From today councils across England, including Shepway, have new parking powers including the right to use CCTV to detect offences and to send Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) by post if the offence was spotted on photos or CCTV, or even if the vehicle is driven away after an offence is identified but before a ticket can be issued.
The Shepway Liberal Democrat web site at www.shepwaylibdems.org.uk is 6 years old this month and has just clocked up its THOUSANDTH news story! The site features local new, details of Lib Dem campaigns, national Lib Dem updates and views, and is one of Shepway's most frequently updated political web site.
A new petition has been launched calling on the Prime Minister to give all Ex Gurkha soldiers and their families who have served our country British citizenship on leaving the service.
At 8pm this Saturday 29th March, Kent radio station Invicta FM want all Kent residents to switch off lights for one hour to inspire people to take action on climate change. It's for a project called Earth Hour, to raise awareness about global warming.
Trudy Dean, Leader of the Lib Dems on Kent County Council will ask the Conservative and Labour groups to join the Lib Dems in support of the Gurkhas. A motion in support of the Gurkhas cause will be moved by the Liberal Democrats at the next full meeting of Kent County Council on 3rd April.
Globalisation is changing our world. Liberal Democrats have generally welcomed it - as well as putting forward views about how we should seek to influence its development.
Award winning artists Leigh Mulley and Charlotte Harris are turning the Grocery Gallery into an open studio this Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 4pm. The popular local artists, who exhibit internationally, are rarely seen creating their work but this weekend they will be painting in the Grocery Gallery in the Old High Street, Folkestone.
It's been 100 days since I was elected leader of the Liberal Democrats - and I wanted to update you on the progress we've been making. It's a huge privilege to be your leader at such an exciting time.
Many messages of support have come in for the Gurkha justice campaign and demonstration held in Westminster on 19th March. If you would like to have your say too, visit http://tinyurl.com/2dtbyn or email mail@shepwaylibdems.org.uk - we will publish a selection of comments submitted.
Thanks to Cllr Carey for pointing out in last weeks Herald that the Liberal Democrats opposed the Shepway Council budget. The Conservative budget saw a massive increase in the expenditure on "strategy and leadership", but precious little for improving front line services such as street cleaning or safety. The budget also saw the Council Tax raised as far as possible without capping, some Council fees raised hugely, and the introduction of the Councils new £35 Garden Tax on recycling. What's not to oppose?
Liberal Democrats are rightly proud of the fact that we remain the only major party to be internally democratic. Unlike the other parties, party policy can only be decided by the democratic vote of the representatives of the party membership, after debate at the party conference.
Cllr Carey put the case in a letter to the Herald last week that a Council's budget is the 'single most important work the Council does'.
