The Lib Dem group on Shepway Council has helped defeat an attempt by the ruling Tory group to put a massive 45% on to the council allowance paid to the Conservative Deputy Leader. The Deputy Leader, Cllr David Monk, stood to gain an extra £3,753 in addition to his current allowance of £8,247.
Shepway Council's web site at www.shepway.gov.uk has been "hacked" - removed from the internet by malicious computer users intent on disrupting the site. Shepway Lib Dem web master, Tim Prater, noticed the problem on Saturday afternoon at 2pm, and alerted the Council.
The government has announced today that adult passport fees will rise for the 6th time in eight years to £51, with the passport cost almost trebling since 1997. With a flexible return to France from the Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal costing around £44, the total cost of a cheap day return to France for a family of 4 now tops £200 including the required passports.
New figures obtained by Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, David Laws MP show that a shrinking proportion of people coming off Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) have been moving into work over the last six years. In the South East area, the percentage of those coming off JSA who had found work in 2005 is 40.4%, down from 50.2% in 1999.
In a keynote speech today to young people, Charles Kennedy has called for young people to given more respect by politicians, and made a call for the voting age to be lowered to 16 so that more youngsters can take part in elections and have a direct say in policies. Local Lib Dem campaigner Sam Matthews has strongly welcomed the call as reaffirming the Party's strong commitment to treating young people with respect.
Charles Kennedy has criticised the police for their support of a Bill to allow the detention of terror suspects for 90 days without charge. Charles said that Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, "overstepped the mark" in his endorsement of the controversial terror Bill.
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