Surrey County Council Lib Dems

Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have today announced their priorities for the 2013/14 County Council budget following their announcement calling for a Council Tax freeze last week.

Cllr Hazel Watson, Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition said: "The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have called for a Council Tax freeze for 2013/14 to help Surrey residents keep their cost of living down.

Over £½ million will help Year 7 pupils who didn't reach the expected level in literacy and maths when they finished primary school in Surrey catch up with their classmates who did.

Schools will today (Thursday) receive £500 per pupil who didn't reach the expected level to help them through catch-up classes and individual tuition.

Surrey Liberal Democrats call for Council Tax freeze

Conservatives hoard £207 million while pleading poverty and putting up Council Tax

Surrey County Council Liberal Democrats are calling for a Council Tax freeze in response to the Conservative administration at County Hall calling for a 1.99% increase in what Surrey's Council Taxpayers are being asked to pay.

Commenting on the announcement that Surrey County Council has scrapped plans to spend £5 million on a Magna Carta Visitor Centre at Runnymede, John Orrick the Liberal Democrat Communities Spokesperson on Surrey County Council said:

"When the Conservative administration at County Hall decided to spend £5 million on the visitor centre, the equivalent of 1% on Council Tax, I said they had been sold a pig in a poke by Runnymede.

Question to 5 February Cabinet Meeting from Hazel Watson (Dorking Hills):

Given the public furore by Surrey residents against the two-day residential stay by 26 Conservative Cabinet members and senior officers at Farnham Castle on 5 and 6 November 2012, costing £4,158, and revelations that a a similar event took place at Farnham Castle on 9 and 10 May 2012. Please can you state:

The last twelve months have been lit up by moments that will stay with us forever. When Mo Farah approached the final stretch of the 10,000m final, who wasn't up on their feet, screaming at the TV?

When Nicola Adams beamed at the crowd after winning the first ever women's Olympic boxing, who didn't smile back? I was lucky enough to be there, and that's one I'll never forget.

After rail and air, passengers travelling by boat in Europe will be entitled to reimbursements and other compensation as of 18 December 2012, in the case of cancellation or delays of more than 90 minutes.

The new EU rules include guarantees of reimbursement or rerouting in case of cancellation as well as adequate assistance such as snacks, meals and where necessary accommodation of up to three nights (with a limit of £65 a night). In situations of delay in arrivals, passengers will be entitled to compensation between 25% and 50% of the ticket price.

Catherine Bearder offers her thoughts on Britain's 40 year membership of the European Union and how we have benefited.

Forty years ago, when Britain joined the then EEC, we joined someone else's club. But through British guile, tenacity and ingenuity, we have made the EU our own, and to our great benefit.

Speaking in response to the widely distributed email from Surrey County Council's Chief Executive to a member of the public over the recent stay by Conservative Cabinet members and senior council officers at Farnham Castle, Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition Hazel Watson said:

"It should not be left to the Chief Executive of Surrey County Council to defend the indefensible waste of public money by the Conservative administration at County Hall. The stay at Farnham Castle demonstrated how out of touch with reality the Conservative administration is, and they have shown their misplaced priorities by not taking a political decision that spending Council Taxpayers money like this was wrong."

The Conservatives were pushed into an unprecedented fourth place in the Sunbury Common by-election yesterday, as Liberal Democrat candidate Brian Spoor stormed to victory, gaining more than double the number of votes of his nearest rival.

Result: