South West Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrats and Labour have always valued public education to a greater degree than Conservatives, if only because the generally more wealthy Conservative mostly have access to an alternative system.

This system has greater resources per pupil, ready access to the professions and is over-represented in the intake to our better and more prestigious universities. Whilst not necessarily equiping the young people with the modern knowledge or with the practical or professional skills that the country needs to weather the present difficulties, it is rather more successful in endowing what it blatantly regards as the next generation of the ruling class, with immense confidence untroubled by conscience or sound judgement, and a strong sense of entitlement.

Thus it has been and thus they strive to ensure it will continue to be. Just look at the present cabinet!

And so when the remarkable spectacle of a protest by 7,000 headteachers arose in March 2019, two Liberal Democrat County Councillors made a public demonstration of their party's support.

Wishing everyone as good a Christmas as present circumstances permit!

And a happy New Year!

County Councillor Mark Watkin, Lib Dem spokesperson for Children's Services, has raised concerns about the Government's £3 million under funding of Herts County's high needs services for children with special needs.

Cllr Watkin said, "Hertfordshire receives the 4th lowest funding based on its population of any of the 160 English local authorities. Compared to the average local authority, this means each year it receives £3million less to fund its crucially needed SEND services including its special schools, its advisory services, its school-based special resources and funding for children to receive specialist support.

The place to be this weekend - and a test drive with a difference!

Rosemarie and Nick Hollinghurst from Tring answered the call - and went up to help in the Shropshire North By-Election, just "a little further" up the A41 from Tring. It turned out to be over 125 miles further up and more than a few more miles off the A4, but well worth the journey.

Being retired, and so with greater flexibility, they decided to go up towards the end of the week to help get material ready for the big rush of volunteers on the final weekend of campaigning. They also decided to test the capability and practicability of their new EV on its first long run.

They had a slow journey north, but, despite a long diversion for repairs to a railway bridge, they checked into the Old Rectory, a nice old hotel in Wem, at ¼ past 3 on Thursday - and immediately retraced their steps to arrive at the Liberal Democrat Campaign HQ in the grounds of nearby Soulton Hall. They worked counting out and making up leaflet rounds till gone 7 pm. then returned to the hotel in Wem.

Then, meeting Jane and Nigel Quinton from Welwyn - also trying out a new EV - they joined them for a pleasant dinner at the Fox in Wem just down the road from the Old Rectory.

Up in the morning at 7 on Friday, and fortified by the usual "English Breakfast" then packed and headed back to the HQ. There they found two more Hertfordshire Lib Dems, Malcolm Appleford and Robin Bromyard from Hemel Hempstead who were putting up poster boards. Nick and Rosemarie put in a solid 4½ hour session of clerical work Friday by a better and uneventful journey home. The EV performed splendidly.

Organisation in the HQ was very good, with an air of quiet confidence and everyone we met was friendly and good company - most importantly there was coffee ad libitum.

Anyone with time should please go and help out if they can. It's a widely dispersed area and needs lots of deliverers and canvassers, but based on Nick's experience back in Brecon and Radnor canvassing in rural areas is always appreciated by the electors - he found that talking to people in their own farmyard can be very rewarding. One tip though - don't stand too close behind a cow in a milking shed!

Well, it IS different from Chesham & Amersham, but I'm making no other comment at all. If you want to get a feel for the situation, then go up and find out at first hand. The result will be known on Friday, but whatever that it is, your journey will not be wasted. At the very least we can feel we Did Our Bit! The people in Shropshire North deserve better than either corrupt Tories or disappointing Labour, and it would not be surpising if enough of them come see that over the next few days!

A local campaigner like Helen Morgan is just what this area needs as its MP!

The Liberal Democrat motion calling on Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) to take action to end Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), was debated and agreed at Cabinet Panel for Adult Care, Health and Wellbeing on Wednesday 8 December despite an attempt by leading Tories to weaken the message.

The Lib Dem motion seeks a number of actions to end the 'epidemic' of male violence against women and girls, in support of a call from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services for 'fundamental cross-system change'. Key amongst the requested actions is that the Leader of the Council calls on the Home Secretary and Prime Minister to declare Misogyny to be a Hate Crime and for Hertfordshire Police to record it as such. It also calls upon the Leader to ask the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable for Hertfordshire what steps they are taking to review internal safeguarding and vetting procedures following the sentencing of a serving police officer on 30 September 2021.

Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats have hit out at County Council claims that their roads are in "Good Shape".

In March this year, the Lib Dems hit out as over 60 road resurfacing reconstruction schemes were cut from works due by the County Council.

The ruling Conservatives cut road improvement schemes (mainly on secondary side roads across Herts) and reduced the budget for such schemes by £2m in the next year and in each of the following three years, cutting £8m in total from the planned £37m spend up to 2025 - a cut of 22%.

Now the County Council has released figures showing that the number of such side roads in Hertfordshire that are in need of repair has nearly doubled since last year - increasing from 7% to 12%.

County Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Lib Dem Group Leader and Highways Spokesperson) said:

"The Conservatives claimed that our side roads had improved over recent years and said they did not need to spend this money as the roads were in such good condition. Residents knew this was not true and the facts now show that!"

"This is a kick in the teeth, not just for motorists but also for cyclists. The impact that will be felt by cyclists is particularly disappointing given that the County should be encouraging residents to change to more sustainable forms of transport"

The Liberal Democrats had proposed to restore this budget cut and increase spending on pavement repairs. They were voted down.

At the Hertfordshire County Council Cabinet Panel for Resources and Performance on 1 December it
was revealed that a further £46m of slippage in the capital budget occurred in the second quarter of
the financial year. Added to the slippage of £89m in the first quarter, this amounts to £135m in six
months and represents 37% of the capital budget for 2021/22 agreed in February 2021.