At the Council Meeting Surrey's Lib Dem Councillors proposed a motion calling on the County Council to reject a number of key elements of the White Paper. Liberal Democrat Schools Spokeswoman, County Councillor Diana Smith said, "There are some very bad ideas in this white paper. Ideas that, if implemented, could do real damage to Surrey's schools."
County Councillor Hazel Watson, leader of the Lib Dem group, criticised the Conservative administration on Surrey County Council for not pursuing a cross party approach to increasing government funding for the County Council.
At today's County Council meeting, Surrey's Liberal Democrats urged the Council to amend its draft waste plan prior to public consultation. This is because it prioritises incineration over other technologies and identifies a preferred site for thermal treatment instead of treating all identified sites on an equal basis. Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Cllr Sarah Di Caprio highlighted the flaws in the document "The Surrey Waste Plan - The Preferred Plan 2005", which the Conservative-run Executive voted last month to send out for a six-week public consultation starting October 31st.
Surrey's Liberal Democrat County Councillors have reacted strongly to the suggestion by Surrey County Council's Executive that the Clockhouse Brickworks in Capel be the preferred site for a large-scale waste treatment plant.
The Conservative administration at County Hall has announced that they will be hiring Consultants to carry out a financial review - less than one year after the Council completed the last review. The Liberal Democrat councillors on Surrey County Council are pressing the Conservative Administration to make savings in administrative costs, to make the County Council more efficient and to cut wasted spending.
At the meeting of Surrey County Council today, the Liberal Democrats put forward proposals to give Surrey's Local Committees control of youth services in their areas. This would have committed the Council to act on the recommendation from the Local Committees that there should be joint working with Boroughs and Districts on youth provision.
Leader's Speech to Spring Conference 2025
The Liberal Democrat plan commits to making the UK a global leader in animal welfare through stronger standards, workforce investment, and ethical farming practices.
Only the Liberal Democrats will stand up to Trump, invest in the UK’s security, support Ukraine, hold back Russia, deepen our ties with European and commonwealth partners, and stand up for liberal, British values.
As liberals, we believe that true equality is achieved when individuals are not only free from prejudice and discrimination, but also free to fulfil their potential. So fighting for LGBTQ+ rights is not a choice Liberals make.
The Liberal Democrats' bold plan to restore UK leadership in science and innovation will drive investment, boost global collaboration, and ensure technology benefits everyone, not just the privileged few.
Reflecting on the year’s International Women’s Day theme of “accelerate action”, I am sadly reminded of how much more we still need to achieve.
