Stephen Robinson writes: "Great day in Westminster on behalf of East Region to meet Paddy Ashdown and other campaign leaders. Photographed by press as I left Portcullis House. Sneaky suspicion they were waiting for someone else!"
Cllr Vicky Davies ...
Cllr Graeme Clark, one of Shenfield's two Lib Dem councillors (elected nine months ago), gives his view on the decision of the council's managing director to remove from view (for four days) the webcast of the controversial Environment Panel that saw the Tories walk out and leave the opposition to conclude the meeting:
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) would never have become a valued and respected national institution if it was allowed to continue on the path it was on. Labour's tired old way of working was turning equalities into a burden. When people heard the word equality they also heard bureaucracy and red-tape. Instead of being about fairness it was more about frustration.
The Commission is going to the UK's Supreme Court, to fight a ruling against a disabled air passenger which could see airlines get away with breaking the law by discriminating against disabled travellers.
The government has admitted that households which include disabled people are more likely to be affected by its decision to restrict most benefits to below-inflation increases. 10/01/2013