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Welcome: North East Derbyshire Liberal Democrats

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National & International :

Welcome to the Liberal Democrat eNews 01/06/2009

Stronger Together, Poorer Apart: The Liberal Democrat Manifesto for Europe - http://libdemeuro.com/news/146.html

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Nick Clegg has had a great few weeks taking a strong stand on cleaning up Parliament and leading the call for a complete overhaul of our political system. Last week at Prime Minister's Question Time he challenged Gordon Brown to reform our electoral systems. Now even Brown's own ministers are echoing Nick's call. I hope that you have been able to see the lead article in today's Guardian which sets out a 100-day plan to reform government.

Tonight we will be screening a brand new Party Election Broadcast recorded this week in which Nick deals with these issues - you can watch it online now. He will be making the case to:

bulletGive people the right to sack MPs
bulletStop all big party political donations
bulletElect the House of Lords
bulletMake the voting system fair - so that governments can't just get all that power and all that money with only a minority of you voting for them
bulletPut an end to self serving politics and put you back in charge

But Nick can't do it all on his own. He needs our help.

We need to demonstrate that at long last there is a groundswell for real reform of our broken system. If you want to see British politics changed in this way then you can visit our new campaign site www.TakeBackPower.org and sign Nick's petition.

But don't stop there. I'm sure we all know friends and family who have been appalled by the recent expenses scandal. Why not show them we are different? Email the www.TakeBackPower.org web address on to five other people and help Nick change politics for good.

Best wishes,

Danny Alexander MP
Chief of Staff to Nick Clegg

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Clegg: No summer holiday before the overhaul
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 Warm words and rhetoric are easy. We must seize the mood and enact a radical programme of reform within 100 days.

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/clegg-no-summer-holiday-before-the-overhaul-272831976
 

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Earlier this week the Federal Executive met. A discussion on expenses was at the top of our agenda. Nick Clegg and I proposed a series of hard hitting points on expenses that were fully discussed and agreed by the committee. Given the importance of this issue I felt it was important that all ... are made aware of the action we are taking.

In summary we agreed that:

  1. There will be a code of conduct binding on Liberal Democrat parliamentarians and candidates.
  2. All Liberal Democrat MPs will support the proposals from Sir Christopher Kelly's review of MPs' expenses. There will be no picking and choosing of which of his recommendations to support.
  3. Our leader and Chief Whip in the House of Lords will undertake a thorough review of expenses and allowances in the House of Lords.
  4. We will end the self-regulation of Parliament.
  5. Any Liberal Democrat MP found to have committed serious wrongdoing will have the whip withdrawn and be referred by the party to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

This is in addition to the very rigorous internal disciplinary procedures that already exist within our parliamentary parties, overseen by the Chief Whips.

It is very clear that on this issue, as on that of the Speaker and the Gurkhas, our party is the one taking the lead on calling for the radical overhaul our political system needs.

Best wishes,

Ros Scott
President of the Liberal Democrats

P.S. You can read the full statement from the Federal Executive on the party website here.

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Europe 2009: Stronger Together Poorer Apart
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Times are tough in Britain. The recession is hitting people and families hard: tens of thousands losing their jobs, businesses going to the wall, and every week hundreds losing their homes.

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/europe-2009-stronger-together-poorer-apart-255147569
 

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Clegg: Iraq disaster will cast long shadow over Afghan mission
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Reacting to the end of British combat operations in Iraq, and the handover of control in Basra to US forces, Nick Clegg said, "We must never forget the enormous sacrifices that our troops made in this conflict."

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/clegg-iraq-disaster-will-cast-long-shadow-over-afghan-mission-244430204

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Nick Clegg: Budget proposals.

Vince Cable and I are currently briefing the press about what we want to see in Wednesday's Budget. I thought you would like to know what we are saying.

It is clear that this recession demands a radical overhaul of the British tax system. It remains scandalous that the richest in our country pay a lower share of their wealth in tax than the poorest. We are demanding that both sides of this distorted equation be changed.

We are renewing our call to close the loopholes exploit by big business and the powerful and wealthy. And today, after working with our colleagues in Parliament and across the Party, we are announcing that the Liberal Democrats will fight the next general election with a pledge to cut income tax bills by £700 for people on low and middle incomes.

We will promise to raise the income tax personal allowance to £10,000 by closing tax loopholes exploited by big businesses and the wealthy. This will mean 4 million of the lowest paid people not paying tax at all, including many earning just the minimum wage.

It is a radical and progressive package that will form a key part of the pre-manifesto document that will come to our party conference in Autumn. This policy marks us out as the only party in British politics dedicated to changing our tax system to make it fairer.

Best Wishes,

Nick Clegg MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

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Liberal Democrats will cut people’s income tax bill by £700
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The Liberal Democrats will fight the next general election with a pledge to
cut income tax bills by £700 for people on low and middle incomes.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/liberal-democrats-will-cut-people’s-income-tax-bill-by-£700-235190068

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Lamb: 175,000 tooth extractions under general anaesthetic
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Over 175,000 people had teeth extracted under general anaesthetic last year, up by 40,000 in four years, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

Read more at:

http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/lamb-175000-tooth-extractions-under-general-anaesthetic-223166985

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Clegg: G20 summit is no time for playing politics
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Speaking ahead of the G20 summit, at an event by Greenpeace, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg will say: "A grand one-day summit cannot alone deliver us out of the global economic crisis."

Read more at:

http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/clegg-g20-summit-is-no-time-for-playing-politics-213427682

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Goldsworthy: Anti-terror laws used by councils more than 10,000 times
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Surveillance powers designed to prevent crime and terrorism and have been used by councils more than 10,000 times since 2004, research by the Liberals Democrats has found.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/goldsworthy-anti-terror-laws-used-by-councils-more-than-10000-times-208196487

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Brake: Government’s Facebook plans show obsession with hoarding personal data
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Commenting on Government plans to monitor social networking sites such as Facebook, Tom Brake said: "This is yet more evidence of this Government’s obsession with hoarding vast amounts of people’s personal data."

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/brake-government’s-facebook-plans-show-obsession-with-hoarding-personal-data-207085153

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Cable: Rising food prices hitting the poorest
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Commenting on the inflation figures released today, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "These figures paint a very contradictory picture."

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/cable-rising-food-prices-hitting-the-poorest-205975760

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Holmes: 100 stabbings a week under Labour demonstrate scale of Britain’s knife culture
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Nearly 50,000 people have been taken to hospital after being stabbed since 1997, according to figures highlighted by the Liberal Democrats.


Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/holmes-100-stabbings-a-week-under-labour-demonstrate-scale-of-britain’s-knife-culture-204365317

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Cable: Northern Rock report is account of Treasury’s mismanagement
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Commenting on the NAO report into the nationalisation of Northern Rock, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "This report is a damning account of the Treasury's mismanagement of the Northern Rock crisis."

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/cable-northern-rock-report-is-account-of-treasury’s-mismanagement-200884653

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Burt: Post Bank would help to save the Post Office
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Commenting on the launch of a new coalition which is calling for a new ‘Post Bank’ to be set up and run as part of the post office network, Liberal Democrat Small Business Spokesperson, Lorely Burt said:

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/burt-post-bank-would-help-to-save-the-post-office-196640225

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Cable: Barclays tax documents in public interest
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Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable today criticised Barclays for obtaining a court order banning The Guardian from publishing documents showing how the bank set up companies to avoid paying hundreds of millions of pounds in tax.

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/cable-barclays-tax-documents-in-public-interest-196900139

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Laws: Balls must not gain power over exam reading lists
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The Secretary of State for Schools, Ed Balls, is seeking new legal powers to dictate the basic content of every exam in England, including which books children study at GCSE or A-level, research by the Liberal Democrats has uncovered.

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/laws-balls-must-not-gain-power-over-exam-reading-lists-199485475

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Foster: 1,000 under-14’s admitted to hospital with mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol
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Over 1,000 children under 14 have been admitted to hospital in England for mental and behavioural disorders related to alcohol in the last year, according to figures revealed today by the Liberal Democrats.

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/foster-1000-under-14’s-admitted-to-hospital-with-mental-and-behavioural-disorders-due-to-alcohol-195394876

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Huhne: Over a thousand serving police officers have criminal convictions
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Over a thousand serving police officers in Great Britain have criminal convictions, according to new figures revealed by the Liberal Democrats.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/huhne-over-a-thousand-serving-police-officers-have-criminal-convictions-189057949
 

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We have just finished a really successful spring Conference in Harrogate. It was closed by Nick Clegg talking about how Britain can choose a better future:

"We are the only party that will put money into people's pockets with fair tax cuts. The only party to offer universal childcare and smaller classes in our primary schools. The only party that will use Gordon Brown's wasted billions to create thousands of jobs today by investing in homes, hospitals, schools and public transport to build the green economy of tomorrow. The only party that will rebuild the jobs, homes and hopes this recession has destroyed. So don't believe the doubters, the nay-sayers, the professional cynics. This time it can be different."

You can read his speech on our website. You can also watch a selection of the keynote speeches from conference online, including Howard Dean's address to conference.

Best wishes,
Chris Rennard
Chief Executive, Liberal Democrats

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Laws: Class sizes should be cut to 15
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Liberal Democrat Shadow Schools Secretary, David Laws today called for a massive boost to education spending to allow class sizes to be cut from up to 30 pupils to 15 for all five to seven year olds.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/laws-class-sizes-should-be-cut-to-15-181142653

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Willott: Government response to tainted blood inquiry welcome
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Today Harriet Harman announced that the Government will reverse its previous decision and give an official response to the Archer Inquiry into haemophiliacs who were infected with HIV or Hepatitis because of tainted blood products.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/willott-government-response-to-tainted-blood-inquiry-welcome-181322640

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Clegg: Brown’s complacency has cost thousands of families their homes
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Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today accused Gordon Brown of wasteful complacency following figures released today showing that the number of homes repossessed last year rose by 54% to 40,000.

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/clegg-brown’s-complacency-has-cost-thousands-of-families-their-homes-166932070

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Howard Dean coming to speak at Liberal Democrat conference
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Howard Dean, who was Chairman of the Democratic National Committee during President Obama's election campaign, has agreed to be our guest speaker at the Liberal Democrat Spring conference in Harrogate, 6 - 8 March 2009.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/howard-dean-coming-to-speak-at-liberal-democrat-conference-163520681
 

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Cable: No 10 comments on Lloyds nationalization a u-turn waiting to happen
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Responding to comments made by Number 10 that the total nationalization of the Lloyds Banking Group is not on the table, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "This is a u-turn waiting to happen. With Lloyds continuing to be dragged down by the weight of HBOS’s losses, it is highly irresponsible to not even have nationalization as an option."

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/cable-no-10-comments-on-lloyds-nationalisation-a-u-turn-waiting-to-happen-163187378
 

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Nick Clegg announces plans to fix ‘class-based education system’
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Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg announced radical new education policies to fix inequalities in Britain’s ‘class-based education system.’ The plans would narrow the gap between the state and private sector, raising funding for the most disadvantaged pupils to private school levels
and delivering extra money to cut infant class sizes to 15.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/nick-clegg-announces-plans-to-fix-‘class-based-education-system’-150177523


Foster: Gambling websites failing to protect children
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The Government is expected to admit that some online gambling sites advertising in the UK may be allowing children to gamble because of a failure to make adequate age checks.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/foster-gambling-websites-failing-to-protect-children-148982125
 

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Dear Reader,

Watch Nick Clegg on YouTubeChange politics - and we can change Britain. That's what I've always believed.

That's why, when you chose me to lead our party, I promised to open up the party and open up politics for good. I want us to do politics differently, just like I know we'd run Britain differently.

For too long, politics has been cut off, disengaged from real people and their lives. It's been stuck in a bubble in Westminster, a million miles away from what people care about. No wonder people have such a low opinion of politicians, when most politicians aren't even interested in people.

That's why I get out of Westminster as much as possible, travelling up and down the country. I visit people in their communities, listening to what the issues are that affect them: post office closures, schools and hospitals, crime, rising bills and worry over jobs.

You can watch a film of my latest trip at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=F6F8Jkc8bwA - where you can also post up your comments. This page also has options to help spread the film to other people via Facebook, Digg and a range of other services. Please do help spread the word.

Almost everywhere I go, I hold open public meetings, where everyone's invited and any questions allowed. These meetings are the most important thing I do: opening up myself and the party for people to find out what we're about, why we're different, and why we're the best choice for Britain.

As 2009 begins, I will be continuing my tour, visiting as many places as possible, and holding as many public meetings as I can.

You can follow my out of Westminster tour on www.nickclegg.com and you can watch the latest film at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=F6F8Jkc8bwA.

I look forward to meeting you on the road - and I hope you can take a moment to help pass on the film to other people you know.

Best wishes,
Nick Clegg's signature
Nick Clegg MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

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Huhne: Police inquiry needed into Lords allegations
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The Liberal Democrats today called for a police inquiry into allegations that members of the House of Lords had accepted payment from lobbyists in return for pressing for amendments to legislation.

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/huhne-police-inquiry-needed-into-lords-allegations-138501519
 

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New Government bailout is blank cheque
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The Liberal Democrats today attacked the Government’s latest bank bailout. Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable, said that without a thorough review of all the assets that are being underwritten, ministers were effectively writing a blank cheque to the banks.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/new-government-bailout-is-blank-cheque-131421437
 

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Cable: Government business loan plan threatens taxpayer with all the risks and no rewards.
Commenting on reports that the Government is planning to guarantee up to £20bn of loans to small businesses, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "The Government's proposal, essentially the same as that of the Conservatives, potentially involves very large taxpayer liabilities and is in effect a subsidy to bank lending."

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/cable-government-business-loan-plan-threatens-taxpayer-with-all-the-risks-and-no-rewards-124275234
 

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Over a million people were summoned to court last year because they failed to pay their Council Tax in full, research by the Liberals Democrats has found.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/one-million-people-in-court-for-unpaid-council-tax-117732521
 

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2009 must be a year of real change and of hope says Nick Clegg in his new year message.

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/its-time-to-do-things-differently-109627648


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Responding to Gordon Brown’s statement to Parliament on the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, Nick Clegg said: "This was the single worst foreign policy decision for the last 50 years."

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/clegg-government-and-tories-must-apologise-for-iraq-98676888

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Nick Clegg says: "A year ago today I was elected as leader of our great party. It has been a challenging and exciting year. I am very proud that in that time we have made all the running on so many of the important issues facing us.

Today I am announcing our "Green Road out of the Recession", which outlines how a Liberal Democrat government would inject a green stimulus into the economy, both to provide jobs and investment now and to ensure our economy is sustainable in the future.

Our proposals include:

bulletA five-year programme to insulate every school and hospital
bulletFunding insulation and energy efficiency for a million homes, with a £1,000 subsidy for a million more
bulletBuilding 40,000 extra zero-carbon social houses
bulletBuying 700 new train carriages
bulletReopening old railway lines and stations, opening new ones, electrifying the Great Western and Midland mainlines and beginning the Liverpool light rail network
bulletInstalling energy and money saving smart meters in every home within five years

You can read more about our plans and download the full document on the Party website.

P.S. I have recorded a new film to mark my first anniversary as Leader. You can watch, rate and comment on it on YouTube. (To watch with subtitles, click the triangle in the bottom right of the video player and then the CC button.)"

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Responding to the Government’s admission that approximately 100,000 public service pensions have been overpaid across the UK over 30 years, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "These figures highlight decades of incompetence. Ministers apparently knew about this in March but completely failed to come clean."

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/government-must-come-clean-on-pension-overpayments-cable-96341203

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Half of children living in poverty are not entitled to free school meals, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.  Parliamentary answers have shown that free meals are available to children whose parents are on a variety of benefits, but not to those who claim working tax credits.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/laws-half-of-children-in-poverty-not-getting-free-school-meals-95975704

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GCSE achievement gap shameful: Government figures published today have revealed that four out of five white boys from deprived families have failed to achieve five good GCSEs including
English and maths. 

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/laws-gcse-achievement-gap-shameful-90545701

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Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg declared that Britain has lost its moral authority on human rights issues in a hard-hitting attack on the Government’s stance on immigration.

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/clegg-britain-has-lost-the-moral-authority-on-human-rights-89475754

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Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg congratulated Kirsty Williams upon her election as the new leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Read more at:http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/kirsty-williams-will-be-a-strong-liberal-champion-for-wales-87261128


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Take a look at our latest film: It's now up on YouTube.


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Clegg: Join me this Saturday at the National Climate Change March: 11.30am at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.


"In these troubled economic times many politicians are all too willing to
forget about crucial environmental issues. Our party is standing firm on our
principles."

Read more at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/clegg-join-me-this-saturday-at-the-national-climate-change-march-79587513


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Nick Clegg has just recorded an exclusive interview about what should be in the Queen's Speech.

You can watch it at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nsTnFV-Ov8E, where you can also post up your comments.

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Nick Clegg’s response to the Queen’s Speech: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/nick-clegg’s-response-to-the-queen’s-speech-81003935

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When MPs heard about Damian Green's arrest, many of us asked ourselves the same question: "When did it become a crime to hold the Government to account?"

Throwing a spotlight on information the Government would rather keep hidden is an essential part of our democracy. And when dealing with an administration legendary for its secrecy, you increasingly have to rely on whistle-blowers to see the full picture.

I have written at greater length on this issue in today's Telegraph, as you can read at www.tinyurl.com/damiangreen.

This unprecedented arrest is a wake-up call. We must save our broken democracy.

Best wishes,

Nick Clegg's signature
Nick Clegg
Leader, Liberal Democrats

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Nick Clegg has said in a speech to the Daycare Trust: "Lack of men in childcare denies young children role models".
 

Too few men are working in childcare because of the stigma attached to men working with young children.

Read more at:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/clegg-lack-of-men-in-childcare-denies-young-children-role-models-71474199
 

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County:

7/02/09: In response to Derbyshire County Council's press release giving details of the County's proposed budget for 2009/10, Leader of the county Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Barrie Taylor said:

"This Labour budget means an effective cut of over £3 million in adult social services, despite their claim to be providing an extra £1 million for the growing elderly population.

"The department's figures show that an extra £4 million will be needed next year because more people will need care. Labour propose to fund less than a quarter of the extra amount needed. To my knowledge in the past such 'demographic' changes have always been met first, because failure to do so results in cuts in the service to those who really need it. On top
of this the department are being required to make efficiency savings of over £2 million.
 

"Labour propose to take £6 million from reserves to keep their Council Tax increase under 3%. Proper funding for care of the elderly should have been a first call on the reserves, which fortunately are healthier than expected this year."
 

 

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Last modified: 22-05-2009