Brentwood Liberal Democrats

In November 2017 Sajid Javid, the Conservative Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, wrote to Cllr McKinlay, leader of the Conservative dominated council, threatening to intervene in the process and take over responsibility of writing the Local Plan. Certainly an embarrassing development for Brentwood and a move that would be disastrous for local people.

Millions of Jewish families and friends across the world will come together tonight to celebrate Passover.

They will reflect on the struggle of the Jewish people to be free.

For people of all faiths and none, the story told at Passover is a reminder of the importance of freedom, and standing up for the oppressed.

Swinson's report, which outlines the use of plastics by all major Easter egg manufacturers, highlights the need for companies to cut down the use of plastics to protect our oceans and reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic waste ending up in landfills.

Key findings of the report:

• According to recent figures, 147.7 million hollow Easter Eggs are sold each year.
An average Easter Egg box as found in this report contains 22 grams of plastic packaging, so this could mean over 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year from hollow Easter Eggs alone.

Parking is banned on Chelmer Valley Road as from tomorrow (30th March 2018). Lib Dem County Councillors Stephen Robinson and Mike Mackrory represent the area that it runs through and have been lobbying for a long time for action. Every day people take their life in their hands and brake sharply to go up the kerb onto the grass verges.

We're launching the BIGGEST most AMBITIOUS campaign the Liberal Democrats have ever run outside an election.

Why?

Quite simply, we want to stop Brexit.

And why now?

Well, it's a year since Theresa May's calamitous government triggered 'Article 50', formally starting the process for the UK to leave the EU.

A UK torn apart from its closest friends and neighbours is not a future we want and not a future we are going to stand by and let happen.

I couldn't have been prouder of Lynne Featherstone and the Liberal Democrats in government when we changed the law in England, bringing in equal marriage.

It is, without doubt, one of the best things our party did in government.

Equal Marriage is, without doubt, one of the best things the Liberal Democrats did in Government.

Today, I've written to the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Yvette Cooper, calling on her to investigate the alleged illegal activity of Vote Leave.

I believe that the Home Affairs Select Committee should immediately launch an enquiry into the serious accusations against the Vote Leave campaign, including deliberate overspending, illegal coordination and a significant cover-up of their relationship with the smaller campaign group BeLeave.

The allegations against Cambridge Analytica, and the legal opinions of Helen Mountfield QC and Clare Montgomery, only strengthen the case for an urgent investigation.

If true, these allegations call into question the very foundations of our democracy, and I have no doubt Yvette will agree with me that full disclosure must be given to Parliament and the British public on this extremely serious matter.

Although it is a step in the right direction for Theresa May to take a long-term approach to funding the NHS, it is not clear whether the government will commit to new revenue streams to fund the health service.

This is despite the fact that over 100 MPs have taken the same view as the Liberal Democrats in backing an examination of a hypothecated tax, to protect the future of the NHS and social care.

We hope that the Prime Minister will take the first vital step by supporting the Liberal Democrat plan to raise essential extra revenue for the NHS and social care by putting up income tax by a penny in the pound.

'Period poverty' - it's a phrase that only a couple of years ago barely even existed.

Yet, that all changed last March when the media reported of girls in Leeds who had routinely been missing school because they couldn't afford menstrual products.

People's reaction was, understandably, a mix of shock and disbelief. How on earth have we reached a point, in this day and age, where young people are having to miss out on education because they can't afford essential sanitary products?

The Oxford West and Abingdon MP will sponsor Labour MP Conor McGinn's Marriage (Same Sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Bill in the House of Commons on Wednesday (28th March), along with Conservative MP Nick Herbert and the Green Party's Caroline Lucas.

The legislation would allow same-sex couples in Northern Ireland to get married and would bring the law in line with England, Wales and Scotland.

The Bill received cross-party support from local parties in the province where the legislative assembly had previously voted in favour of it, but with the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly it has fallen to the Westminster Parliament to address the issue.

Speaking about her attempt to change the law, Layla said:

"Delivering same-sex marriage in England is one of the proudest achievements of the Liberal Democrats' time in coalition government - but sadly many couples in Northern Ireland are not allowed to marry the person they love.

"I'd much rather that this decision was taken by local politicians in Belfast, but given that it doesn't seem the Assembly will be up and running again soon, I believe that Westminster MPs are right to change the law to provide marriage equality for everyone.

"It is a real honour and a privilege to be sponsoring this legislation. I hope that all parties will now support it and make sure it becomes law as quickly as possible so that everyone, in all parts of the United Kingdom, no matter where they live or who they love, can get married."

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Karen Bradley said the Government would allow a free vote due to it being a matter of conscience.