Mole Valley Liberal Democrats

On 18th June 2018, the Home Office issued a letter to the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, regarding Ahmed Hassan's interaction with the police and Home Office, prior to the Parsons Green bombing incident in September 2017. Commenting on the letter, Cllr Hazel Watson (Liberal Democrat, Dorking Hills) said today:

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson Paul Kennedy has written to Mole Valley MP Sir Paul Beresford urging him to vote in favour of the people having the final say on Brexit, including the option to remain in the EU, as Parliament debates the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson Paul Kennedy said it was "crunch time" and urged local MP Sir Paul Beresford to act "before it was too late".

Visitors at yesterday's Ashtead Village Day gave clear messages on Brexit to the Government. By putting their views on our Brexometer throughout the day they showed that:

• they overwhelmingly don't think that Brexit is going well;
• they think it will be bad both for jobs and for the NHS;
• they want a People's Vote on the final deal.

Many thanks to numerous Ashtead residents and visitors who came to visit our stall at yesterday's Ashtead Village Day. Our soft toy tombola was very popular and raised funds for three local charities - the Epsom Foodbank, Ashtead Youth Centre and Leatherhead Children's Centre.

The local team would also like to help local activists from Mole Valley and Epsom & Ewell who came to help.

Responding to the publication of today's Ofsted inspection of Surrey County Council, Cllr Chris Botten, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

"The publication today of the Ofsted report into Surrey's Children's services makes difficult reading, and tells of a slow, almost dilatory approach to improvement since the last Ofsted inspection. I agree that the right leadership and governance arrangements are now in place to make rapid progress, but am concerned about the lost years for the children in our care. Surrey County Council has been far too slow to recognise the urgent need for modernisation and improvement. The new appointment of an Executive Director for Children, Families & Learning gives me confidence going forward, but nothing can repair the years when children received poor support and were at risk. Each and every recommendation in the report must be implemented and I will do my best to ensure, through my membership of the Children's Select Committee, that they are".

Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have launched a petition calling for the recent increase in allowances for Conservative councillors to be reversed. The increase was voted through by Conservative Councillors with four new positions of "Deputy Cabinet Member" created, each at a cost to the taxpayer of £10,000, despite the County Council planning millions of pounds of cuts to services over the next year. The Conservatives also voted to reinstate allowances for vice-chairs of committees, contradicting a report from the Independent Remuneration Panel which concluded that allowances for vice-chairs were not necessary.

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: