Mole Valley Liberal Democrats

Mole Valley residents face a further year of Conservative policies following a rescue by the Ashtead Independent Group at the Annual meeting of Mole Valley Council last night. At the elections earlier this month the Conservative administration lost its overall majority as a consequence of a swing to the Liberal Democrats. For the first time in a number of years the Liberal Democrats polled the largest number of votes across Mole Valley indicating that the electorate were looking for a significant change in policies and direction.

Liberal Democrat county councillors have called for care leavers in Surrey to be exempted from paying council tax until they are 25. The campaign was initiated by highly respected charity The Children's Society and will be discussed at County Hall on March 20th.

Cllr Will Forster, who brought forward the motion to be discussed, said today:

Reacting to the news that Government Commissioners will be overseeing Children's Services in Surrey for 3 months, Cllr Chris Botten, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council,said today:

"I welcome the decision for Commissioners to work in Surrey over the next 3 months. The County Council needs a laser-like focus in improving these vital services for the children of Surrey and the work of the Commissioners will aid this process. The Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member have rightly spoken about the need for urgent change and I share their passion. But this most recent judgement from Ofsted means that my patience for change is at an end. The children of Surrey deserve the highest standard of services and Liberal Democrats councillors will play their part in holding the County Council, and its leadership, to account".

Liberal Democrat County Councillors in Surrey have heavily criticised the Conservative-administration at County Hall after Conservative Councillors awarded themselves thousands of pounds of extra allowances in a vote at Council yesterday. The vote means that 4 new Deputy Cabinet positions will be created, at a cost of £40K a year, as well as extra allowances for committee vice-chairs. Liberal Democrat County Councillors opposed these increases and voted against them at County Hall.

Cllr Chris Botten, Leader of the Liberal Democrats at Surrey County Council, said:

Liberal Democrat county councillors have expressed their concern after it was revealed that Surrey County Council is planning to reduce spending on services by nearly £200m by the end of 2019/20. The figures were released in a report to the Council's Cabinet earlier this week, alongside the Conservative-administration's decision to hire consultants, at an undisclosed sum, to assist with the County Council's "programme management and change capacity" project.

Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have expressed concern that proposed changes to the arrangements for drug and alcohol detoxification will make it more difficult for those trying to beat addiction.

Surrey County Council is currently consulting on proposals that include the closure of the in-patient facility at Windmill House in Chertsey, leaving only one in-patient bed for the whole of the county - which will be located outside of Surrey. Other patients will be required to attend day centres in either Guildford or Redhill, and will have to return to their homes in the evenings and at weekends in a programme called "ambulatory detoxification."

Liberal Democrat county councillors have expressed their concern after it was revealed that Surrey County Council has not spent any of the income derived from its £298 million commercial property portfolio on council services. Previously, the Conservative Cabinet Member for Property & Business Services stated that: "We also have an additional need to generate an income from our strategy if we are to have any hope of raising enough money to fund the services our residents need."

Liberal Democrat county councillors are celebrating after a package of measures to support care leavers was adopted by Surrey County Council. As part of a new Charter unanimously agreed by the County Council, young care leavers will be exempted from council tax, as well as given support with continuing education, managing a household and work skills.

Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have revealed that it would take over three quarters of a billion pounds to repair the county's roads and footways to an "as new" standard. At the current rate of spending, it would take the Conservative-run County Council almost 50 years to complete this work. The information was revealed following questioning from Liberal Democrat county councillors this week.

Cllr Stephen Cooksey, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Highways, said today:

Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have called for a review of the County Council's admitted failings in the Parsons Green bomb incident. Ahmed Hassan, 18, was convicted of attempted murder on 16th March 2018. He had been placed in foster care in Sunbury by Surrey County Council since the summer of 2016.