Conservative plans to give everyone over 65 a rebate on their council tax were attacked by Totnes Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Mike Treleaven as 'an unfair and totally inadequate way of dealing with the problem of high council tax'. Speaking after the Michael Howard's announcement he said:
The first full Election Court for thirty years yesterday begun sitting to looking in the allegations that six Labour Councillors and their agents committed postal vote fraud in last year's local elections.
Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate Jonathan Lees was asking people for their views on parking restrictions in South Street and High Street, Epsom last Saturday. He was joined by other members of the Lib Dem FOCUS team, including County Councillor Colin Taylor and Woodcote ward borough council candidate Lionel Blackman. Over 200 surveys were completed in one morning.
The Liberal Democrat group on Shepway District Council is demanding that the Council's budget for 2005/06 be changed to eliminate an increase in councillors' allowances contained in the proposals being made by the controlling Conservative group.
Liberal Democrats are still the only party campaigning for abolition of Council Tax and its replacement by a local income tax related to the ability to pay. They believe that this is a fairer way for people to pay for the many services provided by councils and they have had enormous support for it across the country. Many experts in local government believe that the government has ducked the issue by ordering another unnecessary enquiry that will not report until after the next General election.
The District Council's Liberal Democrats, supported by Labour and Loughton Resident members, mounted a strong challenge to the Tory Cabinet portfolio holder's attempt to persuade the Council to continue negotiations with Sport and Leisure Management, a commercial company, to take over the management of the council's leisure centres.