Speaking in Brighton on 12th June, 2012, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander addressed the GMB trade union conference. The speech, his first to a trade union conference, highlighted the historic relationship between Liberals and trade unions and emphasised the common ground between the Liberal Democrats and the union movement.
Leading Liberal Democrat Councillors from all over England gathered on Saturday at the Universityof Bedford for a conference organised by the Local Government Association. The keynote speaker was the Deputy Prime Minister Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP who had recently acquitted himself so well at the Leverson Inquiry. Nick arrived fresh from NOT supporting our Conservative coalition partners in the Commons debate on the behaviour of the much-entangled (with the Murdoch Empire) Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt - who was "in it together" with David Cameron, who was "in it together" with Rebekah Wade...and so on.
NHS Hertfordshire has now approved the full business case for the replacement QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City. The planned 4-storey Local General Hospital will replace the existing buildings and is expected to be complete by August 2014.
The guest speaker at a dinner in the University of Bedford last Friday organised by the Local Government Organisation for leading Liberal Democrat councillors was Councillor the Lord Tope - an unusual title to put on any business card. But if a "polymath" is a person who has a grasp of many different academic subjects, the Baron Tope just has to be a "polypolitician"!
Even the Guardian, the paper that's been so critical of the Coalition in general and the Lib Dems in particular, these past two years, has had to run this story. This is the announcement that many of us have wanted to see for as long as we've been politically active. That women who take time out of the labour market to care for children or sick relatives will not be penalised in their old age.
Commenting on the Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England's plans to create more credit to boost the economy, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Treasury Committee, Stephen Williamssaid:
Three Rivers District Council is going to build a new play area in George Vth Playing Fields. Mill End residents of all ages have recently been consulted about what they would like to see there. Pupils in the local primary schools were asked for their views and to comment on possible equipment. Consultative sessions were held at William Penn Leisure Centre, the Children's Centre and at the Mill End Community Celebration Day. Over 330 people responded to the consultation which was an excellent result and the information will be very useful. Thank you to all those involved.
Bike Week - Get Fit and Cycle to the Aquadrome on Saturday 23rd June. Gather in front of the cafe and get free cycle security tagging by the police and free cycle safety checks courtesy of Northwood Cycles. The cycle ride to Denham Country Park led by Spokes, South West Herts Cycling Group, leaves the Aquadrome at 10.30am. It will last about 2 hrs and take you along the Colne Valley to Denham Country Park, mainly on tracks. It is suitable for most people over 10 yrs old but those under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
The redevelopment of the Lister Hospital, Stevenage, one of Hertfordshire's two acute hospitals, has been underway for several years. The final Phase Four redevelopment costing £75 million was given the go-ahead in March of this year, and within that phase the Treasury has now approved the start of construction of a new £19.3 million Emergency Department.
Keeping the lights on, consumers energy bills down and creating cleaner electricity to help tackle climate change, are the three goals of ambitious draft electricity market reform legislation published today.
Despite the positive objectives for transfer of freight from road to rail in the Department for Transport's recent Command Paper, the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) is proposing new charges on railfreight. ORR has received advice on the risk of loss of business (and consequently more heavy goods traffic on roads) that might arise from some of these specific charges - aimed at particular market segments e.g. nuclear waste, coal for power stations, iron ore, biomass. However ORR is prepared to contemplate the high risk of a 10% reduction in some types of railfreight.
The unexpected resignation of a Conservative councillor who was a member of both Dacorum Borough and Hertfordshire County Councils has caused two by-elections.
