Leicestershire Liberal Democrats

A consultation run by Leicestershire County Council has set out how the authority tries to close a possible £92million shortfall in funding up to 2025. Meeting the funding gap could mean largescale service cuts, job losses and Council Tax rises for people in Leicestershire, unless the County receives extra support from the government. Opposition Liberal Democrat Councillors have called on the government to fairly fund Leicestershire County Council and keep a commitment to meet the Council's costs caused by Covid-19 and not expect residents to meet the costs through big Council Tax rises.

Leicestershire Liberal Democrats have called on the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to allow Head Teachers in the county to make the decision if it is safe to reopen their schools yet.

Many teachers, parents and Education Unions believe Primary Schools should not reopen on Monday due to the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus more widely

Campaigners fighting to stop the abolition of local Borough and District Councils and their replacement with large, remote and unaccountable countywide Unitary authorities have welcomed progress in their campaign.

118 Liberal Democrat Councillors from across the East Midlands signed a letter co-authored by Hinckley and Bosworth Councillor Michael Mullaney and leader of the Lib Dem group on Chesterfield Borough Council Paul Holmes, to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government calling on the government to drop plans that could see Borough Councils in the region abolished and replaced with larger Unitary authorities.

Local Liberal Democrats are asking people across our community who care for relatives to get in touch and share their story - to mark national Carers Rights Day.

Liberal Democrat party leader Ed Davey has said he wants the party wants to be a "strong voice" for the millions across the country - including over 74,000 people in Leicestershire who care for those who need it.

Liberal Democrat campaigners in Hinckley and Bosworth are calling on the Chair of a new 'Levelling Up' taskforce, who is a Leicestershire MP, to ensure that Leicestershire finally gets the fairer funding it deserves.

Borough and County Councillor for Hinckley Michael Mullaney and Parish Councillor for Barwell Mathew Hulbert are calling on Neil O'Brien, the Tory MP for Harborough, to listen to the long-held concerns of elected representatives cross-party and members of the public in regards to the county being one of the worst funded in the country in a host of policy areas, from education to infrastructure spending.

The next meeting of Leicestershire County Council taking place on Wednesday 2^nd December will see a motion brought by Hinckley Lib Dem County Councillor Michael Mullaney calling for action to help ensure Care workers are paid the Real Living Wage.

Councillor Mullaney said "The current Covid-19 pandemic has shown how essential Care workers are. They have gone above and beyond in looking after elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people during this pandemic. Sadly some carers have even lost their lives with Covid-19. It's been good to see as a society us beginning to value more the vital work Care workers. The regular claps on the doorstep during lockdown for Care workers and other essential workers. The Care badge that was produced for them by government.

Over 100 Liberal Democrat councillors from across the East Midlands have signed a letter to the Secretary of State for Local Government, Robert Jenrick MP, calling for a halt to controversial Government plans to abolish Borough and District Councils across the region and replace them with larger Unitary authorities.

There's been an angry reaction to the decision last Friday by the Leicestershire Conservative County Council's decision to press on with one Unitary authority for all of Leicestershire. This would mean the abolition of the seven district and Boroughs in the county. The meeting supported Tory council leader Nick Rushton writing to the government on behalf of the county council to signal to government their wish to press on with one unitary authority for the county.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for an extension of the Government's furlough scheme until the jobs market is "ready to bounce back" in the wake of "staggering job losses" across the country.

With 37,500 people now relying on Universal Credit in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland the Party claims that extending furlough would help "stop this crisis getting even worse" and protect jobs for the future.

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"