Leicestershire Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat County Councillors have set out their opposition to the Conservative run County Council's budget.

The budget will be debated on Wednesday and includes a 3.99% Council Tax rise and cuts to services including bus subsidies.

Opposition leader Cllr Simon Galton said "This is the first year since I got elected to the County Council in 1989 that the Council will receive no revenue grant from the Government. Which means local services will be funded entirely by council tax and business rates. Although they have managed to balance the budget this year the Tories plan appears to be keep fingers crossed and hope their Government will be more generous to Leicestershire in future years"

A leading local Liberal Democrat is calling for the final EU deal to be put to a vote of the people.

Leicestershire Lib Dem County Councillor Michael Mullaney said "The Conservative government is in chaos with minister after minister are resigning. There's a complete lack of direction and leadership at the top of government.

Local Lib Dems are celebrating a remarkable swing of nearly 24% from the Conservatives in Thursday's Stoney Stanton and Croft by-election.

The Lib Dem candidate Danny Findlay took the party from a distant third on just 9% last year to a strong second on over 32% this time. The Conservative vote fell by over 24%.

Local campaigners have reacted with anger at the revelation that money was the only reason the government cancelled plans to improve rail services in Leicestershire.

Last year the government cancelled plans to electrify the East Midlands Mainline north of Kettering, which runs through Leicestershire and much of the East Midlands. The Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the improvements weren't needed because the rail service would be improved instead by the use of bi-mode trains.

Liberal Democrats have picked Danny Findlay to contest the forthcoming Stoney Stanton and Croft County Council by-election.

The election, to be held on May 3rd was caused by the death of longstanding Conservative Councillor Ernie White. It is the first County Council by-election in Leicestershire since 2011.

"We the undersigned call upon the Council to scrap plans to close Leicestershire's
Sure Start Children's Centres. These provide a vital service for many local families."

Conservative Councillors on Leicestershire County Council are proposing to close 24 Children's Centres across the County.
This petition calls on them to change their minds and keep the Centres open.

Leicestershire's Lib Dem opposition have urged the ruling Conservative administration to scrap the charges for using the county's domestic recycling centres.

At the last County Council meeting, Lib Dem Deputy Leader Cllr Stuart Bray (Hinckley St Mary's Division) asked the Leader of the Council if he agreed with the new Conservative Deputy Leader of Derbyshire County Council who said on taking office:

The Tory group on Leicestershire County Council made a surprise announcement at yesterday's budget meeting when they withdrew plans to cut £1.3 million in bus subsidies. This would have led to the discontinuation of any bus that did not currently operate on a purely commercial basis except Park and Ride Services. It is estimated that one third of Leicestershire's buses would have disappeared.