Liberal Democrats from Scarborough and Whitby are heading to Harrogate this weekend to attend the party's spring conference. And topping the concerns they will be raising will be crime and anti-social behaviour.
Liberal Democrat councillors at North Yorkshire County Council are concerned that school pupils are missing out because of shortcomings in the Council's IT services. There have been reports from across the county of unsatisfactory broadband connections and difficulties for schools in connecting to computer training. Some teachers are now simply not using broadband because the system fails more often than it works. They therefore cannot plan lessons that involve internet work.
Liberal Democrat councillors at North Yorkshire County Council lost their fight last week to get the Council to defend post offices in the county. Earlier this month the Council's Executive and its Care & Independence Overview & Scrutiny Committee both supported a Lib Dem motion opposing any further closures of post offices in the county, subject to a small amendment.
At the Liberal Democrat "We Can Cut Crime" rally, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell highlighted that over 51 million crimes have been reported in this country since Labour came to power. Menzies Campbell said "Tony Blair's legacy on law and order is one of tough talk, and spectacular failure. Effective criminal justice should deter crime and reform the criminal. But the reality is that Labour has failed on both counts. "Shockingly, we live in a country where less than one in every hundred crimes committed leads to a court conviction. And just as bad, we live in a country where eight out of ten teenage boys reoffend within two years of release."
RBWM leader Mary-Rose Gliksten cut the ribbon yesterday (Thursday 1st March) when she opened a new day centre for older people. The Windsor Day Centre in Imperial Road is purpose-built to replace the old Dedworth Road premises at Warden's Lodge and a programme of events aimed at senior citizens in the Royal Borough has already been organised.
Following the resignation of a Tory Councillor there was a by-election in the Pilgrims Hatch ward on Brentwood District Council. Liberal Democrat David Kendall stormed to victory picking up the seat.
