents, who were being asked to bear the brunt of these rent rises.

“However this announcement should be no cause for political celebration. This whole embarrassing u-turn by Labour has just served to demonstrate once again how completely out of touch the government is with the practical realities of this economic crisis. Asking local authorities to do their dirty work for them by implementing these rent rises was a cowardly act that put politics before people.

“I am pleased that the government have finally backed down on this issue but disappointed that, once again, it has been left to local authorities to try and make them see sense.”

Liberal Democrat MPs led parliamentary opposition to the government plan, as reported here by your local Lib Dem team.

More road money needed from government pot, say councillors

Councillors Peter Woollcott and Bob Belam, as featured in this week's Yellow AdvertiserThe good work of the Higham Hill Liberal Democrat Focus team has been highighted again in this week’s local press.

The Lib Dem councillor team of Peter Woollcott, Patrick Smith and Sean Meiszner are leading the campaign to get more government funding to help local councils deal with potholes and worsening road conditions.  Routes in Waltham Forest have suffered particularly badly this year due to the worst winter in decades.

Councillor Bob Belam joined Councillor Woollcott (both pictured above) to draw attention to the issue.

Councillor Woollcott told the local Yellow Advertiser:

“Some of the roads are ridden with potholes which pose a danger to drivers an cyclists especially.  Not only can they cause accidents they can also damage vehicles which can then pose a danger later on”.

Article by Martyn Dalton, Picture by Roy Tillett, both used by kind permission

Lib Dems keep Council Tax promise but warn of “uniquely challenging times”

Waltham Forest councillors last night approved the borough’s yearly budget, with Liberal Democrats keeping their promise to set Council Tax below 2.5%.

The level for this year is set at a below average 1.9%, with additional funds being put into street cleaning services, mental health services and enforcement powers to clamp down on rogue property developers.

Lib Dem leader Cllr John Macklin spoke for the Liberal Democrat group and congratulated fellow Liberal Democrat members for their work on keeping local taxes low. However he criticised the government for their hike in council tenant rent costs, suggesting that this move typified a “completely outdated” central approach to local government.

Cllr Macklin also offered opposition Tory councillors the opportunity to put their ‘alternative’ budget material budget proposals – recieved just hours before the budget meeting – through a proper scrutiny process, adding that there should be “no political restrictions on good ideas for our borough”.

Read Cllr Macklin’s full speech to Council and let us know what you think!

Waltham Forest the winner with the Lib Dems!

Cllr Bob Wheatley with Chris Huhne and Lib Dem leader Nick CleggWilliam Morris councillor Bob Wheatley has a letter published in this week’s Waltham Forest guardian outlining the improvements in local services since the Liberal Democrat became involved in the Council administration.

Cllr Wheatley, who is one of the longest sereving councillors in Waltham Forest, goes onto credit the regular delivery of the Liberal Democrat FOCUS leaflets for our FOUR recent by-election wins in the borough. 

Have a look below to see what he had to say…

Remember – it’s now easier than ever to catch up with your local news through the FOCUS FILE!

Higham Park Lib Dems in action!

Cllr Patrick Smith, Cllr Sean Meiszner and Cllr Peter WoollcottThe Lib Dems Higham Hill Focus Team are campaigning to have a new bus route for local residents.

Councillors Peter Woollcott, Patrick Smith and Sean Meiszner want a new route to run from Tottenham Hale to Highams Park via Billet Road.  The bus route is required to forge a west/link public transport link in response to community expansion, with the new Banbury Park and Sutherland Road Estates, three schools – including Walthamstow Academy.  Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon has agreed to chair a meeting with TfL at Waltham Forest Town Hall to support the campaign.

Cllr Smith and Cllr Meiszner also attended a recent event at the Houses of Parliament to see Julia Goldsworthy MP and join the `Unlock Democracy’ national campaign to open up new income streams to local councils as part of the Sustainable Communities Act 2007.

Cllr Patrick Smith said:
“Liberal Democrats want Waltham Forest residents to gain the maximum financial help from Government. “This legislation is designed to ask local people to prioritise their community projects and give back power to the people on issues such as unpopular post office closures, affordable housing or a lack of local doctors and dentists”