http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Wantage and Didcot Liberal Democrats en-GB Wantage and Didcot Liberal Democrats http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2010 Wantage and Didcot Liberal Democrats 2010-03-12T05:23+00:00 United Kingdom http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000190/lib_dems_will_create_an_infrastructure_bank_to_protect_the_economic_recovery.html What has to emerge from the current crisis is a sustained recovery not an ephemeral or unstable one; not another bubble; not a boom which depends on the fickle fortunes of the banking sector. And that is why the Liberal Democrats want to underpin stable, sustainable growth by maintaining the operational independence of the Bank of England, investing in education and supporting private institutional investment in Britain's infrastructure through the creation of an Infrastructure Bank. 2010-03-09T08:01+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000189/the_conservative_party_has_been_bought_like_a_banana_republic.html Commenting on Lord Ashcroft's admission that he is non-domiciled for tax purposes, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP said: "The Conservatives' biggest donor is a tax-dodger from Belize who has not paid a penny of British tax on the vast bulk of his estimated £1.1bn fortune held offshore. This raises extraordinary questions about the judgement of successive Tory leaders - William Hague, Michael Howard and David Cameron - whose view seems to be that only little people should pay tax. The Tory party has been bought like a banana republic." 2010-03-02T17:50+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000188/lib_dem_plans_to_protect_and_improve_the_nhs.html Lib Dem Shadow Health Secretary Norman Lamb MP has published a paper outlining the ways in which the Party would protect and improve the National Health Service. This can be read in full at http://www.etelligent.uk.com/etelligent/published/LIBDEMSFEDERAL/siteFiles/resources/pdf/protecting_and_improving_the_nhs.pdf 2010-03-01T07:42+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000187/lib_dems_offer_carers_a_respite_guarantee.html In a speech to the King's Fund, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP has set out the Liberal Democrats' respite care guarantee, providing a week's break from caring every year to the one million unpaid carers who provide more than 50 hours care each week. In his speech Nick Clegg will say: "The way a society treats its elderly and vulnerable people is a true mark of its identity. With an ageing population, rising numbers of people suffering from dementia and millions of people in need of care with basics like washing, dressing and feeding themselves - if ever there was an issue for cross-party talks, this was it." 2010-02-27T18:57+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000186/slashing_spending_now_would_damage_the_economy.html Commenting on the news that the UK's public finances deteriorated further in January, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable MP said: "This is worrying news for the state of the public finances. The weakness of the economy is having an inevitable impact on tax receipts. These figures underline the importance of having a credible plan to tackle the deficit and stimulate growth and jobs to strengthen future tax receipts." 2010-02-21T10:38+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000185/government_should_not_pander_to_homophobia.html Commenting on an amendment to the Government's Children, Schools and Families Bill that would allow faith schools to teach sex education 'in a way that reflects the school's religious character', Liberal Democrat Shadow Schools Secretary, David Laws MP said: "This is a serious and undesirable U-turn by Ed Balls when the Government's policy on sex and relationship education is already pretty weak." 2010-02-21T10:33+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000184/the_environment_is_no_longer_a_priority_for_the_conservatives.html The Tories yesterday published a list of 'Ten reasons to vote Conservative' which did not include any reference to the environment or climate change - this despite David Cameron's claim that he has 'sought to push the environment up to the top of the political agenda', and his own Shadow Climate Change Secretary Greg Clark's assertion that Cameron 'wanted the environment to be a very important part of the proposition we put to the public at the General Election.' 2010-02-16T01:19+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000183/live_music_scene_is_being_strangled_by_red_tape.html Lib Dem peer, Lord Clement-Jones's Live Music Bill proposes that schools, hospitals, colleges, and small venues up to a capacity of 200 should not need a licence for a live music performance, and that the "two-in-a-bar" exemption should be reinstated. It had its third reading in the House of Lords yesterday after which it goes to the Commons. It has sailed through previous stages in the Lords with no amendments. However, the Labour Government is refusing to support the bill. 2010-02-11T15:11+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000182/lib_dems_reveal_the_nhs_owes_63_billion_on_pfi_deals_for_hospitals_worth_11_billion.html Figures released today by the Liberal Democrats have revealed that the NHS is facing a £63 billion bill for PFI (Privately Funded Initiative) hospitals which are only worth £11 billion. The PFI option was devised by the Conservative government as a way of raising private capital to pay for public building projects. The Labour government has enthusiastically exploited PFI, trying to ensure at the same time that outstanding PFI debts do not appear on the government's books. 2010-02-08T11:09+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000181/brown_and_cameron_are_the_real_roadblocks_to_parliamentary_reform.html Nick Clegg will today challenge the other two party leaders to agree an emergency programme of political reform. Speaking at an election summit of parliamentarians and parliamentary candidates, the Liberal Democrat Leader will challenge Gordon Brown and David Cameron to sign up to the programme of political reform as a first step to restore public faith in politics. 2010-02-08T10:54+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000180/lib_dems_would_put_3000_more_police_on_the_beat_to_tackle_crime.html The Liberal Democrats today set out their General Election plans for reducing the incidence of crime in our communities. Launching "Safer Streets - More and Better Police" during a visit to Durham, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP and Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne MP will reveal research showing that police numbers have fallen in 18 out of the 43 police forces (42%) in England and Wales since 2005. Two thirds of these police authorities are currently controlled by the Tories and one third by Labour. 2010-02-04T11:55+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000179/how_liberals_in_the_european_parliament_are_on_the_winning_side_most_of_the_time.html An independent analysis by VoteWatch, a website set up to monitor the European Union's legislative process, has revealed that Liberal MEPs hold the balance of power in the European Parliament. With no political party having a majority, the 84-strong Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, to which the Liberal Democrats belong, is on the winning side of more than 90% of votes taken in the European Parliament. 2010-02-02T11:11+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000178/lib_dems_determined_to_give_children_a_fair_and_equal_start_in_life.html Performance at school is closely linked to children's background. The poorest children are only half as likely to get 5 good GCSEs as other children. Too often, the poorest children start school already struggling and fall further behind as they grow older. To give every child a fair start, the Lib Dems will spend an extra £2.5bn on schools. The money will be targeted at schools taking on children who need more help, but will benefit every child in every school. 2010-02-01T10:29+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000177/sign_our_petition_against_cuts_in_oxfordshires_nhs_budget.html According to the acting Chief Executive of Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust, there could be £240 million of cuts to the county's health budget over the next four years. Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Dr Evan Harris, has launched a petition against the cuts, supported by Lib Dem constituency parties across Oxfordshire. 2010-01-30T18:32+00:00 http://www.wantagelibdems.org.uk/news/000176/europe_will_force_20_improvement_in_car_efficiency_over_next_six_years.html Lib Dem MEPs for the South East, Sharon Bowles and Catherine Bearder, have welcomed European Union plans to force car manufacturers to make cars more fuel efficient. The EU's Strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and light-commercial vehicles hopes to achieve a 20% increase in fuel efficiency over the next six years. 2010-01-30T18:04+00:00