Leicestershire Liberal Democrats

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"

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.