http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Somerset Liberal Democrat Group en-GB Somerset Liberal Democrat Group http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2008 Somerset Liberal Democrat Group 2008-11-19T22:50+00:00 United Kingdom http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000045/county_welcomes_survival_of_post_office_card_account.html Liberal Democrat councillors at County Hall welcome the government's announcement that the Post Office Card Account contract will be awarded to Post Office Limited for another five years from April 2010 to March 2015. The decision cancels the current unfinished tendering process, which threatened to take this vital service away from Somerset's remaining Post Offices. 2008-11-13T15:00+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000044/bridgwater_mp_to_read_the_facts_first.html The internationally recognised Southwest One contract, entered into by Somerset County Council, Avon & Somerset Police, Taunton Deane Borough Council and IBM has come under constant, unsubstantiated attack from the Bridgwater MP, Ian Liddell-Grainger. In reply to these attacks, external auditors presented a report to the council's Audit & Resources Scrutiny sub-committee on 7th November. 2008-11-13T15:00+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000046/reassurance_that_safety_cameras_will_stay.html At the full meeting of Somerset county councillors this week, Rita Taylor who represented the association 'Roadpeace' asked for, and was given reassurance that the county council will not remove speed cameras in a misguided attempt to make a budget saving. 2008-11-13T14:00+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000043/open_letter_to_the_mp_for_bridgwater.html Dear Mr Liddell-Grainger, 2008-11-11T15:00+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000042/open_letter_to_the_mp_for_bridgwater.html Dear Mr Liddell-Grainger, 2008-11-05T16:20+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000041/somerset_lib_dems_welcome_small_businesses_action_plan.html LIBERAL Democrats in Somerset have backed plans to help small businesses survive the looming recession. 2008-10-28T16:07+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000039/chairman_cleared_of_any_wrongdoing.html The Liberal Democrat Group at County Hall are pleased that the Conservatives have apologised (via a county council press statement issued this morning) for the serious allegations levied at the council's Chairman, Councillor Alan Gloak. These implied mis-use of public funds for political and personal advantage. 2008-10-13T12:09+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000038/icelandic_banking_crisis.html The Liberal Democrats are appalled by the way the Somerset Conservative County Group leadership are politicising this international situation two days late - once again trying to blame the Liberal Democrat administration in the usual knee jerk negative way that we have come to expect from them. 2008-10-10T17:00+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000037/council_finances_in_very_safe_hands.html Contrary to a scaremongering press release issued yesterday by the Tory opposition, Somerset County Council has a very solid financial base. 2008-10-08T15:10+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000036/somerset_liberal_democrats_challenge_local_conservatives_on_economy.html LIBERAL Democrats in Somerset have thrown down the gauntlet to local Conservatives as their conference in Birmingham comes to a close, to answer questions on the economy. 2008-10-02T11:20+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000035/somerset_liberal_democrats_back_action_to_save_homes_from_repossession.html PLANS that could save many residents of Somerset from the trauma of home repossession have been backed by local Liberal Democrats. With the credit crunch biting, many households are struggling to keep up mortgage payments and risk losing their homes. 2008-09-01T15:00+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000034/you_cannot_trust_the_tories_to_understand_finance.html As usual, Mr. Maddock has taken words out of context and turned them into works of fiction (Conservative press release; 'Council goes for Broke'). 2008-07-22T16:39+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000033/councils_should_be_free_to_raise_threequarters_of_their_money_locally.html Explaining the Liberal Democrats' position as the only party willing to properly devolve power and money away from central government by re-localising business rates and scrapping the council tax, Nick Clegg accused the Government and the Tories of only 'talking the talk' about empowering communities. Nick also labelled the regional ministerial posts introduced a year ago by Gordon Brown as 'pointless gimmicks' and call for them to be scrapped. Nick said: 2008-07-07T12:42+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000032/its_official__somerset_recycles_more_than_it_landfills_thank_you_to_all_our_residents.html The 2007/8 figures show that Somerset's residents have taken on board the reduce, re-use, and recycle message from Somerset's Waste Action Partnership. We are now recycling a staggering 51% of our household waste! This saves around a tonne of waste going into landfill every four minutes (and saves a landfill tax of £32 per tonne) and puts the county in the top league, not only nationally, but across the world. 2008-05-28T17:06+00:00 http://www.somersetlibdems.org.uk/news/000031/scandalous_scaremongering_by_tories.html The Conservative group leader at County Hall, Ken Maddock, is wasting council officers valuable time by scare-mongering tactics, designed to get his group re-elected at next year's County Council elections. 2008-05-22T16:50+00:00