Articles for the past week:

Leader:  Eastleigh – the good news      

News this past week:

1. Protection For Fishermen In The South East Is Long Overdue
2. Kitties Field Lights –  It’s On, It’s Off
3. Lib Dem Members Have Chosen Mike Thornton As Their Candidate For The Eastleigh By-Election

             WORTHING LIBERAL DEMOCRATS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
                                  3RD TO 9TH FEBRUARY 2013

Lib Dems will keep Worthing’s services local

Lib Dems will get on with bringing our town into the 21st century – no more dither and delay

Lib Dems will ensure ‘We are all in it together’ – no more waste and high pay

Lib Dems are the only opposition in Worthing – Labour can’t win here

Lib Dems support 20 mph in Worthing’s residential roads

Leader:  Eastleigh – the good news

Like so many others we were shocked and saddened by Chris Huhne pleading guilty this week to perverting the course of justice and to standing down as Member of Parliament for Eastleigh. It’s not good news – especially not for Eastleigh.  Liberal Democrats are only used to hearing good news from Eastleigh and we are certain there will be plenty more to come from this corner of Hampshire.  The by-election has been called for Thursday 28th February – just 18 days away. The first piece of good news was last night when Eastleigh Lib Dems chose an excellent candidate in local councillor Mike Thornton. Eastleigh Borough Council Leader Lib Dem Keith House endorsed Mike in an e-mail to party members saying “I’ve known Mike for more than five years. He’s proved himself to be a hard working and effective local parish and borough councillor. He will be a strong MP for Eastleigh residents and a valuable member of the Lib Dem Parliamentary team.”

Eastleigh has a special place in the hearts of Lib Dems because besides Mike Thornton being a councillor there are 39 other Lib Dems on the Borough Council and just four Tories.  In fact in the Eastleigh constituency itself all councillors are Lib Dems and there are no Tories.  Only last year when Lib Dems were suffering in local elections throughout the country Eastleigh Lib Dems increased their majority from 34 to 36.  Long time Lib Dem Leader Keith House and his colleagues worked their usual magic. Keith has visited Worthing Lib Dems in the past and we hoped some of that magic would rub off.  Perhaps it did as we gained one seat in the 2012 elections – not quite as good as Eastleigh but well and truly bucking the national trend.

Lib Dem ministers, MPs, councillors and activists are hitting the doorsteps and phones this weekend as they will be for the next 18 days and they have a good news story to tell on tax. On April ordinary workers will see the biggest ever rise in the personal allowance, making them £600 a year better off.  We’re in touching distance of our target of ensuring everyone can earn £10,000 before they start to pay tax.  If you want fairer taxes where people at the top pay their fair share and ordinary working families pay less, there’s only one party for you: the Liberal Democrats. Put simply: Liberal Democrats put payslips before palaces.

The first poll put the Tories 3% ahead of the Lib Dems in the by-election but there is better news this morning from the Survation poll in the Daily Mail which reverses the lead giving the Lib Dems a 3% advantage.  Three percent is statistically in the margin of error so it’s extremely close and we need to get out on those doorstep and hit those phones to ensure we have another Lib Dem MP fighting hard to get those fairer taxes.  That is why Worthing Lib Dems are organising a couple of car loads to go down to Eastleigh in the week beginning the 18th to get the message across.  If you want to join us to help create another historic victory in Eastleigh please lets us know by replying to this e-mail.  You will be very welcome.

We predict the result will be more good news.

Worthing Liberal Democrats  

NEWS FROM THE PAST WEEK

PROTECTION FOR FISHERMEN IN THE SOUTH EAST IS LONG OVERDUE

Wednesday 6th February – Extensive reforms to the EU Common Fisheries Policy are vital to protect trawler crews across the South East. MEPs today (Wednesday, February 6) voted in favour of a timetable aimed at stopping crews discarding unwanted fish. Catherine Bearder, a Lib Dem MEP for the South East, also backed at the European Parliament long-term plans to safeguard and replenish fish stocks. Meanwhile, efforts will now also be made to shift fisheries management to a regional level. Last month Catherine handed around 600 petition cards from South East residents to the EU fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki. Fishermen in Eastbourne also explained how extensive changes were needed to keep crews in business.
Catherine said: “This was a chance to make sweeping changes to stop our oceans from being purged by big fishing fleets. Not enough thought has ever been given to the long-term future of fish stocks, the environmental impact or local fishermen. Today we took the first steps to change that. This is an historic opportunity and time for EU fisheries ministers to prove changes can be made. Sustainability is key to protecting the industry and biodiversity in our oceans.Sustainable small-scale fishing in the South East is in danger of dying out. The EU has done its bit, now Governments must step up and save inshore fishing.”  (Catherine Bearder – Press Release)

KITTIES FIELD LIGHTS – IT’S ON, IT’S OFF       
Friday 8th February – Tonight should have seen the connection finally of the low level lighting in Kitties Field, Dominion Road making the park safe in evening hours. Low level lighting has been a wish of local residents for several years and the cause championed by Chris Poore as Chair of Broadwater Police Neighbourhood Panel for over two years. After pressure from local Broadwater councillors £33,000 for the provision of the lighting was added to the Worthing Borough Council capital programme for 2012-13 in November 2011.  Previously the scheme had scored too low to be included but an exception was made.   Although the lamp standards were in place last month electricity was only being connected today. But UK Power Networks hit a problem when undertaking the power connection and the cable they used was not suitable. Worthing Borough Council are awaiting a revised programme from UK Power Networks. Next on the wish list from residents and the police panel is replacement play equipment which is around 20 to 30 years old. Lib Dem Broadwater ward Councillor Victoria Taylor said:  “Hopefully this is just a short term hiccup as I am delighted that the lights are finally going live and the wish of the residents has now been achieved. The length of time that it has taken to get to this point has been very frustrating and I hope can be avoided as we now work towards replacing the play equipment in the park.”

LIB DEM MEMBERS HAVE CHOSEN MIKE THORNTON FOR THE EASTLEIGH BY-ELECTION

Saturday 9th February – Local Liberal Democrat members have chosen Mike Thornton as their candidate for the Eastleigh by-election. Mike is a popular local borough councillor, who has lived locally for 19 years, and has kept council tax bills down, while protecting front line local services. He has led local opposition to Conservative County Council cuts to libraries, children’s centres, buses and youth centres. As Eastleigh MP, Mike Thornton will fight to protect green spaces from Tory development and gravel extraction; work to bring more jobs and investment to the area (the 500 jobs and £60m a year into the local economy at the Lib Dem Council backed Ageas Bowl are a good start); and campaign to cut income tax for local workers – that’s on top the £600 a year tax cut that the Lib Dems have already won.  Voting Liberal Democrat will give Eastleigh residents an excellent local MP who will work to deliver a stronger economy in a fairer society, allowing everyone to get on in life. Mike Thornton is a business and development manager and has been a parish and borough councillor since 2007. He is involved with the annual Bishopstoke Carnival and is an active member of the local church. Mike lives with his wife and daughter in Bishopstoke. In his spare time, Mike enjoys playing squash and tennis.  (Liberal Democrats – Press Release)

DIARY

Wednesday 13th February – WBC Planning Committee – Gordon Room, Town Hall at 6.00 pm
Wednesday 13th February – Lib Dem Northbrook/Durrington Ward Surgery – The Durrington Community Centre, New Road 7.30 to 8.30 pm
Friday 15th February – WSCC Full Council (meeting to be webcast) – County Hall, Chichester at 10.30 am
Saturday 16th February – Lib Dem Castle Ward Surgery – St Richards Church, Maybridge at 10.00 am to 10.30 am
Saturday 16th February – Lib Dem Selden Ward Surgery – Jason’s Cafe, Ham Road at 10.00 am to 11.00 am
and every second Saturday of the month
Saturday 16th February – Lib Dem Gaisford/Tarring Castle Wards Surgery – West Worthing Baptist Church, South Street, Tarring 10.30 am to 12.00 noon

FURTHER AHEAD

Tuesday 19th February – WBC Full Council (Council Tax setting) – Council Chamber, Town Hall at 6.00 pm
Thursday 21st February – WSCC Policy and Resources Select Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 10.30 am
Monday 25th February – WSCC Standards Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 2.15 pm
Monday 26th February – WSCC Rights of Way Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 10.30 am
Tuesday 27th February – WSCC Environmental and Community Services Select Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 10.30 am
Thursday 28th February – ADC & WBC Joint Strategic Committee – Council Chamber, Adur Civic Centre at 6.30 pm
Saturday 2nd March – Lib Dem Castle Ward Surgery – The Strand Parade shops at 10.00 am to 11.00 am
and every first Saturday of the month
Saturday 2nd March – Lib Dem Central Ward Surgery – Sidney Walter Centre, Sussex Road 10.30 am to 12.00 noon
and every first Saturday of the month
Saturday 2nd March – Lib Dem Broadwater Ward Surgery – Muldoons Coffee Shop, Cricketers Parade, Broadwater 3.00 to 4.00 pm
and every first Saturday of the month

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Published and promoted by Worthing Liberal Democrats, 18 Woodlea Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1BN

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