More than a quarter of elderly people in care homes are being forced to ask family and friends to come up with hundreds of pounds a month towards their bills even though they qualify to have them paid for, research from Age UK has claimed. Its research found that a total of 56,000 people in […]

The Lib Dem campaign for the County Council elections was given an extra boost yesterday. Jo Swinson, the MP for East Dunbartonshire and Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs wished the Preston Lib Dems all the best in their campaign. Leader of the Lib Dem group, Cllr Bill Winlow and Group Whip, Cllr […]

We have delivered over 3000 surveys to homes in Preston West and in survey after survey, you have told us that Dog Mess is something you really care about. You, like us, think that all owners should clear up after their dogs – and if they don’t, you, like us, think they should be fined. […]

Today was a great day at Preston Planning Committee when the CEG proposal for the development of land to the north of Hoyles Lane and east of Sidgreaves Lane was unanimously refused, mainly due to highways and drainage issues. Thanks to everyone who has written in to object to this proposal and to Lancashire County […]

“It’s very sad to have to say this, but I believe Preston City Council is not sustainable as an independent authority in the long term. In the ten years I have been a Councillor, the number of employees has reduced by well over half, and we cannot sustain any more cuts  without front line services – like emptying the bins […]

Today’s Telegraph reports that Conservative MPs are to fight against moves to relax planning rules to allow homeowners to extend their homes as much as 20ft without planning permission. It says that a growing group of Conservatives in the Commons led by Zac Goldsmith will next week vote against the policy, part of the Coalition’s […]

The National Union of Teachers has said that millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is being wasted by opening secondary schools in areas that already have a surplus of places. Research carried out by the union found that the Government has approved the opening of 28 secondary “free schools” despite large numbers of spare places […]

People often blame Brussels and the Common Fisheries Policy for doing-down small fishermen. But NW Liberal Democrat MEP, Chris Davies, reports that it is national governments that decide what share of each country’s fishing opportunities will go to the small scale boats and what to the big boys. This week Chris organised a seminar in […]

Tue 26th March 2013,   Julian Huppert. Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge, wrote:  On Monday the Home Affairs Select Committee published yet another damning report of the UK Border Agency. We found that, in addition to the half million undetermined immigration and asylum cases, UKBA were failing to deal with new immigration cases. It is no […]

BBC News says that Preston City Council is to publish images in a local paper of people dropping litter. The authority said 2,200 tonnes of litter and fly tipping dropped in the city cost taxpayers £2m a year and hoped that the publication of the images would lead fines and prosecutions.