National News

Mayor and Lib Dem Leader both add their names to call for help for struggling families

Both Mayor Dave Hodgson and Council Group Leader David Sawyer have added their names to a growing list of Liberal Democrat Leaders who are calling on the Chancellor to look at helping those struggling on low and middle income earnings. The Press Release below is from the Liberal Democrat Leader of the LGA, Gerald Vernon Jackson: Chancellor's Budget should help those who are struggling Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the Local Government Association, Gerald Vernon Jackson was joined by more than 100 Liberal Democrat Council Leaders and Group Leaders from across the country in calling on the Chancellor to make helping those on low and middle incomes a priority in the Budget next week. They were joined by the Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Willie Rennie and Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams.

Secrecy row at Chesterfield Council Meeting

In a tense exchange in the Chesterfield Council budget meeting on Thursday March 1st, Cllr Ray Russell, the Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader, unsuccessfully asked several times that the recent report on the changes to Parking Charge tariffs, brought forward only in private session last week, should be put before the Chesterfield Cabinet again - but this time in the public session.

UK Chinese Times reports on Lib Dem Spring Conference

Jo Swinson: Putting young people at the heart of the Coalition’s growth strategy

Liberal Democrat Spring Conference backed Giving Young People a Future, the Party's policy paper on combating youth unemployment. The paper proposes extending the Youth Contract and help for young entrepreneurs and apprentices. It also calls for improved mentoring and career advice in schools.

New Trowbridge library

Trowbridge Area Board on March 16th heard a presentation from librarian Basil Nankivill on the new library. Opening is scheduled for mid-September. The old library will close a few days beforehand to give time to shift the books etc. There will be some new stock and the number of public computer terminals will be increased. There will also be dedicated parking spaces for library users.

Karma running out of legal options

Chippenham's Karma nightclub had its license taken away by Wiltshire Council in May 2010. A two-day hearing concluded that the club had not kept to the terms of its license, and that there was an excessive amount of disorderly behaviour coming from the clientele caused by a lax policy on alcohol consumption and supervision of customers.