Liberal Democrat Faith Ponsonby won a stunning by-election on Thursday, 15 November! Having lost the seat in Battins Ward to Labour in May she got it back by holding another seat in the ward when Lib Dem Katie Ray resigned..
My latest regular column for the Times and Citizen, published in this week's paper, considered the similarities between the threat posed to our local police force a couple of years ago at the time of the attempted merger with Herts Police and that which faces Bedford Hospital currently in the form of the plans to downgrade two of five hospitals in our area. In case you haven't seen it, I've pasted a copy of the article below:
South West Hertfordshire resident, Liberal Democrat Sharon Bowles MEP is already well known both as the powerful chair of Europe's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. Now, after being chosen as MEP of the Year last month and then named by a Financial News publication as one of the '30 most Inspirational Women in the City of London' , she has been named by a poll across Europe's senior politicians and civil servants as "the most influencial Briton on and in European policy making".
South West Hertfordshire resident, Liberal Democrat Sharon Bowles MEP is already well known both as the powerful chair of Europe's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. Now, after being chosen as MEP of the Year last month and then named by a Financial News publication as one of the '30 most Inspirational Women in the City of London' , she has been named by a poll across Europe's senior politicians and civil servants as "the most influencial Briton on and in European policy making".
Against expectation, the Conservative favourite for Hertfordshire in the ill-considered Police & Crime Commissioner elections failed to win 50% of the first preference votes. However, since the elections were held under a form of Proportional Representation (PR), second preference votes enabled David Lloyd for the Conservatives to achieve a majority of support in this poorly supported election.
Against expectation, the Conservative favourite for Hertfordshire in the ill-considered Police & Crime Commissioner elections failed to win 50% of the first preference votes. However, since the elections were held under a form of Proportional Representation (PR), second preference votes enabled David Lloyd for the Conservatives to achieve a majority of support in this poorly supported election.