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Histon & District

Cllrs Jonathan Chatfield and David Jenkins campaigning.

Histon & District includes Histon and Impington, Milton, Waterbeach all the way down to Fulbourn and Teversham.

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Linton & District

Cllrs John Batchelor and Tricia Bear

Consists of the wards of Balsham and Linton.

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Latest South Cambs Stories

• Dec 8, 2011:
  • Lib Dems Move to Attract New Councillors to be Discussed Publicly
    A move by Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats to attract councillors from a wide range of backgrounds is to be discussed publicly with a view to forming a county council policy. The group has been invited by the Tory-led administration to produce a report increasing the diversity of elected members by holding a quarter of council meetings out of office hours and organising training in the evenings. Cambridgeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Resources and Performance, Steve Count agreed the idea was a positive one and promised that the report and its recommendations would be presented to a public forum. Cllr Ian Manning, who proposed a motion setting out the idea, said "I'm pleased that the Conservatives have agreed our idea is a positive one and have invited us to form the policy. "It is particularly important that the report and recommendations are presented to a public forum - meaning it will be transparent and open." Cllr Sue Gymer seconded the motion explaining her reasons for wanting training out of hours. "After the allowances debate, I thought long and hard about what would make it easier to get working mums like myself to become councillors. I voted against because it was the wrong amount at the wrong time. In addition a small pay rise would make no difference to me personally but being able to get training outside of working hours would make it a lot easier to mix my council duties with my employment. "I am pleased to see that a report would be coming back to a public meeting like Cabinet or council. Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Nov 2, 2011:
  • Councillors' Allowances Rise Rejected as Process was Flawed
    A controversial decision to raise county councillors' allowances by 25 per cent has been thrown out after it was found that the process was flawed. Mistakes made by the Tory-run Cambridgeshire County Council have wasted over £5,000 of public money and means the whole process must go back to square one. The decision is a victory for Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats who had voted against the increase and campaigned to overturn the decision. It came after former Liberal Democrat councillor, Clare Blair, called the issue into the council's Standards Committee on 1 November 2011 claiming the process broke the rules of the council's constitution and government legislation. Committee members agreed after discovering that the council had made serious errors in the process of appointing members to the Independent Remuneration Panel which recommended the 25 per cent increase in members' allowances and failing to advertise its report for public comment. Mrs Blair, a former Cambridge City Executive Councillor who represented East Chesterton, spoke at the Standards Committee meeting calling the whole process into question. Later she said: "This whole process was flawed. The Conservative administration made one mistake after another by rushing this matter through the council. "This is has been a terrible waste of public money. Now the process must begin again. I hope ordinary residents will also consider joining the new Independent Panel and that the Conservatives will see that a 25 per cent increase at this time is totally inappropriate." In the meeting Lib Dem group leader Kilian Bourke said: "To retrospectively ratify this decision would almost certainly lead to a judicial review, which could end up costing the council as much as the 25 per cent pay rise itself. Later he added: "I welcome the fact that the 25 per cent increase will now be overturned, although the Tories should not have voted it through in the first place. The increase was totally inappropriate at a time of wage freezes, redundancies and cuts to frontline services and the public have made their anger at this decision clear. "I want to thank the 3,000 people who supported our campaign to have the increase reversed. I have no doubt that the weight of public opinion contributed to the decision to scrap the report." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Oct 31, 2011:
  • Councillors Allowance Petition Tops 3,0000
    Neil Morrison, Jonathan Chatfield and Kilian Bourke collect signatures for the noto25percent campaign in Ely Cambridgeshire Lib Dems' countywide campaign to overturn the increase in councillors' allowances is gathering pace and their petition has jumped from 1,000 to more than 3,000 signatures in just four days. A weekend of campaigning in Cambridge City and Ely as well as ongoing activity around the county has raised the number of signatures on paper alone to over 2,000. Signatures online had taken the total number over the 3,000 mark. The Lib Dems have put a motion to Cambridgeshire County Council on December 7 to reverse the controversial 25 per cent increase in councillor allowances before they become effective, and the petition is an opportunity for the public to pressure politicians to support it. Jonathan Chatfield who was leading the team in Ely which gathered over 500 signatures alone said: "This shows the real strength of feeling about this issue. People were saying loud and clear that now is not the right time for councillors to be awarding themselves a 25% increase in their allowances." Lib Dem Group Leader Kilian Bourke added: "This is not about party politics. It is about public servants being able to look the public they represent in the eye. I hope that Council Leader Nick Clarke will take heed of the public mood, admit he made a mistake and get it right second time round." Lib Dem spokesperson for localism, Sarah Whitebread said: "I urge those who have not already done so to sign the petition at www.noto25percent.com. If enough people sign up, there will be great pressure on politicians to scrap this increase." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Oct 26, 2011:
  • Petition to stop 25% councillor pay rise tops 1,000 in 5 days
    A Lib-Dem campaign to reverse the decision to increase County councillor allowances by 25% is off to a flying start, having attracted over 1,000 signatures in only 5 days. Over 600 people have signed the online petition, and the paper petition has so far attracted nearly 500 signatures. Lib Dem group leader Kilian Bourke, who has put a motion to council to stop the increases, said: "The message I am getting back from people is clear: councillors cannot reasonably give themselves a 25% pay rise at a time of wage freezes, redundancies and cuts to council services." "This campaign cuts across conventional political lines, and has already attracted support from councillors of other parties, as well as people from all over Cambridgeshire. I have never seen the public mood so united on any issue before." "My hope is that the petition will attract so much support that the pressure of public opinion on elected representatives will become overwhelming and the 25% increase will be overturned." People can sign the petition online by going to: http://www.noto25percent.com Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Lib Dems Launch Campaign to Stop 25% Pay Increase
    Cambridgeshire Lib Dems protesting against rise in Councillor allowances Liberal Democrats from around the East of England launched at their regional conference held at Cambridge Regional College, the campaign to reverse the 25% increase in councillor allowances that has outraged local people. Speaking to Lib Dems from around the region Kilian Bourke, Leader of Cambridgeshire Lib Dems, said: "I know that many of you work in local government and respect the work that councillors do in their communities; but I hope you will agree with me that a 25% pay rise when the council is laying off staff and freezing council tax is not acceptable." "In order to stop this from going ahead the Liberal Democrats have put a motion to council to rescind the increase. We have also started an online petition to give voice to public opinion. This petition goes live today." "The Leader of the Conservatives has called this cheap politics. It is not cheap politics. It is expensive politics: 25% more expensive." Cambridge MP Julian Huppert said: "This increase shows just how out of touch the County Conservatives are. At a time when everyone else is facing pay freezes or cuts, it is crassly insensitive for the County Tories to be pushing through whopping pay rises for themselves. I hope that in the cold light of day they will realise their mistake. I support my Lib Dem County colleagues completely in their efforts to get them to change their minds." Cambridge City Council Leader Sian Reid said: "Compared to City Council allowances the County's are already very generous. I cannot get over the size of the increase. It shows an astonishing indifference to public opinion." The Lib Dem motion goes to council on Dec 7. The petition is available online at: http://tinyurl.com/6784zw4 Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Jun 26, 2011:
  • Lib Dems Welcome Stay of Execution for Buses
    An unexpected decision by county Tories to give bus services across the county a stay of execution has been welcomed by Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats. The decision is a significant victory for the Lib Dems, who opposed the move to axe 100 per cent of bus subsidies - the worst cuts in the country. They have criticised the Tories, however, for launching a consultation exercise months after the decision to axe bus subsidies was made. And they have attacked them for ignoring the results of their own budget consultation exercise earlier this year which showed protecting bus subsidies was named among the top three priorities by residents. Lib Dem Transport Spokesperson Susan van de Ven said: "We are delighted that the administration has listened to us and stepped back from its decision to axe 100 per cent of bus subsidies -- the very worst cuts in the country. "The fact that proper consultation is only now being undertaken is an admission that the Conservatives made a big mistake. If they had listened when local residents made protecting bus subsidies a top three priority, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place." Lib Dem Leader Kilian Bourke said: "This is a big win for the Lib Dems who have opposed this decision from day one. "These are socially necessary services which vulnerable groups rely on and maintaining them was the single biggest commitment in our alternative budget. It is incredible that the Conservatives are only now beginning to properly look at the impact these cuts will have. "Other councils undertook painstaking research to establish which bus services could not be cut without isolating people; the county Tories did no such work and simply decided to scrap the whole lot. "Now they need to accept that they made a mistake and reverse the cuts. Delaying them is not good enough." Lib Dem Spokesperson for Localism Sarah Whitebread said: "This will be a bitter pill to swallow for those whose buses were cut in the first round. What about the city shuttle? Is it going to be reinstated? Does the county council care about city residents at all?" Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• May 24, 2011:
  • County Tories Abandon Climate Change Committment
    Cambridgeshire's Tory-run county council has abandoned its commitment to tackling climate change. Its three main priorities for next year make no mention of the strategic objective set last year to "meet the challenges of climate change". Despite the omission, councillors had been told that the commitment to tackle climate change still stood. In an email dated Monday, May 23 to members of the council's Enterprise, Growth and Community Infrastructure Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Chief Executive Mark Lloyd confirmed that "former strategic objectives no longer apply and have been replaced". The new priorities make no mention of sustainability or tackling the council's huge carbon footprint. This decision follows a string of moves to limit the activity of the council on environmental issues including: removing climate change sections from all cabinet papers; cutting £500,000 from the environment team at Shire Hall; removing the word "environment" from any of the cabinet positions changing the relevant scrutiny committee name from "environment and sustainability" to "enterprise, growth and community infrastructure" Sarah Whitebread, Lib Dem climate change spokesperson said: "This is the final nail in the coffin for hopes of serious action on climate change from the Conservatives at Shire Hall. "The grim reality is that these councillors do not care about the environment or protecting this area for future generations. Cambridgeshire is a low lying county vulnerable to changes in temperature. We need to take serious action on CO2 now, before it's too late." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Lib Dems to Reject Management Plans to Cut Front-Line Fire Services
    Despite Cambridgeshire Fire Authority revealing potential cuts which meet the government's saving targets for the county without hitting front-line cover, the Lib Dems fear front-line emergency services are still at risk. They are worried by a management plan for cuts over and above government imposed targets which could see the closure of rural stations and the removal of fire appliances. This could result in an "unacceptably poor level of emergency response", they say. The management paper is to be presented for a decision at the next meeting of the Fire Authority on May 26. The paper, outlining potential cuts over the next four years, states that if the extra money saved from cutting front-line services were not needed to balance the books it could be reinvested in front-line services to bring overall improvements. But worried Liberal Democrats claim that they have seen no business case for this and that the level of detail provided is "wholly insufficient to make a judgement". They are calling on Cambridgeshire Fire Authority Chairman, Roy Pegram, to lobby government Fire Minister, Bob Neill for fairer funding for the county. Despite being 'the cheapest fire service per head of population in the country', Cambridgeshire has taken the maximum cut in central government funding. "We are encouraged by the fact that £4 million savings have been found which appear toleave frontline services largely untouched," said Nigel Bell, Liberal Democrat Leader on the Fire Authority, "but we are concerned that management is recommending savings over and above this, that directly impact on the front-line. "There is no place for the cutting of front-line services to be included in the savings proposals. It is vital that we maintain the highest level of emergency cover we can to protect our residents, particularly while there are other opportunities to save money such as closer working with other fire authorities, reducing the costs of senior management and procurement." The Lib Dems are concerned because the paper, outlining management's recommended savings in the county fire service, states that one of the main risks is that inflation will continue at four per cent or even higher leaving the county's fire service to find another £1 million worth of savings. "We cannot accept that a higher than predicted level of inflation should result in cuts to front line services," added Cllr Bell. "If inflation is above target, then the planned 2.5 per cent increases for the next four years, as set by this year's budget, will need revisiting and government imposed caps will require resetting. The 'cheapest fire service in the country' should at least be keeping its remaining service budget in line with inflation." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Lib Dem Leader Stands Down for Health Reasons
    Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat Leader, Fiona Whelan has decided reluctantly to stand down following health problems. Councillor Whelan, who has led the group for the last year, suffered a slip disc in her back just after Christmas and has been in constant pain. Now, facing a possible operation in the near future, she has decided to step down to give herself time to recover. Members have appointed their Highways and Transport Spokesman, Kilian Bourke as the group's new leader. He will take over from Cllr Whelan on June 17. Cllr Whelan said: "I am disappointed at having to step down after only one term of office; but I have struggled with severe pain and found just getting about extremely difficult. "I am confident in handing over the leadership to Councillor Bourke. He is a very experienced councillor and politician who has worked extremely hard both in his Cambridge ward and for the county council as a whole. I wish him every success." Cllr Bourke said: "Fiona has been an excellent leader and I am honoured to follow in her footsteps. I look forward to continuing the group's role as a powerful and effective opposition, challenging decisions made by the Conservative administration and ensuring that we do the best for the people of Cambridgeshire at every opportunity." "This isn't going to be easy given the new Conservative Leadership's disregard for democratic accountability, but that makes the need for effective opposition even greater." "We will continue to oppose cuts to local services that go way beyond what the government says is necessary. These risk reinforcing the glaring inequalities in wellbeing and achievement that plague Cambridgeshire; this cannot be allowed to happen." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• May 18, 2011:
  • Gagged Lib Dems Protest Over Tory Silencing
    Gagged - Lib Dems (from back left) Peter Downes, Kilian Bourke, Fiona Whelan, Sarah Whitebread, Caroline Shepherd, Kevin Wilkins, Susan van de Ven, Belinda Brooks-Gordon, Lucy Nethsingha and Ian Manning stage their silent protest. Gagged Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats staged a silent protest on the steps of the county council HQ on Wednesday, May 17 2011 against Tory plans to shut them up. The furious councillors, wearing duct tape over their mouths gathered on the steps of Shire Hall to object to rule changes rushed through at Cambridgeshire County Council which will limit the amount of time they will have to question Tory decisions. They claim the move, introduced just days after new Tory Leader, Nick Clarke, took control, is "undemocratic". Lib Dem Leader, Fiona Whelan said: "The Tories are doing everything in their power to silence the opposition. We are democratically elected representatives for the people in our towns and villages and they have a right to be heard. The Tories talk about localism but they are just hollow words. "These new rules give us very little time to question the decisions being made by the ruling Tory group. That is not acceptable." The changes include abolishing all discussion and questions on Cabinet decisions. Instead, councillors will have just one hour for oral questions. Lib Dems could get as little as three oral questions. Written questions will be limited to 13 and Lib Dems will get as few as five. Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• May 17, 2011:
  • Tories' Major Council Changes will Gag Opposition Councillors
    Outraged Liberal Democrats have accused the ruling Tory group on Cambridgeshire County Council of "appalling double standards" after trying to rush through major constitutional changes with less than 24 hours notice. On the one hand the Tories are planning to abolish secret policy meetings - a significant victory for the Lib Dems - but on the other they are attempting to gag opposition councillors by curtailing questions in public. Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrat Leader, Fiona Whelan said: "The Tories are doing everything in their power to push through decisions without question. "They are trying to silence opposition councillors by restricting the amount of time they have in public to question their decisions. This is anti democratic and cannot be allowed to happen. "On the one hand they are trying to appear transparent by getting rid of secret meetings but on the other, they are restricting open discussion. These changes reflect appalling double standards." The changes have been drawn up by the Conservative County Council Leader, Nick Clarke without input from officers or members and will be pushed through at full council on Tuesday, May 17 within days of Mr Clarke taking up his new position. Opposition councillors have been given less than 24 hours notice of the changes which will be introduced at the council meeting as a matter of urgent business. Lib Dems claim, however, that they do not qualify on that basis and the law requires that public and councillors are given one week's notice of items for decision by council. The changes include abolishing all discussion and questions on Cabinet decisions. Instead, councillors will have just one hour for oral questions. Lib Dems could get as little as three oral questions. Written questions will be limited to 13 which will also be allocated proportionally; Lib Dems will be given just five. By contrast, the Tories are abolishing Policy Development Group meetings which the Lib Dems refused to attend because they were held in private. They will be replaced by Overview and Scrutiny Committees where on all but one, the chair and vice chair will be Tories. The Lib Dems plan to fight the move to introduce the constitutional changes at tomorrow's meeting. Cllr Whelan added: "It is completely outrageous that significant constitutional changes can be introduced with less than 24 hours notice and presented to council. The Tories have totally disregarded the views of opposition members in this decision. "We represent our residents in our wards and it is important that we can question decisions on their behalf. The Lib Dems believe in localism - clearly it means nothing to the Tories." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • Lib Dems Celebrate Victory after U-Turn on Music Funding
    Delighted Liberal Democrats are celebrating after Cambridgeshire County Council backed down on plans to siphon off £670,000 of government money intended for music across the county. The sudden U-turn comes after Lib Dems organised a campaign to Save Our Music Service and collected signatures on a petition. The Lib Dems feared that the county's four music academies, Cambridgeshire Youth Orchestra and music lessons for thousands of youngsters could be at serious risk if the grant were scattered to various committees across the county. Lucy Nethsingha, Lib Dem spokesperson for Children and Young People said: "I am delighted that Cambridgeshire County Council has decided to listen to our campaign and pass the funding to the music service. "Cambridgeshire Music Service provides wonderful opportunities for children right across the county and deserves the full support of the county Council. There have been too many cuts to the service over the past years, so it is great news that this money at least is going to the right place. Earlier this year, the Tories voted to cut a £239,000 subsidy Cambridgeshire County Council gives to Cambridgeshire Music Service and Lib Dems feared that taking away the government money as well could silence the music for thousands of youngsters across the county. Cambridgeshire Lib Dem Deputy Leader, Peter Downes is a past chair of the Cambridgeshire Youth Orchestra. He said:"There is clear evidence for the beneficial effect of music-making on children's general development as well as their specific musical skills. Cutting money for music is short-sighted and counter-productive at a time when we are committed to raising standards for young people." Cambridgeshire Music Service has played a key role in giving all children the chance to learn a musical instrument. Area music academies run by the service also provide the opportunity for children of all ages and abilities to perform in groups. The four academies provided ensembles for players from Grade 1 - 8 in classical music, jazz, folk music and samba bands. These academies are free for children whose schools buy tuition from Cambridgeshire Music Service and available for all other children at a modest termly fee. Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• May 3, 2011:
  • Lib Dems Reveal Tory Plans to Phase Bus Cuts Around Election
    A new timetable of bus subsidy cuts have been worked out by the Tories to avoid potentially damaging their county council election campaign. Instead of cutting the buses year on year over a four year period, they have revealed that the next cuts will take place this autumn followed by a two year break to avoid the sensitive election period. Once the 2013 election is over, the Tories will cut the rest of the bus subsidies under their plan to save £2.7 million. The change of plan has been revealed by Cambridge Liberal Democrats and comes just weeks after the Tories' new leader, Nick Clarke took charge. The original plan was to cut the bus subsidies in four tranches, in 2011-12 (£654k), 2012-13 (£510k), 2013-14 (£900k), and 2014-15 (£900k). The Conservatives have so far cut only part of the first tranche, which mostly consisted of evening and weekend services, rural services in West Hunts, and the city shuttle bus. They now plan to combine the remainder of the first tranche with the whole second tranche most likely taking place this October. There will no bus cuts for the following year and a half until the Cambridgeshire County Council elections have taken place after which the remaining 60 per cent (£1,816,000) will get the chop. Lib Dem Transport Spokesman, Kilian Bourke said: "The cuts we have seen so far are nothing compared to what is coming. This October we will see roughly twice as much subsidy disappear, and that will still only be 40 per cent of the cuts to bus services. There will then be a year and a half gap until the county council elections are over before the remaining 60 per cent is cut." "Nick Clarke needs to stick to his manifesto promise and stop these cuts, instead of timing them so as to save his Conservative colleagues' skins." The national Save Our Buses campaign has singled out Cambridgeshire's bus cuts as the worst in the country and may even be subject to a judicial review. Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Apr 28, 2011:
  • Taxpayers Could Pay £71 million as Guided Bus Total Almost £187m
    The spiralling cost of building Cambridgeshire's Guided Busway is expected to reach almost £187 million and taxpayers cost be left to pick up a staggering £71 million. Liberal Democrats have revealed the final figures just days after contractor BAM Nuttall handed over the project to Cambridgeshire County Council two years late. The figure includes the cost of rectifying outstanding defects and fighting the case through the courts. It is broken down as follows: £151,154,389 for the Potential Final Account to the Employer - BAM Nuttall's settlement figure on handover. £29,680,331 for non-contractual costs including land and supervision. £5 million allowance for legal costs. £1 million plus for rectifying outstanding defects - although this is only a (cautious) Lib Dem estimate as the actual figure has not been calculated. The county council has £92.5 million from central government plus £23.5 million anticipated income from developer contributions making a total of £116M to pay for the busway. This leaves it almost £71 million short which could be left for the taxpayers to fund if the county council loses the court case. Although losing 100 per cent of the court case in unlikely, the figure shows the scale of risk which keeps growing. Lib Dem transport spokesman, Kilian Bourke said: "The cost of the busway just keeps creeping upward. When is it going to stop?" "The Conservatives promised the scheme would come in at £116M and that "not one penny of taxpayers' money" would be spent on it. Now we learn that the global cost of the project, including lawyers' fees, will come to £187 million and that the local taxpayer will be liable for up to £71M if the Tories lose the court case outright. "This is unlikely to happen but the scale of the risk is monumental and losing even part of the case could leave taxpayers massively out of pocket. i just hope the Conservatives' gamble pays off and they win the case hands down." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Apr 20, 2011:
  • Tories Select New Leader By AV But "Too Complex" for Voters
    Cambridgeshire Tories selected their new leader by a form of the Alternative Vote - but are adamant it is too complex and confusing for the average voter. They are saying NO to electoral reform which would see MPs voted into their seats using the AV system in the future. Despite their objections to AV, they decided it was the right way to go when selecting new leader, Nick Clarke. With four candidates in the running, they gradually eliminated them one by one as they polled the fewest votes in the contest. With just two left standing, they chose Nick Clarke. The system is, in essence, what would happen in a General Election under the AV system. Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats Group Leader, Fiona Whelan said: "The Conservatives are showing how illogical their opposition to AV really is. They use it for choosing their own leaders at county and at national level but claim that it is too confusing and complex to be used in parliamentary elections. They insult the intelligence of voters. "They make other outrageous claims such as that AV is much more expensive when the Treasury has confirmed that it would cost about the same as conventional general elections. "It is a sign of their desperation to get a NO vote when David Cameron says 'he feels it in his gut that AV is wrong'. What kind of rationale is that?' He should stop trusting his 'gut' and have the guts to accept that we are living in the 21st century, not the 19th!" Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Apr 15, 2011:
  • County Tories Ignore Own MPs' Concerns Over Fire Service Cuts
    Tory County Councillors have been accused of ignoring their own MPs concerns about fire service cuts after refusing to consider shared working with neighbouring fire authorities. They ruled out a call to consider the working relationship between Dorset Fire Services and Devon and Somerset Fire Services as a possible model for the future of Cambridgeshire. Under the plan the two fire services will save money through joint procurement and reducing senior management posts from 12 to seven, minimising cuts to frontline services. The Tories decision not to allow the issue to be debated came just days after North East Cambridgeshire MP, Stephen Barclay and Peterborough MP, Stewart Jackson expressed their concerns about the cost of back room operations in the county fire service. The idea for joint working was suggested by Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader, Councillor Nigel Bell, during a meeting of Cambridgeshire Fire Authority's Policy & Finance Committee on April 14 2011. Cllr Bell put forward the proposal in a motion with the intention of the Chief Fire Officer preparing a discussion paper for the authority's next meeting where cuts to frontline fire services are to be discussed. But, as the only Lib Dem member at the meeting, he was unable to secure a seconder from any Tory Member of the authority. Cllr Bell said: "It was clear from their complete refusal to even discuss my motion that they are prepared to let front line fire services take the hit rather than seriously examining reducing management costs. "They were not prepared to discuss a very modest proposal which could have seen Cambridgeshire share management and procurement costs with other authorities in the region to save money." Fire authority member, Lib Dem Councillor Geoff Heathcock said: "It is clear from the Conservative's reaction that they are not the least bit interested in finding alternatives to cutting front line services. The Tory MPs, who are trying to find another way, are being ignored by their own councillors. "It is imperative that we do everything in our power to protect our front line emergency crews; but a rescue plan won't come from a Tory-run fire authority which is not prepared to look at all the options." The full text of the motion reads: "This Committee notes the review underway to identify ways to meet the savings Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service needs to make over the next 4 years. We also note that Dorset Fire & Rescue Service and Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service are beginning closer working arrangements in order to save money and, according to one of the CFOs the focus is on "looking at how our senior management teams can work more closely to lessening any negative impact on front line service delivery. The ultimate aim will be for the teams to be working closely together and sharing officers' skills and expertise." This Committee believes that similar arrangements ought to be under investigation by Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service as part of the spending review currently underway, and therefore instructs the CFO to bring a paper to the next full Fire Authority meeting in May 2011 so that this Fire Authority can consider approving such discussions with neighbouring Fire Services." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Mar 9, 2011:
  • Stop the Rot: Lib Dems Slams Tory Plan to Let Roads Detoriate
    Cllr Kilian Bourke is concerned about Tories not giving Cambridgeshire Roads the investment they need Drastic Tory spending cuts will lead to a catalogue of deterioration on the county's roads, an impact assessment has revealed. Over a 10 year period the neglect could lead to three times the number of roads - and 43 per cent of all unclassified roads - being urgently in need of repair. Without investment, taxpayers will be forking out for mounting driver insurance claims and soaring repair bills. Worried Liberal Democrats have criticised the Tory-run Cambridgeshire County Council for failing to invest in the county's road network and called for a highways maintenance review to establish the true cost of the continuing neglect. Lib Dem transport spokesman, Kilian Bourke said: "If the Tories maintain the current level of funding three times as many of our roads will be urgently in need of repair in 2021. Almost half of all unclassified roads will be in an advanced state of deterioration." "Financially, the implications are disastrous. The cost of pothole repairs and insurance claims will spiral as our roads degrade. Nor is this an isolated issue; eventually this will start to drain money from other council areas, including Young Persons' Services and Adult Care." "The county council urgently needs to conduct a highways maintenance review to look at the true cost of neglecting our roads." An impact assessment of the Tory budget reveals that the 10 per cent reduction in medium and long-term road work will have disastrous consequences for the county's roads. The document states: "Scenario planning suggests that the condition of carriageways will deteriorate as follows over the next 10 years based on this budget reduction percentage of network at intervention level: A roads: 3.4 per cent [urgently in need of repair] to 10.4 per cent; B roads: 6.2 per cent to 18.9 per cent; C roads: 6.7 per cent to 20.6 per cent; Unclassified roads: 20.2 per cent to 43.4 per cent." Worcestershire County Council undertook the kind of review the Lib Dems are calling for and found that preventative investment saved significant costs in pothole repairs and insurance claims. It subsequently pumped an extra £15 million into roads to transform the network. The Liberal Democrats' alternative budget proposed to invest an additional £10 million on roads over five years, but the Conservatives rejected it. Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• Jun 16, 2010:
  • Tories Accused of Disgraceful Complacency over Bus Review
    Nichola Harrison is again calling for a public inquiry into the Guided Bus fiasco not a routine review planned by the tories Cambridgeshire Tories have been accused of a "disgraceful level of complacency" after calling for a routine review of the guided bus fiasco. Furious Liberal Democrats, whose demands for a public inquiry were dismissed by the Tories, claim the county council does not have a good track record of learning from its mistakes. They have attacked plans to allow a cross-party scrutiny committee to review the guided bus claiming they do not go far enough. Nichola Harrison, Lib Dem Environment Spokesman said: "Council Leader, Jill Tuck refused to hold a public inquiry into the management of the guided busway project and that was wrong. "I'm glad she and her colleagues have now seen sense; but their suggestion that all that is needed is a routine review is ridiculous. The council does not have a good track record of learning from from its mistakes - the long delays with the Cambridge Central Library project prove that. "The problems with the guided bus project are desperately serious. The council is putting tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money at risk financing a project that it has no power to complete. "This latest announcement to hold a routine review shows a disgraceful level of complacency and desire to make light of the problem." Kilian Bourke, Lib Dem Highways Spokesman said: "The Tories are just paying lip service to all the people who have demanded answers to this whole fiasco. This shows a total lack of respect to the residents of this city who will be picking up the bill for their mistakes. "They should have had the courage to call a public inquiry with a panel of leading independent experts so that the whole project could have been scrutinised openly, transparently and objectively." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
• May 31, 2010:
  • Lib Dems Fobbed off Over Death Road as it Claimed Another Life
    Fiona Whelan wants the Council to work quicker after another accident on the A1303 Madingley Road Cambridgeshire highway chiefs delayed taking action at an accident black-spot where two people died only to see another killed within 24 hours. They told the county's Lib Dems that they should not react until all the paperwork was completed on the crashes on the A1303 Madingley Road. But on Tuesday afternoon, while they waited for the police to produce their report, a motorcyclist was killed in the same location, bringing the death toll to three in three days. Lib Dem County Leader, Fiona Whelan (who also represents the area) was astounded at their attitude over the stretch of road which saw 25 injury accidents between 2005 and 2007 - 24 of them in which speed was a factor. She reacted with fury at being fobbed off and has been granted a meeting with two council officers and a leading Tory councillor on the 27 May 2010. Now within 24 hours of the latest casualty, signs have been put up stating that the road is due to be dug up to allow work by Anglian Water to go-ahead. Councillor Whelan said: "I couldn't believe the county council's attitude. What are we waiting for? People are dying on this road and we are expected to wait for the relevant paperwork to be drawn up. This is bureaucracy gone mad. "I drive on this road everyday and I am distraught at having to pass the floral tributes that are laid for the victims of road crashes. "Residents are terrified and some parents are too scared to let their children ride to school. There will be more deaths on this road unless we act now. We cannot afford to lose any time on this. Now the road is going to be dug up adding to the risk." Councillor Whelan is demanding that officers and Tory councillors meet residents from Coton and Madingley who are fighting for action on the road. They want to see a further reduction in speed limits, improvements to the Coton/Madingley Road crossroads and better signage. The road is used by 13,000 vehicles a day - seven per cent of which are heavy goods vehicles - and is one of the 14 approved motorcycle test routes used by the county's motorcycle test centre in nearby Hardwick. Kilian Bourke, Lib Dem highways spokesperson said: "Why are we not listening to the people who live on this road and see first hand, the carnage? How many people have to die before the county council takes action? "We had two accidents in 24 hours which claimed three lives over the weekend; but we had to wait for another death before the county council would take this seriously. We don't need a police report to know that people are being killed and we have to do something about it." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
  • The Weakest Link - Tories in Dark Over Busway Problems
    Fiona Whelan has accused the tories of playing down the seriousness of defects in the guided busway Cambridgeshire Tories are in the dark as to the severity of the problems with part of the guided bus track. They have been accused of playing down the seriousness of the issue without having the full facts. The attack comes from the county's Liberal Democrats following news that the Tories do not have all the necessary calculations and information relating to expansion gaps on the guideway beams. Some of the beam expansion gaps have been found to be too wide and others are too narrow to allow them to expand in the heat. There are fears that the foundations could move slightly and also fears that the metal brackets and bolts may not be robust enough to cope with such movement. If such a situation were to arise, the weakest link in this chain would give. Council officers sought to reassure the public concerning the beams, saying "there is very little chance of the beams exploding up in the air" and the problem was "probably not catastrophic". At the same time, officers have confirmed that the contractor BAM Nuttall has shown no sign of carrying out the outstanding work. Lib Dem group leader Fiona Whelan said: "It is absurd that the council still does not have the full facts about these beams and until it does, it should not be seeking to play down the seriousness of these defects. "They are in the dark and yet they are seeking to reassure the public. This whole situation goes from bad to worse." Lib Dem highways spokesperson Kilian Bourke added: "It is obviously not acceptable that there should be any 'weakest link' if it puts the public at risk. But what is most shameful is that the real weakest links, the Conservative politicians, are hiding behind council officials and hanging them out to dry. "It is Councillor Roy Pegram and the Conservatives who are ultimately accountable for this mess, and it is they who should be doing the explaining. It seems the only way this will happen is if there is a full public inquiry, with a team of independent experts." Published and promoted by South East Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats, 16 Signet Court, Swann's Road, Cambridge Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY