• Stephen Robinson
    Working with our neighbours...
    Article: May 15, 2019
  • Cllr Barry Aspinell
    Group Leader and Deputy Leader re-elected
    Article: May 14, 2019

    There's no change at the top for the Lib Dem team in Brentwood as Cllr Barry Aspinell and Cllr Philip Mynott were re-elected as leader and deputy leader, respectvely, for the municipal year 2019-2020.

    Barry said:

    "I am delighted to have been re-elected as leader for the 7th year running. This is certainly going to be an interesting one wtih a group of considerable size challenging a diminshed Conservative party that still appears to be in dissaray whilst I lead a group of talented and high calibre councillors with a mixture of experience and potential.

  • Cllr Vicky Davies
    Devoted Davies: Loyal, long-serving and popular Vicky returns
    Article: May 12, 2019

    Cllr Vicky Davies was returned to her Pilgrims Hatch seat last week with a staggering 72% of the vote but that's no surprise to anyone who knows her. Everyone in the chamber has time and respect for the former council leader and Mayor who was first elected in 1991 in the ward of Brizes & Doddinghurst - the year of Lib Dem landslide victory when the party took control of the council.

  • Bollocks to Brexit
    Opinion: A Brentwood resident explains why people should vote for the Liberal Democrats on 23 May...
    Article: May 11, 2019

    In May 2016 the British people were given an over-simplistic vote - to stay or leave the European Union (EU). It split the country almost exactly in half and we are still very divided - and the two main political parties at Westminster in England are ignoring their voters and fighting internally. They appear to be more interested in their own careers rather than providing leadership and direction to the country.

  • Cllr Sarah Cloke
    Meet the new councillors
    Article: May 9, 2019

    A week ago, Brentwood elected FOUR new Lib Dem councillors and we introduce them here:

    Cllr Sarah Cloke - Brentwood West

    Sarah Cloke has been elected as councillor for Brentwood West with a majority of 174 (48% of the vote) and will work alongside borough councillors Karen Chilvers and Dominic Naylor and County Cllr David Kendall.

    Sarah, a scientist, lives in Brentwood West with her children and is well known in the community. She is employed as a manager in a global pharmaceutical company.
  • Cllr Philip Mynott
    Mynott's Musings: The 2019 Election Results
    Article: May 4, 2019
    What an incredible night for the Liberal Democrats! Our five wins here (out of 11 fought) pushed the country's Lib Dem win total over the 700 seats mark - not a bad result for a party that was being written off in recent years! I just thought I'd comment on a couple of interesting things which emerge from a closer look at the results across Brentwood.
    The Brentwood Council website is stating that the Conservatives got 42% of the overall vote whereas we got 41%. However these figures actually involve rounding-off fractional percentages. By my calculations the overall number of unspoiled votes cast in Brentwood was 16,447. Of that total we gained 40.92%, whereas the Tories gained 41.56% - a wafer thin 0.64% gap. This is also a massive leap forward from last year, when the Tories got 45% of the vote and we only got 34.5%.
    Furthermore in terms of the actual totals, the Tories picked up 6836 votes this year, but the Lib Dems were right behind them, on 6731. In other words we were only 105 votes short of their total across the whole borough, and, of course, whereas they stood in all 12 seats up for election, we only stood in 11.
    It's also very telling that our vote across Brentwood last year was 6,149 (so we've gained 585 from a decreased turnout), whereas the Tories' vote was 8,111 (so they've lost 1,275). The Labour vote also went backwards (down from 2,491 last year (just slightly under 14%) to just 1,719 this time round (10.45%).
    Where we've been strongest recently we've consolidated, with Clly Vicky Davies getting more than 70% of the vote in the Pilgrims Hatch Lib Dem fortress for the second year running; Cllr Mark Lewis getting 57% of the vote in Brentwood North (with four parties standing, as against only three in Hatch); and Cllr Sarah Cloke winning the once knife-edge Brentwood West, against an ex-Mayor standing for the third time, with 48% of the vote (after Cllr Dominic Naylor's 51% against an unknown Tory last year).
    Where we've done well we've shot forward, with Cllr Jay Laplain getting 49.58% of the vote in Warley and Cllr Andy Fryd marvellously grabbing 54% in Shenfield, where we were 300 adrift last time round.
    But even where we weren't successful we've advanced significantly: Darryl Sankey in Ingatestone, Fryerning & Mountnessing continuing to reel the Tories in (202 behind last year, just 73 behind this year); Brenner Munden making ground on both Labour and the Tories in Brentwood South (370 behind Labour last year, just 228 behind this time); and Hugh Gorton on 39% against the Tories' 56% this time, after 27% (against 63%) previously.
    With a number of new members now looking to stand next year, and those who didn't quite make it this time still up for the fight, we are looking strong for 2020.
    Cllr Philip Mynott is deputy leader of the council group and has been councillor for Brentwood North since 2010.
  • Lib Dems celebrating in Brentwood (Martin Cuthbert)
    Brentwood Lib Dems celebrate significant wins!
    Article: May 3, 2019

    The Lib Dems are back across the UK!

    Here in Brentwood, we made four gains and held the seat we were defending.

    We won Brentwood North, Brentwood West, Shenfield, Pilgrims Hatch and Warley as well as increasing our vote share across the borough.

    Our group is now 13 and the Conservative majority has been cut from thirteen to just three.

  • Lib Dems in Brentwood (Karen Chilvers)
    Brentwood Liberal Democrats - Giving power back to local people
    Article: May 1, 2019

    Reasons to vote Liberal Democrat on Thursday 2 May 2019:

    • We will deliver openness, accountability and transparency in decision making for all.

    • We will work closely with residents and the business community to improve the commercial viability of the Borough.

    • We will strive to reach out and involve all sections of the community in taking Brentwood forward.

    • We will call for each ward to have dedicated Police Community Support Officer

    • We will fight any plans to close Shenfield and Ingatestone Libraries or cut the Brentwood Library hours

    • We will try and keep as many council services as possible based here in Brentwood

    • We will investigate the opportunities to install solar panels on council buildings to save energy and raise revenue

    • We will work closely with retailers across the Borough to re-energise our High Streets

    • We will keep challenging the Government's housing numbers for our borough and insist that the infrastructure is definitely put in place to support each development

    • We will try and deliver more affordable housing for Brentwood young people and for key workers like police, nurses, fire fighters and teachers

    • We will keep the weekly black bag collection.

  • Andy Fryd and Darryl Sankey at Shenfield Library (Karen Chilvers)
    Lib Dems continue their library campaign
    Article: May 1, 2019

    All Brentwood's Lib Dem candidates are fighting against the Conservatives' proposal to close libraries across Essex (including Ingatestone and Shenfield) and cut opening hours to others (including Brentwood).

  • clean air card (George Potter)
    Calling for clean air zones
    Article: Apr 8, 2019

    Liberal Democrat councillors called for Essex Council to take a lead on undertaking full assessments for clean air zones to tackle air pollution in February 2019. The Conservatives rejected the idea.

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