Mole Valley Liberal Democrats - Demand Better

The Liberal Democrats today saw success when their motion aimed at cutting the costs spent on interim staff at Surrey County Council was adopted. The motion, proposed by Cllr Chris Botten, and seconded by Cllr Will Forster was produced in reaction to recent news that Surrey was recruiting for another interim manager on a £90,000+ annual salary.

Much of the depth of Surrey's financial crisis can be tracked back to the chaotic introduction of computer systems which an audit has revealed, among other things:

• The audit team were "unable to find the business case or any supporting paperwork for the Cabinet Member decision to purchase" [the IT system in question]
• The system is not fully utilised which shows an "inefficient use of public money to purchase and pay annual costs for a system that is not fully implemented"
• The improper use of the system "frequently results in parents arranging private support, followed by judicial review in the parents' favour. This in turn leads to increased costs of provision for the council"
• There have been instances of the Council paying a foster carer, or a school, for a child that is no longer being seen to by that specific service.

The Lib Dems have warned of a 'postcode lottery' as official figures reveal that only 30% of people in Surrey have been offered a health check over the last 5 years, significantly below the national average of 85.21% - the lowest in the country.

Lib Dem Health Spokesperson Judith Jolly blamed "swingeing Conservative cuts" and her party has called for "a transformational investment in public health with a penny on income tax."

Health check-ups for adults in England are available to everyone aged 40-74. According to the NHS, these checks are designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia.

However, figures published by Public Health England have revealed 22 local authority areas in England, including Surrey, have failed to offer more than 60% of people a health check.

Following the hustings meeting in Dorking on Saturday 2nd March, it was announced that the Mole Valley Liberal Democrat members had re-selected Paul Kennedy as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. Paul has stood for the Mole Valley constituency in both the 2015 and 2017 General Elections.

Following the announcement, Paul said: "I'm thrilled and honoured to have the continuing support of Liberal Democrat members. We are united in our ambition to get a better deal for Mole Valley residents than the disastrous Conservative diet of cuts, green belt development, and Brexit. Liberal Democrats demand better."

In light of recent earthquakes in Newdigate, we call upon Surrey County Council to refuse permission to extend the Horsehill wells to allow the drilling of four new hydrocarbon wells, one water reinjection well and side-track drilling (Application SCC Ref 2018/0152).

Supporting Information

News released today has revealed that the University of Surrey are planning to cut their staff, with all staff being given the option of voluntary redundancy*. The University has released a letter, sent to all staff, which highlights that one of the key factors influencing this decision is the uncertainty surrounding the UK's position in the EU, and how this may affect the University's financial position.

Surrey County Council is advertising yet again for temporary staff with salaries in excess of £90k. The latest is for a Programme Manager to oversee the move from County Hall.

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

"The use of temporary staff runs the risk that if they fail to deliver long term solutions to the problems set, they are long gone before the problems come to light but are enriched by their generous salary.

Surrey Liberal Democrats remain opposed to the third runway at Heathrow, and whilst we appreciate this consultation is about changing the airspace, it is clear that not all of the proposals being consulted on are intended for the existence of only two runways. Therefore, we feel it poignant to reiterate our opposition to the expansion of Heathrow at this point, before establishing our position on the specific consultation issues. The need for further airport expansion is clear from increased efforts to open up global mobility, however, we feel expansion would be better utilised somewhere other than the South East of England which is already plagued by numerous airports. The South East of England will not be able to cope with the expansion of Heathrow as there is a serious lack of infrastructure to cope with all the consequences a bigger airport will cause. The investment into expansion and thus infrastructure would be better spent elsewhere in the country, and could be used to spread the economic opportunity to the North of England, where it is so desperately needed.

From Claire Malcomson, Liberal Democrat District Councillor for The Holmwoods:

Last year a colleague and I started a pressure group MARFT ( Mole Valley Against Rural Fly-tipping). We have joined together with the CPRE, Surrey Willdlife Trust and the National Trust in order to fight fly-tipping and prosecute the culprits. It costs the NT £30,000 p.a to clear up tips on their land in East Surrey.

Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners are leading the campaign to protect and strengthen Mole Valley's libraries during the next round of Tory cuts at Surrey County Council.

Not satisfied with plans to close Leatherhead Children's Centre and Dorking Recycling Centre, Conservatives on Surrey County Council have decided to cut funding for Surrey's libraries by nearly 30%. The Council has not said where library cuts will fall - a consultation is expected after the next local elections - but a briefing document notes that just 18 libraries account for 65% of all library visits - implying that smaller libraries are not part of the Tory "plan".