You may have read in the newspapers about how Gordon Brown spoke to me earlier this week about offering ministerial jobs to Liberal Democrat members of the House of Lords.
The Preliminary Agenda for the party's autumn Brighton conference is now available on the party website at www.libdems.org.uk/conference
Shepway Lib Dems have been amongst the first to assist in a key Kent County Council by-election in Maidstone, caused by the sad death last month of County Councillor Margaret Featherstone. The by-election for the Maidstone North East Division will be held on 12 July.
The MP for Ealing Southall, Piara Khabra, has sadly died aged 82. He had been the Labour MP for Ealing Southall since the 1992 General Election. The oldest member of the House of Commons, Mr Khabra, was reported as having been been undergoing treatment for liver problems.
The BBC report that residents across Shepway and East Kent are spending the day mopping up after a night of storms on Tuesday evening brought flooding and power cuts to thousands of homeowners. Two inches of torrential rain fell in places between around 6 and 9.30pm, with parts of Folkestone, New Romney and Dover the worst affected.
We have had a huge number of objections from across Folkestone to your proposal to close the Folkestone Central Post office and replace it with a franchise facility in WHSmith on Sandgate Road. Please find enclosed the current signatories from both postal and online petitions - numbering in their hundreds - who object to your proposals.
Shepway residents are being urged to be on their guard after a Dymchurch man was cold called and was asked if he wanted his driveway tarmacked. He refused initially but the caller pressured him into agreeing. He was told he would only be able to pay cash.
How good it is to see our outgoing MP, Michael Howard, support a decision granting leave to a Gurkha to stay in our country. It is only right that we support a man who fought for our country and Tul Bahadur Pun VC deserves our sincerest gratitude. It is a sign of our thanks and recognition of his bravery that Tul should be allowed to come here.
A statement to Shepway District Council last night by East Kent NHS Facilities Director Howard Jones confirmed that the NHS Trust are continuing with their plan to sell the main building of the Royal Victoria Hospital, probably for residential development.
Shepway Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion slamming the Council treatment of Folkestone businessman Anthony Cowie by Shepway District Council and calling for his case to to reviewed as soon as possible. The motion will be debated at the Shepway District Council full council meeting on Wednesday 13 June.
The Liberal Democrats on Shepway District Council have presented a wide ranging set of questions to Wednesday evenings full Council meeting. The subjects cover issues from recycling, public liability insurance, the state of the Leas bandstand, Veterans Day, freedom bus passes and the future of the Folkestone Post Office.
Last week I attended the premier of Taking Liberties. It's a new feature film about how Tony Blair and New Labour have been steadily taking away our civil liberties. Love it or loathe it, it's very thought provoking and led to a heated panel discussion between myself, Shami Chakrabati, Ken Loach, Clive Anderson and others after the screening. You can see the trailer at http://www.noliberties.com/trailer.htm
