A group of influential MPs has accused banks of treating people on low incomes like "second class citizens". The Treasury Select Committee estimates that eight million people are excluded from financial services.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell has accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of being "addicted" to bringing in new laws. In his response to the Queen's Speech, he said legislation passed since 1997 ran to more than 114,000 pages.
I've recently discovered that the state of our streets and towns has been cited by marketing experts as the major block on "selling" Folkestone and Hythe. The litter our our streets, the overflowing bins, and the state of the town centre at night mean that those marketing experts feel its not even worth trying to get people to come here. Their prognosis is simple - get and keep Shepway clean and tidy - all the time. Make people like where they live, and want it to succeed. From there, the marketing has a chance.
Welcome Home Toby!
Chelmsford Lib Dem John Masek was elected as Secretary of the East of England Liberal Democrats at their conference on Saturday in Huntingdon. John, together with colleague Stephen Robinson, tabled a motion expressing concern about Essex County Council backing a "road only" Lower Thames Crossing. Other Chelmsford Lib Dems, including Councillors Tom Smith-Hughes and Andrew Sosin, also attended the conference and training events, along with over 200 Lib Dem regional colleagues. A range of conference pictures are on the website.
Residents of Wellington Close, off Queensland Crescent, Chelmsford, are delighted that their overgrown side and rear pathways have been trimmed back following pressure from local Lib Dem Councillor Simon Jones. The paths were badly overgrown with brambles and weeds, and have now been cleaned up and trimmed by Chelmer Housing Partnership.
