Lib Dem Peers rebel on Welfare reform Bill
There is much public misunderstanding about the nature of coalition government.
Some people think that the Liberal Democrat Party has disappeared and we are all closet Conservatives now. Not So. The Liberal Democrats are alive and well. We have our own ethos and our own policies. There are policy areas where we agree with Conservatives and there are areas where the coalition agreement has defined policy. Those our parliamentarians generally are bound to support. Where cabinet has discussed and agreed policy then any of our MPs and Peers who hold government office have to support it. But that does not mean that we are not still fighting for the things we believe in.
Witness the fight against Lansley’s attmepts to break up the NHS. See posts elsewhere.
And now the House of Lords has inflicted three defeats on the Government’s Welfare Reform Bill. 14 Liberal Democrat Peers voted against the Bill. Peers defeated the proposal that Employment Support Allowance (ESA) for severely disabled children should be means tested. They also raised the proposed limit on ESA from one year to two years, and removed the limit for cancer patients.
We have, of course, not heard the end of this story. The Government may well try to reverse the decisions of the House of Lords, but if you believe in supporting the most vulnerable in our society now would be a good time to contact your MP or any contacts you may have in the House of Lords.
Liberal Democrats joined the coalition because we felt it was in the best interests of the country. We joined the coalition because we believe in democracy, and though we would have like the country to have voted overwhelmingly for Liberal Democrat policies, unfortunately they did not. And just as we promised before the election we spoke firt to the Party that had won the greatest support from the electorate. But the Liberal Democrats have not disappeared.
Liberal Democrats are alive and well!
Theresa May’s cat.
The Tories are showing their ugly side at conference this week. They want to allow the unfair dismissal of employees and to abolish the Human Rights Act.
I am not sure if it is better or worse for the fact that they justify policy on the basis of a false story about a cat.
See the BBC clip where Theresa May claims that a man could not be deported because of a cat.
Maybe a bit late to show you this!
Alternative Vote: it’s common sense.
Some people will say ‘No’ to anything
Sorry, a bit ‘twee’ I know. Video courtesy of Unlock Democracy.
Vote Yes if you want your vote to count
Under our present system only one third of MPs are elected by a majority of those voting.
Over half our MPs are elected in “safe seats”. Those seats have not changed party in 100 years.
Local Doctor leading the fight for the NHS
Dr Charles West, local doctor and parliamentary spokesman for Shrewsbury and Atcham Liberal Democrats is proposing two important amendments to a health policy motion at the Liberal Democrat Conference later this week.
Dr West said:
“The government is planning the biggest shake up in the NHS for decades and it will threaten health services in Shropshire.
“We have seen creeping privatisation of the NHS under previous Labour and Conservative governments, but this new bill will open the floodgates. The government will require healthcare commissioners to buy from ‘any willing provider’. Unfortunately the private providers will be only too willing to offer to do the straight forward and easy work, and they will leave the difficult, the complicated and often that will mean the older patient to be cared for by NHS hospitals. If our hospitals lose too much custom they will not survive, so our local hospitals will not be there when we need them..
“In addition the government plan to abolish Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). GPs will be expected to do most of the work. But most GPs do not have the time, inclination or skills to pick up all this work, so private companies will step in to take it on for them. Already one of the pilot groups has employed a large American company to handle their contracts. That American company also sells Healthcare to the NHS. The opportunities for corruption, collusion and manipulation of referrals are seriously worrying.
“I am proposing two amendments to highlight these dangers and I have been getting support from Liberal Democrats all over the country. Over a hundred delegates including MPs, candidates and party officers have already committed to supporting us.”
Lib Dems win in Shrewsbury
Liberal Democrat leaders welcomed a new Councillor for Shropshire Council this morning after taking the Quarry and Coton Hill division from the Conservatives.
Welcoming the Result Dr Charles West said:
“Andrew Bannerman has lived and worked in Shrewsbury and for Shrewsbury for many years. He cares passionately for the town and has campaigned on traffic issues, tourism and for better facilities for young people. He is just the sort of councillor we need to see working for the local community and we are delighted to see that his contribution has been recognised.”
Heather Kidd added:
“This election was hard fought but most importantly we had a great candidate. Andrew Bannerman will make an excellent councillor for this town centre Divison. The people have chosen the best man for the job. I am delighted that they recognised that fact above the party politics which began to raise its head in the last few days.”
In a four way vote Andrew Bannerman for the Liberal Democrats took 356 votes 41.8%
Conservative 268 votes 31.5%
Labour 197 votes 23.1%
Independent 30 votes 3.5%.
New proposals could affect Shropshire’s 25,000 on Housing Benefit.
The Coalition government has announced a series of proposed changes to the way support is given to those in need housing support. The key features likely to affect Shropshire are:
• a reduction in the maximum Local Housing Allowance level (the level of rent housing benefit will pay for) from the current 50% of average housing costs in the area to 30%.
• a further reduction of Local Housing Allowance after one year of unemployment
• a rise in rents charged by housing associations. Currently this is limited to 50% of the average local rents , and it may rise to 80%.of open market rents.
• an increase in the maximum housing benefit that can be paid to disabled people who need a carer.
• an increase in the maximum housing benefit that can be paid if there is an extra adult in the house.
• the removal of guaranteed tenancy for life for new tenants.
• much less grant funding to build more houses.
Commenting, Dr Charles West from Shrewsbury Liberal Democrats said,
“I welcome the additional benefits for the disabled, but it would seem perverse to increase housing association rents at the same time as reducing the amount claimable in Local Housing Allowance. I have concerns that people on low incomes will be forced to live in poorer quality homes which may be less well insulated and actually cost more to heat.”
Heather Kidd from Ludlow Liberal Democrats said,
“Many of the principles behind this are fine but I am still worried that many ordinary people may be penalised when they are in work. I am also concerned that the Coalition makes sure that if a parent in Shropshire is out of work for more than a year that the children are not plunged into poverty.”
If local residents wish to comment on any of the proposals for housing support they should write to the Department for Communities and Local Government (address below).
Frances Walker
Department for Communities and Local Government
Eland House, Zone 1/G9, Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DU
