At the Lib Dem Conference in Bournemouth last week the party set out the following clear priorities for the country:

Build a sustainable economy
Make society fairer
Reform our broken political system

Key policies agreed by the Lib Dems include:

Investment in green jobs
The Lib Dems will switch Government spending into environmental projects
that will create jobs and build a greener future.
This will include investment in public transport infrastructure and major
energy efficiency schemes.

Fairer tax system
The Lib Dems will raise the basic allowance to £10,000 - taking millions
of people out of paying tax altogether and saving low and middle income
earners £700 a year. This will be paid for by closing many of the tax
loopholes which benefit the best off.

Invest in education
The Lib Dems want to increase spending on education, paid for by cutting
lower priority spending. They will fund smaller infant class sizes and
provide extra funds for pupils from the poorest backgrounds.
The Lib Dems reiterated their opposition to Tuition and Top-Up Fess.

Reform politics
The Lib Dems agreed a range of measures to reform the political system.
They want to give voters the right to sack MPs who have been shown to be
guilty of fraud. They also want to curb big donations to political parties
so that no-one can Œbuy‚ our political system.

“Overcrowding on Greater Manchester’s Trains could get worse,” says Transport Chief Keith Whitmore

Overcrowing on Greater Manchester’s trains could get worse if Department of Transport (DFT) rules lead to five trains, currently used betweeen Oldham and Manchester, being mothballed next month,” says Cllr Keith Whitmore - the first-ever Liberal Democrat Chairman of the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA).

Cllr Whitmore said:
“Due to Transport Authority activities in Greater Manchester, we will next month begin conversion of a train line from Oldham to Manchester to carry Trams. When this happens, five trains will become available. We believe that the DFT’s super profits, raised from North West rail companies, should be used to allow those five trains to continue operating in Greater Manchester, where they will be invaluable in relieving some of the chronic overcrowding we experience.”

“The DFT has refused to make any funding available and have instead decided that these trains will be put into cold storage, very likely never to see the light of day again in our area. This is frankly scandalous.”

Andrew Stunell MP has started a petition on this isuue which can be signed here.

Andrew Stunell MP and Cllr Hazel Lees called a crisis meeting with United Utilities, the Environment Agency and Stockport Council last month to get action to tackle the flooding of homes in Romiley on Dye Lane, Stockport Road, Dingle Hollow and Leyfield Avenue. Now an action plan will be drawn up this autumn.

In the meantime it has been agreed to alter the layout of the tarmac to divert more water to additional drainage gullies on Quarry Road so that more water is diverted away from Dye Lane.

Following many residents’ complaints about late night anti-social behaviour, damage to the new play area and vandalism to the Mossbank compound, Cllr Hazel Lees met the area’s new Police Inspector to talk about what could be done. He was very angry to hear about residents’ problems and promised that he would take immediate action to crack down on this behaviour. It was also agreed that Housing, schools and other agencies needed to be involved for a longer term solution.

Representatives from all 3 main political parties called today for a fair question to be put forward on the forthcoming referendum on transport investment and the corresponding congestion charge.

Councillor David Goddard, Liberal Democrat Leader of Stockport, Councillor Susan Williams, Conservative Leader of Trafford and Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Manchester Blakeley and all agreed that the question should include reference to the congestion charge, as well as the proposed investment, to ensure clarity and fairness in the process.

Cllr David Goddard, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “Sir Neil McIntosh allowed the words ‘congestion charging’ in the referendum question for Edinburgh but refuses it for the people of Greater Manchester.

“My question is simple, why were the words included in the question for the Edinburgh toll road referendum but not recommended for the Greater Manchester referendum?”

Cllr Susan Williams, said: “The public of Greater Manchester have a right to know what exactly they will be voting for in the referendum later next month. To leave the congestion charge out of the question is completely misleading and makes a farce out of the whole process. I will be pressing very hard to correct this anomaly on Friday at AGMA.”

Graham Stringer MP, commented: “Congestion charging is the most controversial part of the transport innovation proposals and it is only fair that it is mentioned in the question.”

The Congestion Charge Vote is set for 11th December and will be your only opportunity to have your say. If YOU vote we can STOP it, if you don’t vote YOU may have to PAY it!

For more information on the ‘NO’ campaign goto www.stopthecharge.co.uk

Stockport Council is urging motorists and older pedestrians in Romiley to look out for each other when the clocks go back this winter.

A ‘See Me’ campaign is being launched at the Life Centre, Romiley on the 27th October between the times of 11am to 2pm. Road Safety Officers will be on hand to speak to pedestrians and offer useful advice and tips about crossing the road.

The Council are also giving out reflective bags for life and have added extra warning signs, within Romiley town centre to act as a reminder for both pedestrians and motorists.

Cllr Hazel Lees said, “Visibility can be very poor during the winter months so I urge drivers to slow down and take care particularly around schools, residential areas and pedestrian crossings.”

‘See Me’ reflective bags and a Road Safety Advice booklet offering further advice is being distributed to the Life Centre, local library, businesses and Age Concern. If you would like further information, please contact the Council’s Road Safety Team on 0161 474 4875 or visit www.stockport.gov.uk/roadsafety

Cllr. Hazel Lees congratulated local residents for their role in smashing all previous records and making this summer the best ever for recycling in Stockport.

Stockport already has a reputation as one of the country’s leading green councils. Now thanks to the huge investment by Stockport’s Liberal Democrats in recycling and thanks to the efforts of local residents we are on course not only to remain the best metropolitan authority in the country for recycling but to smash all previous records.

Improved Recycling

We have seen improved performance in recycling and composting due to the roll out of the blue sacks and the mixed paper and card bins across the borough. Local residents also received increased promotional activity during ‘Recycle More week’.

The latest estimate for the total amount of waste removed from landfill is a staggering 42%.

Cleaner Streets & Open Spaces

Investment in new vehicles, cleansing and enforcement are having an impact. Regular inspections and residents’ compliments tell us things are getting better.

Friends of Tangshutt and local Cllr Hazel Lees met council officers, Stockport Homes & Mossbank to hear about the improvement plans for this area. The Right of Way to Oakwood Rd is to be repaired after the damage caused by ‘lost’ vehicles. The parks department are drawing up plans to fence part of the area and upgrade the footpath through to Compstall Road as part of the Safer Routes to School scheme.

In the wake of the announcement that dozens of post offices in and around Greater Manchester, 11 across the Stockport Borough, are scheduled for closure, Liberal Democrats from across the area have launched a petition to ‘Save our Post Offices’.

Hazel Grove Constituency MP Andrew Stunell, Cheadle Constituency MP Mark Hunter, Manchester Withington MP John Leech and Rochdale MP Paul Rowen, along with Lib Dem Councillors and activists launched the petition today in central Manchester by holding a demonstration to oppose the plans and asking local residents to sign up in support of the protest.

Speaking after the launch Mr Hunter said: “It’s not too late for action on this issue. I hope local people will speak out and sign our petition to save their local post office. Many are under threat now and many more will surely follow if the Government gets is way.

“Post Offices are a vital part of the community; they often help to keep local other shops afloat and are relied on by a very wide variety of people particularly the elderly and young mums. It seems to me that Labour is fast becoming a Government that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. The Liberal Democrats are committed to the future of the Post Office and we will keep up our campaign to show the Government that local people want to keep their Post Offices open.”

Mr Stunell added: “We lost a lot of Post Offices in this area when the Conservatives were last in Government, and now we are faced with a Labour Government that does not understand how strongly people feel about their local Post Office.

In fact the situation could soon get even worse - the Post Office Card Account that many pensioners rely on for drawing their pensions and benefits is being reviewed and if that work is lost by Royal Mail than even more Post Offices will surely be closed in the future.

The Liberal Democrats have a viable plan to prevent further closures and help to sustain the network; a plan that wouldn’t cost the earth that would invest in our local Post Office network not chop it up. Post Offices should be local and should be supporting our communities and we will continue to fight with our local community to save them.”

Last night’s election results were a triumph for the local Lib Dem team and my thanks go to everyone who helped and supported us. 

I promise that Cllr Margaret McLay and I will continue to stick up for residents, listen to local people and get things done.

Thankyou once again for putting your trust in me.