Conservative councillor for Walton South, Christine Elmer leaves the Conservative Party and switches her allegiance to the Liberal Democrats Having spent 11 years working for the Conservatives, Walton South councillor Christine Elmer, has joined the Liberal Democrats party today. She announced her departure on Twitter saying:
Liberal Democrat county councillors have expressed their dismay at the news that Sajid Javid MP, the Conservative Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, has delayed the pilot scheme that would have allowed Surrey County Council to retain 100% of its business rates next year. The Government had previously agreed to allow Surrey County Council to apply to become a pilot for the scheme in 2018/19 but the sudden announcement of a general election has meant that the parliamentary process to confirm this has been interrupted and the pilot scheme delayed.
Liberal Democrat councillors have welcomed the decision by Conservative-run Surrey County Council to cease the publication of its unpopular "Surrey Matters" magazine. The magazine, which has cost council tax payers over £1.2m since 2011, was axed following a meeting of the County Council's Cabinet at the end of March. The last edition was published in January 2017 and the cancellation will save the County Council approximately £250K a year.
Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have written to the Conservative Cabinet Member for the Environment asking him to name the date that the controversial "Tip Tax" will be scrapped. Following guidance issued by the Government earlier this week, Cllr Stephen Cooksey, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Environment on Surrey County Council, has written to Cllr Mike Goodman, Cabinet Member for the Environment, asking him for further assurances that the charges will be dropped.
Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision of Surrey County Council to write to the 11 MPs that represent the county, asking them to lobby government over the funding shortfall for Surrey schools. Last month, the county council unanimously adopted a Liberal Democrat motion calling for the county council to recognise the shortfall in the government's funding offer and calling for more resources for Surrey schools.
Commenting on his recent selection as Liberal Democrat county council candidate for Walton at the elections in Surrey on May 4th 2017, former Elmbridge Conservative Councillor Chris Elmer said today: "Here in Surrey I became disillusioned with the Conservative administration while I was still a Conservative Elmbridge Borough Councillor. When as a member of the same political group my efforts on behalf of my ward residents were frustrated at every stage, something is very wrong. They have had control for too long and become both complacent and arrogant - so I am very clear that Surrey needs a fresh start with the Liberal Democrats. "With regard to national events, it was the referendum result to leave the EU and the damaging consequences for our living standards and rights that made me decide that my political allegiance now lay with the Liberal Democrats. I suppose the bottom line is that I had to grow up politically - and fast given the alarming result. It was always going to be hard to make such a decision
