Shepway Liberal Democrats were represented in force at the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Harrogate. Folkestone and Hythe Parliamentary Spokesman Toby Philpott and many other local members including Maureen Speller, Paul Kincaid, Tom McNeice, Darren Briddock, Season Prater, Tim Prater and Shaun Roberts all made the journey for the traditional launch to May's election campaign.
Kent Trading Standards have received a number of complaints from motorists alleging that their cars have required repairs as a result of being filled with contaminated petrol.
The Independent reports that the proposed expansion of Lydd Airport is "threatening the oldest reserve under the management of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds". Read the article in full at
On Saturday, Lydd Airport tested the take off and touch down of a 737 aircraft at Lydd Airport to show the impact the plane would have on the local area. Although the plane was not fully loaded, the pictures taken from Dunes Road, at the foot of the runway, show how close the plane would come to local houses. Lydd Airport has offered no compensation to the owners of houses in Dunes Road for its proposed runway extension, despite the threat of 3 planes an hour over their houses.
Kent Trading Standards have advised that a doorstep alarm seller is operating in the Folkestone area this week. He is described as a white male around 38-40 years old, wearing dark or black coloured clothing. He offers to fit alarm systems to properties. He is possibly travelling by foot and carrying a bag.
Lib Dem members in Shepway have been invited to take part in a web forum on Monday 26th February to answer questions on the Federal Policy Committee motion on Trident which will be debated at the Liberal Democrat UK conference in Harrogate.
Members of the public are "taking their lives into their own hands", by accessing the bus station using the most direct route, rather than using the marked crossings, according to local Lib Dem campaigner Gary Fuller.
Local Lib Dem campaigner Gary Fuller has described the ban on cars accessing parts of Sandgate Road at night as a "pointless waste of time" unless fully enforced after watching many cars breaking the rules.
The Gurkha justice petition on the Government e-petition web site closed last week with over 5,000 on-line signatures, and in response the Government has announced they are reviewing the arrangements for Gurkhas who left the army after July 1997.
Local Lib Dem campaigner Gary Fuller was shocked to discover last week that Kent County Council (KCC) had sent him the name, address, e-mail address and telephone number of a Maidstone resident who, like himself, had made use of their on-line fault reporting system to report broken street lights and other local issues.
A version of the classic anti-war song 'WAR - What is it good for?' is to be released by Tony Blair's "re-formed" university band Ugly Rumours. The producers of the record say: "We need your help to embarrass Tony Blair. If Blair is in the charts, the media will have to report the success of "his" anti-war hit. To have a top 20 hit in the UK you need only approximately 5000 sales. The track costs £1.50 and we will donate all profits to Stop the War Coalition."
There is a meeting of the newly formed Dover, Deal and Shepway NO2ID branch this Monday 19th February at 8:30pm at The Red Lion, Charlton Green, Dover. NO2ID is the UK-wide, non-partisan campaign opposing the government's planned ID card and National Identity Register. It campaigns for the abolition of the ID scheme and repeal of the Identity Cards Act 2006.
