Cantelowes Lib Dems have called on MP Frank Dobson to support a Liberal Democrat climate change motion. The motion, which would pledge Government and Parliament to cut emissions by 10% in 2010, will be debated in Parliament on Wednesday.

In a move supported by democratic action group 38 Degrees and the UK Youth Delegation to the Copenhagen climate change summit, the Liberal Democrats are trying to get Government and Parliament to join one of the biggest public movements to stop climate change. The Liberal Democrats became the first political party to sign up to the campaign at the party conference in September. Lib Dem-led councils like Camden have already signed up and are leading the way on cutting emissions.

Although Gordon Brown is using the right language, Labour’s actions in government show how false their environmental promises are.  Airport expansion and plans for more dirty coal power stations are just two examples of how Labour is failing to tackle climate change.

The Tories are even worse: fancy words from David Cameron and slick green branding can’t hide the fact that Conservative members of the London Assembly walked out of a meeting to defeat a Lib Dem proposal to sign London up to the 10:10 campaign.  Now a senior Conservative MP has said what many in his party believe: that climate change, the biggest and most urgent challenge facing us today, is a myth.

This is a huge opportunity to take a big step towards fighting climate change - and the Lib Dems are the only party with the policies, the ideas and the determination to make a real difference. The Lib Dem motion to commit Parliament to the 10:10 campaign would be a big step forward - and couldn’t come at a more crucial time. Signing up to 10:10 wouldn’t just cut emissions in Parliament - it would be Parliament showing leadership, encouraging big business, the public sector and other countries to take a stand as well. With the major climate change summit at Copenhagen coming up in a few weeks, Parliament signing up to 10:10 could have a huge impact.

Local Councillor Ben Rawlings has written to Frank Dobson MP to ask him to support the motion on Wednesday. Please take a moment to contact your MP and ask them to support this golden opportunity to make a real difference on climate change.

As the full effects of Labour’s recession start to bite and vital funds are squandered on headline-grabbing gimmicks, local services are being put at risk. One such service that is always vulnerable to budget cuts is local libraries. The library service, and particularly the Archives and Local Studies Centre, is much-loved by local residents – and is a priority for your local Lib Dem team.

When the Liberal Democrats became the largest party in Camden we promised to support our libraries, increasing opening hours and provide extra money for books. Both of these promises have been delivered. In times of financial difficulty, libraries are often a ‘soft option’ for making savings – but Lib Dem-led Camden has rejected this approach. Back in 2006 we fought and won against proposals to close at least one of Camden’s smaller libraries and the mobile library service.

But as money gets ever tighter, we need to make sure our libraries are modern, effective and efficient to protect them against future threats and closure. This means preserving all the vital and positive qualities of the service, at the same time as bringing it up-to-date to serve the needs of an ever-changing society.

A staff-led review of how libraries are run has produced recommendations to update the complex and incoherent staff structure that has developed haphazardly over many years. The new technology being introduced isn’t a threat to libraries, but a lifeline – by reducing costs and making the service more modern it helps guard against the threat of closure and opens up libraries to a new generation of people who are currently rejecting libraries in favour of the internet. It also frees library staff to concentrate on the important work – including making libraries relevant again, reinventing themselves to bring in new generations of people in the same way that London’s museums have.

One area that is being looked at is the Archives and Local History Centre. It seems that some of the draft proposals could see a downgrading of the service and a loss of staff. Cllr Flick Rea, the Lib Dem Executive Member for Culture who is a passionate advocate for Camden’s libraries, has ordered that these proposals be reconsidered. The Archives and Local History Centre is a vital and well-loved resource that needs properly qualified staff: any changes to the library service more generally must see the Archives and Local History service retained and strengthened.

For the Liberal Democrats, knowledge and learning are the most powerful and valuable drivers of individual and social progress. We understand the value and importance of history, as a driving force for change and a wise guide for the future. We’ve fought to protect and improve our libraries, and so far we’ve won. Now we need to make the changes that will protect and enhance our libraries, and our local history service, for future generations.

As polling puts Labour in third place for the first time in decades, it’s clear that the Lib Dems are the only choice for progressive politics and a fairer society - but only you can seize this opportunity for change.

Recent surveys by respected pollsters Ipsos-Mori has shown a surge in support for the Liberal Democrats, pushing them into second place as support for Labour falls even further. Just as Labour rapidly overtook the Liberal Party in the early part of the last century, with their better understanding of the need for collectivist action, so now the Lib Dem understanding of the need to give power back to the people is overtaking Labour’s outdated and fundamentally-flawed obsession with state control.

While Labour have launched a full-scale assault on civil liberties and the freedom and control of the British public - intrusive and ineffective ID cards, a DNA database of innocent people and children, an illegal war in Iraq against the clear wishes of the public, an entire generation demonised and criminalised by a torrent of headline-grabbing but ineffective laws - the Lib Dems have been ahead of the curve, calling it right ahead of any other party on the Gurkhas, on the economy, on MPs expenses, on ID cards and on the environment.

While Gordon Brown offers nothing but rehashed policies and broken promises - including stealing money from plans already agreed to invest in social housing to fund a vote-grabbing scheme to build a few new houses - the Lib Dems offer thought-out, evidenced and costed alternatives that would make a real difference to our country: smaller class sizes; a fairer, greener tax system that benefits normal, working people and takes the lowest paid out of tax altogether; a new politics that gives power back to the people and holds MPs and Parliament accountable and transparent; measures that will be effective in tackling crime and making our neighbourhoods safer, while protecting our fundamental freedoms.

Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, argues: “If you want things to be different, really different, choose the party that is different.” The Liberal Democrats are different. We believe in people, not outdated and extreme ideologies that have little relevence to everyday life. We are the only party where policy is made democratically, by our members. We believe in making a difference, not in empty rhetoric and soundbites. We’re not funded by big business, wealthy doners or Trade Unions - we’re funded by individuals like you, a million small donations that keep us dependent on and answerable to the people who should matter - you.

We are different - but if we are going to seize this opportunity to make a real difference for our country, we need your support. We’re different because we rely on volunteers, people like you who help by donating, by delivering our local Focus newsletters, by getting involved in local activity and standing for election. If you can help us in any way - however small - to make our neighbourhood and our country a better place, get in touch.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has pledged to bring in automatic payouts on unfair bank charges, in a radical and unprecedented step to make banking fairer.

In response to a campaign by the MoneySavingExpert website, Nick Clegg and Vince Cable have promised to table a motion in Parliament in the autumn. Their motion would require all banks and building societies to automatically compensate customers who have been hit by unfair fees and charges.

It is the first time a political party has taken a stance on the issue, and it’s a radical and unprecedented step - it could mean a guaranteed payout to millions of people. In his letter to the MoneySavingExpert website, Nick Clegg argued; “I couldn’t agree more about the scandalous nature of these charges. The principle should be established that bank charges must be transparent and cost-based. [Automatic payback of unfair bank charges] struck me as an extremely good idea that we should do all we can to put in place.”

Martin Lewis, the creator of MoneySavingExpert, welcomed Nick Clegg’s support. “Finally, one party has had the balls to take a stance, and it’s an unexpectedly brave one, pushing reclaiming to the max. Now it’s up to Messrs Brown and Cameron to respond.”

Read the full story here.

Local Councillor Paul Braithwaite and Lib Dem Leisure chief Cllr Flick Rea were recently given a tour of the work-in-progress that is the Kentish Town Baths and Sports Centre.  They were accompanied by the Bartholomew Area Residents’ Association (BARA) chairman, Des Bradley, who took valuable video footage.

The site is making tremendous progress and it seems that the builders, Wates, are doing a sensitive and loving job on the restoration.  To their credit, thus far, there have been no injuries.  The renovation is ahead of schedule and my guess is we may see the refurbished baths open not in the autumn of next year but some time in the summer of 2010.  The polythene covers that conceal the roof at present are due to be removed by this August to reveal a beautiful brand new slate roof which should last another 100 years as a fine legacy to Camden’s Victorian heritage.

It is a crowning manifesto commitment achievement of Camden Lib Dems that, despite Labour’s recession, these Baths (built in 1901) are being so lovingly restored.  The two adult pools AND the learner pool will be fully restored.  Additionally there will be a huge state of the art gym and a studio space for yoga, aerobics, dance and Pilates.

Local Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner Jo Shaw has attacked the new Home Secretary for ploughing ahead with the wasteful £5.6bn ID card scheme.

Despite announcements by Home Secretary Alan Johnson that ID cards would no longer be compulsory, Labour is pressing ahead with plans to place information on everybody on a national identity database whenever they apply for a passport. Johnson also announced the “acceleration” of the introduction of ID cards for foreign nationals. While trying to pretend that they are listening to the people, they are actually pushing forward with the unpopular, dangerous and wasteful plan.

“The announcement that ID cards will not be compulsory should mean that the wasteful £5.6bn ID card scheme is dead in the water,” Jo explained, “but Gordon Brown’s Government doesn’t have the guts to pull the plug”.

“Millions have already been wasted on this white elephant scheme, but it’s not too late for the Government to kill off this project that needs to be put out of its misery.

“Given how much people are hurting because of Labour’s recession, and how much of our hard-earned money is paying off Labour’s debt, it’s unforgivable to carry on with the introduction by stealth of a costly scheme that nobody wants or needs.”

The Lib Dems are committed to ending the ID Card scheme, and investing the money to put an extra 10, 000 police officers on our streets.

The Holborn & St Pancras MP Frank Dobson was one of the majority of Labour MPs that lined up to back the Government’s Identity Cards Bill in 2006. A fortnight ago he backed Gordon Brown’s stance that the inquiry into the disastrous Iraq war should largely be held in secret, and conducted by grandees hand-picked by Brown.

Local councillor Fred Carver commented; “Whether it’s on the wasteful ID card scheme, or Brown’s disgraceful secrecy over Iraq, Frank Dobson has proven himself to be one of Gordon Brown’s most slavish supporters.

“It’s not too late for him to stand with the Liberal Democrats and local people, and condemn his Government for throwing good money after bad.”

For more information on the wasteful ID Card scheme and why it must be defeated, visit the NO2ID campaign website.

As part of the Lib Dem commitment to changing the way we do politics to make it fairer, more transparent and more accountable, Nick Clegg has been getting out of the Westminster bubble and holding open meetings across the UK - no script, no planted questions, just an open, genuine public question time.

In another example of breaking the mould of politics, Nick was the first party leader to speak at Glastonbury.  In another first, on Monday Nick will be holding a public question and answer session live online.

Nick explained; “Every week I travel around the country to meet people in their local town halls and listen to their views. Anyone can come along and ask me (just about) anything and in return I get a pretty good picture of how people across the UK feel about politics and how they are being affected by the recession.

“Next week I am going to do another of my public Q&A meetings, but this time it is going to be live and online so that you can ask me your questions from home, your work or wherever you happen to be online. There will be no script and no special invitations - just get in touch and ask a question on subjects that concern you.”

Local councillor Ben Rawlings supports Nick Clegg’s efforts to break out of the Westminster bubble and listen to real people. “This has never been done before. Nick’s town hall meetings across the UK are fantastic - no script, no speeches, just honest and genuine answers. But by facing the people at Glastonbury and live online - where people can send in questions by email or even Twitter - he’s really reaching out to people who have been excluded by the yah-boo, childish politics of Westminster.

The Lib Dem campaign for a one-hour bus ticket, allowing pay-as-you-go Oyster Card users to pay once per trip, is gathering momentum. Add your support now and help get a fairer deal for bus users.

London Lib Dems believe that a fair bus fare is when you pay once to get from point A to point B, regardless of how many buses you need to take. This is how the tube works, and how buses and trams in many major cities around the world work too. Oyster Card pay-as-you-go users are being cheated, having to pay for each bus they take when they’re only making a single trip.

Cantelowes is quite well connected by bus routes - but many trips require more than one bus. The 390 takes you to Kings Cross, for example, and the 29 and 253 to Camden Town - both are large hubs, where you can get a bus to many parts of London.

The Lib Dems are campaigning for a one-hour bus ticket - just like they have in major cities around the world - to give bus users a fare deal and encourage more people to use public transport. Already hundreds of people have signed the petition - you can show your support by signing up here. The campaign also has a Facebook group. It really can make a difference - the Lib Dems campaigned for half price bus and tram fares for the unemployed, to help them travel around the city to go to job interviews. It took a few years, but finally it happened! So with your support, we can really make a difference and make public transport better.

After a steep rise in unemployment levels across London, the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Conservative Mayor of London to promote a scheme to help jobseekers travel around the capital.

Over two years ago, Leader of London Assembly Lib Dems Mike Tuffrey proposed half-price bus and tram travel for people on Job Seeker’s Allowance, to enable them to travel around the city in their search for employment. Earlier this year Boris Johnson finally acknowledged the benefits of the Lib Dem proposal. Now, as unemployment figures soar due to Labour’s recession, Mike has been calling on the Mayor to promote the scheme to jobseekers.

Mike said; “No one should be forced to turn down an interview because they can’t afford a bus fare. Yet Boris Johnson has put up fares this year by 11% - three times the rate of inflation. At present an unemployed person on JSA, with a weekly income of just £47, will end up paying £2 for a return trip to an interview. If they pay their fares in cash the fares will be £4.

“When you are on such a low income cheaper travel can make a world of difference to getting back to work.”

Thanks to this Lib Dem scheme, people on Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) or the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for more than 13 weeks can claim half-price bus and tram fares. For more information on how to claim go to www.tfl.gov.uk/discountcard or ‘phone 0845 330 9876

In a week when the Conservative Mayor of London got caught out in the expenses scandal, your Liberal Democrat London Assembly Members have been working to hold the Mayor to account and improve life for Londoners.

This week saw revelations that one of Boris Johnson’s hand-picked deputies has been using a taxpayer-funded credit card to upgrade flights and buy meals and groceries over the last 9 months. Lib Dem Assembly Member Mike Tuffrey has been leading the call to hold the Mayor to account and called upon him to answer three specific questions;

“Boris Johnson’s pledge in the last election to restore trust in City Hall finances now rings very hollow. First, over a period of nine months Ian Clement repeatedly broke City Hall rules about personal spending. Why did Boris Johnson allow this to continue?

“Second, why is Boris Johnson still allowing his senior staff to bill taxpayers for taking each other out to lunch and dinner?

“Third, will Boris Johnson now agree to publish the full expense details of all his senior staff, so the public can judge just what sort of regime is he running at City Hall?”

Lib Dem Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon has also been calling for a new approach to upgrading the tube, saving money and creating less problems for tube users; as well as campaigning for Oyster Card access to London’s train services and for a fairer deal for Oyster users on buses.

You can contact the Mayor of London to ask him about the expenses claims - his contact details are here.  To get in touch with your Liberal Democrat Assembly Members, visit their website here.

 Today London goes to the polls to elect its Members of the European Parliament - and your vote can make a real difference.

Europe is important: it makes decisions that genuinely affect our lives. It is the place where we can tackle the problems that are too big for Britain to tackle alone - climate change, the economic crisis, cross-border crime and international terrorism. But it needs to change - it needs to be more open, more transparent and more efficient.

The Liberal Democrats know that Britain needs to play a strong and positive role in Europe: making sure the needs of Britain’s citizens are heard, that the big issues are being tackled effectively, and leading the changes that are needed to make Europe fairer and more accountable. Sarah Ludford and your Lib Dem representatives in the European Parliament have been working for you and delivering real outcomes:

• Catching criminals and bringing them to justice - Lib Dems pushed forward proposals for the European Arrest Warrant, meaning criminals like the 21/7 bombers are extradited quickly from other European countries to face trial here;
• Putting your safety first by, for example, banning toxic chemicals in everyday products that put people at risk;
• Saving you money - helping to cut the cost of telephone calls at home by liberalising the market, and cracking down on unfair roaming charges for mobile ‘phones

These are just some examples of all the work that has been done. Last time, Camden’s own Jonathan Fryer just missed being elected by 0.6% of the vote. This time, your vote could really make a difference in getting another hard working Lib Dem to represent you in Europe.

Labour has wasted its opportunities in Europe over the last decade. Lacking any policies or beliefs, they’ve failed to take leadership in Europe, failed to deliver in Europe for Britain and failed to push forward the radical reforms needed to make Europe work for citizens. Labour’s foreign policy has damaged our relationships with other countries and lessened our influence internationally. The Tories think Britain can go it alone and would isolate us at a time when the problems we face - climate change, economic crisis, international crime and terrorism - demand international action. They are even isolating themselves in the European Parliament, joining together with right-wing extremist parties from other countries.

Your vote will really count in today’s election. Make a positive choice for effective international work, for real and meaningful reform of Europe, for a stronger voice for Britain. Vote against Labour’s wasted opportunities and lack of direction; against the Tories isolationism; against extremism and intolerance. More and more people are turning to the Lib Dems for a positive voice that will work for them - just this week Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee and The Observer backed the Lib Dems. Join them, join us: vote Lib Dem today.

Click here to read more about the Lib Dem’s manifesto for Europe

Liberal Democrats across London have launched a campaign for a 1 hour bus ticket, enabling passengers using pay-as-you-go Oyster to pay only one fare per trip, however many buses they need to take.

Currently, passengers who need to use more than one bus to get from A to B have to pay a separate fare for each bus they use. This is an unecessary penalty and can put people off using public transport - at a time when we need to encourage greater use of public transport to save the environment, improve air quality and reduce congestion.

The Lib Dems have proposed a simple, common-sense solution: a single ticket that is valid for one hour, allowing passengers to make as many changes as they need. Caroline Pigeon AM, Lib Dem transport spokesperson in London and incoming Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, argued;

“You can already switch from tube to tube on the same ticket, so it makes real sense to allow people to do the same with buses. It really is unfair that people who use Oyster pay as you go have to pay a new fare every time they change buses.

“One hour bus tickets already operate successfully in Paris, Rome and Brussels. It is now time London caught up and gave bus users a fair deal.”

“One hour bus tickets would also make bus travel very attractive to a lot of people who often don’t use the bus at present. One hour tickets could even lead to a shift away from people using their cars for short trips and help to reduce congestion across London.”

To sign the petition, visit the campaign webpage.

Ever since he became Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg MP has been travelling around the country holding regular town hall meetings. These have been really successful, with people across the country getting the chance to put their questions to Nick - unrehearsed, honest and direct.

In the run up to the European elections on June 4th a new broadcast, “Conversations with Nick Clegg” will be shown on TV. The short film features one of these town hall meetings, showing Nick responding to real people’s questions and putting the Liberal Democrat case directly to voters.

The first broadcast will be on at the following times this evening:

* BBC One: 6.55pm
* BBC Two: 5.55pm
* ITV1: 6.25pm
* Five: 6.55pm

If you miss any of these or if you’d like a sneak preview right now, you can watch the film on the Lib Dem YouTube channel.

The European elections on 4th June are important. The European Parliament has a real impact on our lives, and can be a force for good fighting the big issues of climate change, international crime and terrorism, and the economy. Labour have wasted over a decade, failing to engage with the EU and failing to lead on the reforms needed to make it more transparent and effective. The Tories would take us out of the EU, isolating us at a time when we need international leadership and cooperation. In the elections on 4th June every vote really will count - so please, vote Lib Dem for a more effective, more open Europe.

Which politicians in Camden really care about sustainability issues and air quality in particular?  One of the most exciting and enthusiastic meetings that regularly takes place in Camden’s Town Hall is the all-party Sustainability Task Force.  On 22 April I had invited two of London’s leading experts on London’s air pollution to present.  Interesting to note the level of party interest: No Conservative or Labour Councillors bothered to attend.  But there were two Green Councillors and nine of us Lib Dems.

Prof. Frank Kelly of King’s College, the UK’s top man on health ramifications,  told us that new science is now revealing that air pollution is causing very serious cardio-vascular disease as well as asthma. He was altogether convincing that the poor quality air around Camden’s main roads is taking years, not months, off those affected’s lives and severely damaging the lung development of our children.

Activist Simon Birkett, founder of the Campaign for Clear Air in London (CCAL), raised the imperative need for us to  make Camden’s Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) much more stringent .  Apparently the particulates filters that have been fitted to all London buses have had the unfortunate side-effect of boosting London’s levels of Nitrogen Dioxide to such  levels that we’re now the worst city in Europe for that noxious gas.  But the government agency DEFRA, rather than working towards compliance with EC laws, is busy preparing a submission to seek an exemption to delay cleaning up our act on NO2 until 2015.  And Mayor Boris is actually introducing counter-productive measures, like a waiver on white van man,  and doing nothing about London’s dirty old diesel taxis that idle all around St Pancras like a toxic pearl necklace.

This public session on air quality alerted the dozens who attended to the health consequences of diesel engines on London’s toxic air quality.  We have to increase understanding as a first step towards cleaning up our act in London.  Where better to start than in Camden?

Local campaigner Tom Simon was elected Councillor for Belsize Ward last night - bringing the Liberal Democrat group up to 24, its largest number ever.

Tom won with a substantial swing to the Lib Dems and 46% of the vote, comfortably beating the Tory candidate and pushing Labour into a very distant third place.

The Liberal Democrats emerged as the largest political party in Camden after the local elections in May 2006, ending 35 years of Labour single-party rule and ousting senior Labour and Conservative councillors - including in Belsize, where local Liberal Democrat campaigners took all three seats of the Tories including the Tory group leader. Since then Camden Liberal Democrats have been working hard to improve Camden and to make the Council more efficient and more responsive to residents. People in Camden seem to be supportive of our work - since May 2006, the Lib Dems have won 6 by-elections taking seats off Labour in Kentish Town and Haverstock, and off the Conservatives in Hampstead. Recently a senior Labour councillor resigned his party membership and joined the Lib Dems, disillusioned with years of Labour failure and their continuing ineffectiveness in opposition, and citing the Lib Dems as the only party of progress in Camden and the UK.

Tom’s victory in Belsize brings the Lib Dem group up to 24, the largest its ever been. The people of Belsize - and Camden more generally - have a new champion in Tom, who will further strengthen the Lib Dem team and our commitment to make Camden fairer, greener, safer and more enjoyable for everyone who lives, works or visits our fantastic part of London.

There’s a growing disconnect between politics and communities, between politicians and the people they serve. Decades of centralisation under Tory and Labour governments have increased the distance between people and power, and the attitude of many in the “Westminster bubble” has made this disconnect worse.

The Liberal Democrats want to change this.  We would roll back the years of Tory and Labour centralisation, devolving power to local government and to communities and individuals themselves. We would give British people a fair, modern and effective voting system - one where every vote counts equally, where elections are our way of selecting those who rule on our behalf, not politicians’ way of getting their job.

Nick Clegg MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats,  isn’t waiting to change Westminster’s ways. Since becoming Leader, he has held public meetings across the country to give people a chance to put questions to him, hold him and the Lib Dems to account and to debate any issues they think are important. Nick says:

“Politics is about people and listening to them. These meeting are a great way to make this happen. No scripted questions, no pre-prepared answers - just a frank talk between me and local people about the issues and problems that matter to them, and how we can solve them.”

On 23rd April one of Nick’s public meetings will be held in London - well, inside the M25! The meeting will be held at Sutton College of Learning for Adults, not far from Sutton rail station. While the meeting is open to all and free to attend, to guarantee aplace RSVP to meeting@paulburstow.org.uk

Under Mayor Boris, London is increasingly facing the wrong way on air pollution.  He has refused to raise congestion charges, despite town being as choked today as it has ever been, and the £8 daily charge has become increasingly ineffective.  He’s halving the size of the congestion zone as a populist gesture to wealthy 4×4 drivers in Kensington and Chelsea.

Camden and Islington Lib Dems protest against Tory Mayor Boris Johnson’s inaction on air pollution

Instead of pressing Government to comply with European law for the health of all our residents he has delayed the requirement that white van man must operate cleaner vehicles - a measure due to become law this autumn.   Now that the largest trucks inside the M 25 are required to be clean (thank you Ken Livingstone), the prime causes of deadly toxic particulates and nitrogen dioxide are the dirty diesel engines in inefficient small vans and taxis.  The way forward is to give financial incentives for these operators to clean up their act rather than delay the introduction of measures which would benefit all our health.

Last Monday there was a totally misleading front page lead in the London Standard - the first edition under a Russian oligarch - stating that Boris will flood London with electric cars which could be used for one-way journeys.  Apart from the fact we should be encouraging walking and cycling, not driving, this was distracting pie-in-the-sky nonsense.  Every car charging point currently costs £3,000.  The battery technology simply isn’t there yet, with the existing cars needing an uninterrupted six hours or more on charge and, most significantly, there’s is simply no money set aside.  It’s just smoke and mirrors.  Meanwhile the budget to develop the cycling infrastructure, known as LCN PLUS, has been hacked back.  Thus far, Boris is making all the wrong moves on the air we breathe.

The Liberal Democrats have published their Freedom Bill, detailing how the party plans to roll back the authoritarian laws passed by both Labour and Conservative governments which have undermined civil liberties.

Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords protest the restrictions on demonstrating outside Parliament during the passage of the Serious and Organised Crime Act.

The legislation is the first time a major political party has collated all of the laws which have undermined civil liberties into one Bill, so that they can be easily repealed. By axing expensive and ineffective measures that hinder and keep tabs on innocent people, the Bill will help switch efforts to catching the guilty instead.

The 20 measures contained in the draft legislation will:
- Abolish the veto in the Freedom of Information Act that allows ministers to keep information secret
- Scrap the expensive mandatory ID card scheme
- Remove all innocent people from the DNA database, except for those tried for a violent or sexual offence
- Stop councils and others snooping by restricting the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to serious and terrorist offences
- Regulate CCTV to protect privacy following a Royal Commission on the use of cameras

You can view the bill in detail, comment on the draft and sign up to back the campaign at http://freedom.libdems.org.uk

The Lib Dem-led council is investing in Camden - for now and for the future. At a time of economic downturn it is vital that the council invests in Camden’s social and physical infrastructure: keeping the local economy moving, safeguarding and enhancing services for local people, and ensuring the borough’s long term needs are met.

The new Lib Dem budget sees £1billion invested in new and existing physical assets across the borough. These include;

• Renovating Kentish Town Baths - neglected under Labour and fallen into massive disrepair, the Lib Dems have embarked on an ambitious project to renovate the Baths and restore them to their former glory. The Baths are not only a vital local facility, but an architectural and historical gem that should be treasured and preserved. The Kentish Town Baths project is one of very few across the UK to restore Victorian buildings to their former splendour.
• A new school for Camden - the Lib Dems are delivering on their promise to build a new secondary school in Camden, and are making progress on their commitment to delivering a second school south of the Euston Road. Camden has been desperately short of school places for years, leading to many Camden children having to be schooled out of the borough. In over 30 years of Labour rule this issue was completely ignored - in fact the only changes to school places in Camden under Labour was when they closed a secondary school! The new UCL Academy in Swiss Cottage is an exciting new development for Camden, and over the next few years all of Camden’s secondary schools will see major investment and improvement.
• Homes for older people - £30million will be spent on two new care homes and a new Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre. The new facilities will be owned by Camden, ensuring that we retain proper public control and oversight of these services for some of the most vulnerable people in Camden. Working groups including care home residents and staff, carers, architects and local older people are involved in every stage of the process, and artists are working with older residents in Camden to design exciting pieces of art for each of the new homes.
• Investing in Camden’s homes - for over three decades Labour failed to invest in Camden’s homes, allowing the buildings to fall into disrepair. In collaboration with their colleagues in Westminster, Labour then tried to bully and bribe residents into accepting the privatisation of council housing in Camden, as has happened across the country. When residents united to reject privatisation and stock transfer, Labour responded by refusing to hand over the £283million Camden tenants were owed for repairs and improvements to bring homes up to a decent standard. The Labour administration’s inaction led to Camden being the only council in the UK without a plan to invest in homes. The Lib Dems have made a series of tough choices, developing a plan in conjunction with tenants to invest over £400million and safeguard public ownership of council housing in Camden. Some areas that were particularly neglected under Labour - like the Maiden Lane estate which has saw sub-standard investment year on year since it was first built - have been prioritised and the council is working with residents to come up with real solutions for a better future.

The Labour Government has U-turned on its plan to force massive above-inflation increases on council tenants.

Liberal Democrats in Camden and nationally protested against Labour’s plans to cut the housing subsidy, forcing rent increases for Council tenants of up to 6.5%. Today, the Government has announced that the average government guideline council house rent increase for 2009/10 will be halved from 6.2 per cent to 3.1 per cent.

Lib Dem Leader of Camden Council, Cllr Keith Moffitt, said;
“Camden Council is pleased to hear that the government has responded to our representation and decided that imposing significant rent increases will be unfair on our tenants.  This will help in easing tenants’ financial burden in these difficult times”.

We know that you work hard for your money, and the council needs to make the money it raises in tax work hard too. Over the last three years Camden Lib Dems have been cutting waste and making the council more efficient - making every pound pull its weight so we can keep council tax down and invest in services.

This year Camden Liberal Democrats are making £9.5million of efficiency savings - making the council run more efficiently and cutting back on waste. Already the Lib Dems have cut back on the years of Labour tax-and-waste without cutting back on services as many Tory councils do - over the first four years of Lib Dem leadership, Camden will have made £39million of efficiency savings without impacting on front-line services. Labour’s proposals this year would have seen council tax increase while important services - like the Council’s communications with residents - severely cut.

There are also some things that are nice to do, but simply can’t be justified during the current economic downturn - as individuals and families across Camden are having to tighten their belts, it’s right that the council does the same, and doesn’t simply keep taking more money off tax payers just because it can. At the same time, being more efficient means we can protect and invest in vital services, making sure vulnerable residents are cared for and Camden remains one of the best places to live, work and visit.

The new Lib Dem budget has young people at its heart - continuing a 3 year tradition of investing in youth services.

Young people have had a tough time over the last 10 years or so. While the Labour government has done some good things for young people, like Every Child Matters and SureStart, their public rhetoric has been a consistent and deliberate demonisation of young people, scapegoating them for many of society’s ills. In 2006, when I launched the UK’s first review into work to tackle antisocial behaviour, we found that on the whole many of the antosicial behaviour powers like ASBOs were being used fairly and proportionately - but thanks to the way Labour talked about young people and antisocial behaviour the majority of young people in Camden felt stigmatised and harrassed.

The Lib Dems immediately started to turn this around - setting up and investing in Camden’s first Youth Council to give young people a real voice, reforming funding processes so money went to where it is needed andto projects that really make a difference, and working to improve youth services from education and training to health services and sports and activities.

This year, the Lib Dem budget will see an extra £1million capital investment in youth projects, over and above the £8.5million revenue spending on youth programmes across the borough. This means that the Lib Dems have invested above inflation every year we’ve been in power - reversing the 11% cut to youth services Labour made in their final year in charge.

Extra money in the past has gone to youth projects that are really making a difference - like the Maiden Lane Community Centre that received an extra £30, 000. This year extra money will go into:

• meeting imediate needs like the Samuel Lithgow Centre and Coram’s Fields
• upgrades to existing facilities and investment in new facilities
• youth offending services to steer young people away from a life of crime
• working with young people and those who work directly with them, to identify what improvements need to be made and what services should really be invested in

Camden Liberal Democrats presented their 2009 budget last night - freezing council tax for two years and investing in Camden’s key services, to give residents value for money and help Camden through Labour’s recession.

Council Tax is a regressive tax brought in by the Conservatives, an unfair tax that hits the poorest hardest. The Liberal Democrats would abolish council tax, replacing it with a local income tax based on the ability to pay and putting local communities in charge of their own resources. Until then, we’re working hard to keepthe tax down and make sure the council is running efficiently, making every pound of tax payers’ money pull its weight.

Under Labour council tax went up almost every year - in the last four years of Labour rule it went up by 20%, or about £165 for an average home. Under the Lib Dems council tax has been frozen for 3 out of 4 years - an overall increase of 2.5% or about £25. On top of this, most adult social care charges that Camden Council is responsible for have also been frozen, to protect the most vulnerable in these difficult economic times.

Keep an eye on the website this week for more budget news.

Gordon Brown has been told that George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 - where every aspect of people’s lives are watched over and regulated by an oppressive government - was meant to be a warning, not a blueprint for Labour rule.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP issued the stark warning today as the Liberal Democrats launched their Freedom Bill - a pledge to role back the draconian laws passed by successive Labour and Tory governments.

In 2006, the Liberal Democrats revealed how Labour had created over 3000 new laws - one for each day Tony Blair was in power. Under Gordon Brown - if anything even more authoritarian and dictatorial than his predecessor - things have only got worse. Chris Huhne MP said: “This draft bill is the first time a major political party has brought all of the laws which have undermined civil liberties together in one piece of legislation so that they can be easily repealed. We have called it the freedom bill because if the measures within it were all repealed, it would represent the greatest victory for freedom in Britain in the last 20 years.”

To find out more about the Freedom Bill and to sign up as a supporter, visit the Freedom Bill website.

This weekend I was at the spring conference of Liberal Youth, the youth wing of the Liberal Democrats. It was a lively and inspiring event – there’s some real talent in Liberal Youth: some seriously impressive people and some very exciting plans. Most importantly, it was a lot of fun, which probably explains the increase in the number of people there.

The highlights for me included a very lively and robust debate on diversity, where we went beyond the usual platitudes and excuses and started to come up with a real liberal answer to the problem of the unrepresentativeness of Parliament, Councils and the party itself. This is an area where I think liberals have struggled: most would reject positive discrimination as a crude quick fix that does more harm than good, promoting people based on arbitrary or irrelevent qualities rather than merit and cutting people (i.e. the voter) out of the process. However, we have to accept the clear evidence that the only thing that has made a substantial difference in promoting diversity is all-women shortlists. There’s a lot more work to do on this, but this was one of the most productive and focused debates on this topic I’ve been to.

Another highlight were the debates about Gaza and the Middle East. Passions were certainly roused, and we came within 3 votes of selling Jerusalem on e-Bay and using the profits to address the needs of the victims of the violence! But after long, intense and highly insightful debate a balanced but firm statement was agreed. A similarly impressive debate about our priorities for Europe led to the adoption of three campaign priorities for the European Parliament elections in June: protecting the environment, tackling human traffiking and reforming EU institutions.

I think every Liberal Youth member should also be proud of a particularly ambitious motion that was passed about meeting our environmental commitments. After some amendment to make is financially responsible and deliverable, a clear commitment and plan to make the organisation carbon neutral was overwhelmingly approved, setting a great example to the federal party and other youth organisations as well as putting our principles into practice.

A few years ago when I was more involved in the youth wing (then called Liberal Democrat Youth & Students or LDYS), conference was a pretty mundane and trying experience – uninspiring, monotonous, poorly-attended and dominated by a small clique obsessed with constitutional bickering. I’m really pleased to see those days are over, and that Liberal Youth is a modern, exciting and active organisation empowering young people to really make a difference – and have fun at the same time! The healthily contested elections this year are proof of how lively things have become, and there is a very impressive range of candidates.

There are also very active and vibrant Liberal Youth groups in Camden and at London’s universities – contact me if you want to get involved and I’d be more than happy to put you in touch!

This evening, the Executive Environment Sub Group considered a new Appraisal and Management Strategy for the Camden Broadway Conservation Area. I made a deputation at the meeting, urging the Sub Group to recognise the need for significant regeneration of the Broadway and to ask for support from the Council as a whole for that regeneration work.

The new Management Strategy is good - but the unusual thing about the Camden Broadway area is that there isn’t much to conserve! We need to preserve the few good bits that are left, but most importantly we need to regenerate the area and tackle some of the problems that blight it - antisocial behaviour, the burnt out former brothel, the general untidiness and run-down feel of the area.

These were the issues that came out most strongly in the consultation. They couldn’t be addressed in the Conservation Area work, but they have all been passed to various council officers and departments. That’s a start - but we’ve been fighting for improvements for a long time, and what we need now is a whole-Council commitment to regeneration. Without that, the Conservation Area status will not only lose the support of the community but it may even start to contribute to the problems in the area by preventing improvement work.

Tonight, we put Camden Broadway on the map - we got some of the most senior people in the Council to discuss it and recognise the need for improvement. Now, we need to keep the pressure up. Soon I hope to hold an open public meeting to review where we are, and get real community buy-in for our work to improve the area. As soon as I have a date I’ll post more information on the website.

Shadow Secretary for Energy and Climate Change, London MP Simon Hughes, visits Camden tomorrow as the Lib Dems unveil an ambitious pledge for energy-efficient homes that dwarfs the Labour Government’s inadequate proposals.

Under the Lib Dems, every UK home would be made energy-efficient within 10 years. A Lib Dem government would underwrite renovation work worth £6,500 per household under a Green Loans Scheme, which would be paid back through energy bills that should fall because of improved energy efficiency of the renovated house. More than two million homes a year would be upgraded, with contracts going to regional building companies rather than large national companies such as Wimpey and Barratt.

The Lib Dem pledge comes after the Government has admitted that less than 1% of British homes meet the industry standard. Last week, the Audit Office reported that as much as half of Britain’s poorest households were ineligible for help from the £852m Warm Front scheme to cut fuel bills with grants for home insulation and heating.

Simon will be in Holborn tomorrow evening, talking to local Liberal Democrats and supporters. This is just one of the many social events and policy discussions we have in Camden. If you want to get involved and come to future events, contact Jo at jo@shaw2win.org.uk

Lib Dem campaigners called on Mayor Johnson to take tough action to tackle pollution on Euston Road – one of London’s most polluted – and not to scrap Phase Three of the London Low Emission Zone. On Monday of last week, as Londoners struggled through the snow, Boris Johnson scrapped the planned extension of the Low Emission Zone safeguards to smaller vehicles.

Local Lib Dem councillor Paul Braithwaite, said:

“Local people in Kings Cross and Somers Town are the ones that suffer from breathing toxic air – along with the kids at Argyle School, just 100 metres away from Kings Cross Station.

“It is perverse and very disturbing that Mayor Johnson has decided to axe the vital next stage of the Low Emissions Zone – due October 2010. This was the only realistic way for London to tackle white van man and other diesel polluters.

“We know that it’s a difficult time for small businesses, but instead of dropping new air quality standards we should be providing practical help to enable them to make the changes at minimum cost.

“More and more people are saying that ‘we can’t afford not to go green’, as a successful economy and clean environment go hand in hand. Mayor Johnson clearly has not got this message.”

Local Lib Dem campaigner Jo Shaw added:

“Residents in Somers Town and Kings Cross already have a much lower life expectancy than people living in other parts of the borough. The Mayor should be protecting and improving our health, not undermining plans to make our air cleaner. Mayor Johnson should be helping Londoners breathe more freely.”

200 kilometres of inner London roads woefully fail European minimum standards for pollution – many of these are in Camden. More than a thousand Londoners die each year because of the effects of air pollution.

Diesel engines in taxis and vans are the main causes of toxic particulate pollution – this aggravates asthma, and causes cancer and heart disease, and other health problems. Environmental campaigners highlight that Euston Road has one of the highest concentrations of these polluters in the borough:

A kilometre ring of taxis daily surround St Pancras their diesel engines idling, emitting fumes and pollution
Bus stands make York Way a toxic canyon
Trains out of Kings Cross and St Pancras are predominantly diesel powered
Congestion on Euston Road makes it one of London’s worst polluted

The Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) within the M25 ring road was implemented in 2008. As a consequence all lorries over three and a half tons must now be fitted with filters or incur punitive daily fines. Phase Three of the LEZ was due to be extended to “white van man” in October 2010.

Camden Liberal Democrats propose that instead of cancelling the Phase Three requirement, Mayor Johnson should set up a scheme to contribute to the cost of making vans, taxis and other affected vehicles compliant, instead of perpetuating the damaging effects to health.

Many London councils, including Camden, are in contravention of the EU Air Quality Directive with regard to particulates (PM 10, PM 2.5) and noxious emissions (NO2). That is primarily because of the use of diesel in the capital.

Particulates known as PM2.5 have now been widely recognised as being the most dangerous to health. They result from burning of fossil fuels, particularly diesel, but also gas boilers.

PM2.5 particulate pollutants are one thirtieth the diameter of a human hair. Their small size means that they can easily enter the blood stream where they can have a bad impact on health.

The European Union recently proposed that the safe level for PM2.5 should be redefined to just 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air; a figure that is frequently exceeded in London. London is hardly even collecting tracking data on PM2.5 (whereas New York has recently set up 150 locations for measurement in 2009).

The 200km of roads London has just three pollution-measuring stations, compared with New York’s 150. There is no measuring station near Kings Cross. Camden only has one PM2.5 measuring station in Camden, in Russell Square, run by DEFRA. The Euston Road is under the control of TfL, as are most of the main air pollution “black spots” in the borough.

The responsibility for ensuring that air quality in the UK conforms with the EU directive lies with central government. The UK is likely to be fined by the EU for failure to comply with the EU directive on air quality.

The government has delegated some of its regulatory powers to the GLA, which has implemented the Low Emission Zone. There are complaints that the GLA has not been enforcing the LEZ regime against lorries through the fining system set out in the scheme.

A shocking dossier from the Liberal Democrats has revealed just some of the ways our taxes are being wasted on extravagant and incompetent projects.

Despite the hardship many local families and residents face, Labour found £130 million to refurbish the Ministry of Justice’s office, £29 million to build accommodation for asylum seekers which was never built, £7 million for chauffeur-driven cars for ministers in just one year - and £50,000 for a party to which only 20 guests were invited!

A massive £13 billion has also been spent on an NHS records system which doesn’t work.

How our money is wasted

* £13 billion on an NHS record system that is a complete failure
* £130 million on refurbishing Ministry of Justice offices
* £81 million on a Department of Transport economy drive that was supposed to save £57 million
* £29 million on accommodation for asylum seekers that was never built
* £265.8 million the amount the government spent on advertising, marketing and public relations in 2007/8, an increase of £197.2 million since 1997-98
* £200 million wasted over the past five years on IT projects that were never completed
* £7 million on chauffeur driven cars for ministers in one year
* £28.78 million in rent for unoccupied houses for soldiers and their families
* £330 million overspent by government departments on their premises
* £4.2 million by the Government’s Qualifications & Curriculum Authority on hotel rooms in an 18 month period
* £50,000 on a party to which only 20 guests were invited
* £2,000 each on image and public speaking training for Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Culture Secretary Andy Burnham

Local Liberal Democrats have extended a warm welcome to Cllr Syed Hoque after the Haverstock councillor announced his resignation from the Labour party. Cllr Hoque, who was Labour’s frontbench spokesman on adult social care, will join the Liberal Democrats to become the party’s 24th councillor in Camden.

The news is a further boost for local Liberal Democrats following recent by-election victories over Labour in Kentish Town and the Conservatives in Hampstead.  Since the last borough elections in 2006 the Liberal Democrats have continued to surge forward, gaining a further four councillors.  Meanwhile Labour have lost three councillors and the Conservatives have lost two.

The Liberal Democrats are now another step closer to taking full control of Camden Council in 2010, and are the only real opposition to Labour in Camden’s two parliamentary seats.

Jo Shaw, Parliamentary Campaigner for Holborn St. Pancras, said: “Councillor Hoque is by no means the only former Labour supporter in Camden to be feeling let down and disillusioned by a party that seems to have forgotten about ordinary people.  Many people have felt taken for granted by Labour for years.

“Labour are at rock bottom and losing support every day.  Fortunately, all those who believe in an ethical foreign policy, defending our civil liberties, and protecting those on the lowest incomes will find a natural home with the Liberal Democrats.

“Everyone knows that only the local Liberal Democrats can challenge Gordon Brown’s Labour party here in Camden.  The Tories are in a poor third place.”

Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly have used the draft budget to get the Mayor to seriously consider their proposals to improve transport across the city.

Lib Dem London transport spokesperson Caroline Pidgeon said: “If you can switch from tube to tube on the same ticket surely it makes sense to allow people to do the same with buses. At present people are penalised for using more than one bus on any journey. This is both unfair and in some cases a deterrent to people even using the bus.

“Other European cities recognise the benefits of time limited bus tickets and it is time the idea was adopted in London.

“Boris Johnson has already taken up the Liberal Democrat proposal to extend half price bus and tram travel to people on Job Seeker’s Allowance. The challenge to Boris Johnson is to go further and to adopt our sensible proposals to tackle fare evasion and time limited bus tickets.”

Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly have been fighting to keep front line police numbers up, and for improvements to the way policing in London is funded.

Dee Doocey, Lib Dem spokesperson on policing and Member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, has finally secured an agreement to pilot a feasibility study on zero-budgeting for the police. Dee explained: “Since I was appointed to the Metropolitan Police Authority I have argued that we need to find ways of directing more resources to front line policing.  The best way of doing this is to start from a blank sheet of paper and prioritise how the Met’s £3.6 billion budget should be spent. Under the current system business groups are set targets for budget reductions to be achieved each year, but there is no fundamental review of how the money is currently being spent.  I am delighted that this pilot will now go ahead and I am convinced that the exercise will release much needed funds.”

Dee has also been ensuring that the use of more civilians in the police force doesn’t lead to a reduction in police on our streets. Nurses and data inputters are being brought in to do jobs that were previously fulfilled by police officers - not necessarily a bad thing, but only police officers can actually police our streets. While the Lib Dems on the London Assembly are fighting to make sure there are no cuts to front-line policing, the Lib Dems nationally would put more police on the street by axing Labour’s wasteful, illiberal and ineffective ID card scheme.

These discussions were part of the Mayor’s draft budget debate - where the London Assembly Lib Dems put forward a package of alternative proposals for budget savings combined with a number of new measures to help provide more assistance to people in debt, along with measures relating to transport,  extra support for Safer Neighbourhood Teams and tackling London’s poor air quality. You can see the Lib Dem proposals on their website.

After three weeks of intense fighting and the loss of thousands of civilian lives, a Gaza ceasefire was finally agreed on the 18 January. Now the fighting has stopped life-saving supplies are desperately needed, hospitals need to get up and running again, and people - whose water has been cut off during the bombing - are in dire need of clean drinking water.

The Disasters Emergency Committee - made up of thirteen of the UK’s leading aid charities - launched an appeal to help those suffering in Gaza. But the BBC (and other media organisations like Sky News) have refused to show the appeal, claiming that they would be ‘taking sides’.

This isn’t about taking sides - it is about the massive human suffering and urgent need of thousands and thousands of people. The Lib Dems have been at the forefront of the campaign to make the BBC see sense and, after hearing of the BBC’s refusal to show the appeal video, Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg MP made the decision to show the video and promote the appeal on his website, his Facebook profile and on the Liberal Democrat website. If you want to contribute to the appeal, you can do so here.

While Gordon Brown and the Government have sat on their hands over Israel and Gaza, the Lib Dems have called for swift and effective action. Read more about the Lib Dem position here.

Today I had a letter about the economy published in the Camden New Journal:

“Last week Gordon Brown confessed what many people have suspected for a long time  - he missed all the signs that the economy was heading for a disaster, with recession and the banking crisis about to hit.

It’s not a matter of celebration to report that Vince Cable and the Liberal Democrat Treasury Team have been warning of the house price bubble that was bound to burst, and the massive levels of personal debt that were bound to come home to roost, for the last few years or more.  Unfortunately, Vince’s warnings were ignored and even rubbished by Labour and the Conservatives until it was too late to do anything other than try and pick up the pieces.

In Camden, as in Whitehall, Labour are calling for headline-grabbing ‘gimmicks’ to divert attention from their failures and their lack of any long-term solutions to economic problems. Labour’s latest wheeze - to insure the banks’ bad debts - is a true sign of desperation.  Any normal insurance policy would require the insurer to have at least some idea of the risk.  The Government wants to insure these debts when we have absolutely no idea how “toxic” they are.  This is risky and irresponsible.

The Liberal Democrats have a plan to get us out of recession.  We believe in national investment in infrastructure, such as public transport, green technology and housing.  We believe there must be much stricter regulation of the banks in future, and hopefully a separation of lending/mortgages/current accounts and investment banking, to ensure the sort of meltdown we are now seeing will never happen again. We believe in fairer taxation and prudent use of taxpayers’ money - that’s why in Camden we’re working hard to keep the regressive and unfair Council Tax down, and make the Council more efficient.

Gordon Brown and the Labour party have for 10 years congratulated themselves on how brilliantly they have managed the economy.  Gordon Brown said it was the end of “boom and bust”.  It is becoming clear how wrong he was, and he is continuing to make mistakes which will cost us all dear, long after his premiership ends.”

Labour is continuing its attack on council tenants and the low-paid with another cut - this time to the Housing Revenue Account, meaning rents will go up by 6.5%. While they are busy bailing out the banks and big business during their recession, they seem determined to squeeze more and more money out of the low-paid and vulnerable - abolishing the 10p tax rate, wasting millions of pounds on wasteful and useless schemes like ID cards, a headline-grabbing gimmick cutting VAT instead of sustainable tax cuts for ordinary people and the low paid - and now they’re targeting council housing again.

Labour have tried to systematically destroy social housing both nationally and locally - forcing privatisation on most councils, and then both Camden Labour and the Labour Government tried to bribe residents to move out of the Council and into an ALMO. Now they’re forcing rent increases more than three times above inflation - ignoring their own rules about capping unaffordable increases and aiming to bring council housing “into line” with housing associations. In response, the Leader of Camden Council, Lib Dem Keith Moffit, and Exec Member for Housing, Lib Dem Chris Naylor, are lobbying the Minister to reverse this targeted and vicious cut. The Lib Dem-led Council has also looked long and hard at housing charges for the coming year, and is freezing most of them with no increase at all, playing its part to help tenants facing hard times. 

After years of Labour neglect of housing and their failed attempts to force Camden council tenants to go private, Camden Lib Dems are investing in our homes and bringing them up to a decent standard. A small number of Camden’s worst properties, that are uninhabitable and would cost too much to renovate, are being sold to plug the £283million gap created by Labour’s refusal to hand over the money Camden is owed for our housing. To ensure that Camden’s housing stock doesn’t dwindle, the Council is committed to rebuilding at least as many homes as are sold. Some areas that have been particularly neglected, like the Maiden Lane Estate in Cantelowes, have been brought to the front of the queue and the Council is working with residents to come up with a plan to redevelop their estates and invest in their homes.

Nationally, the Lib Dems are committed to social and affordable housing, and support the “4th Option” for direct investment in council housing.

A Camden scheme is seeing young offenders make amends for their crimes and learn skills to keep them away from a life of crime - and at the same time helping some of the world’s poorest people.

The reparation scheme is run jointly by the Council and the Police, and makes young offenders guilty of low-level crime take responsibility for their behaviour, and give something back to the community. Ideally the community work they carry out will take into account the wishes of the victim, and/or will be related to the nature of their offence. They also equip the young offenders with skills, motivation and warnings to ensure they don’t reoffend.

One of the schemes has seen young offenders in Camden fixing and reconditioning bikes found by the police, and unclaimed by their rightful owners. These bikes are sent to Camden schools for cycle proficiency training or to Lesotho, a country where few have access to transport and have to walk for hours just to get basics like water. The donated bikes will also help health workers get to remote areas in the country, which is seriously affected by HIV and AIDS.

Reparative justice, where those who have committed low-level crimes and especially young offenders are forced to make amends for their crime through tough community service, has been shown to be more effective in preventing reoffending than punitive jail sentences. While Labour and the Tories ignore the causes and reality of crime and seek to outdo each other on who can sound ‘toughest’, the Lib Dems have put forward a serious and effective plan for tackling youth crime. Although the Government refuse to properly fund these rehabilitative projects that really make a difference, Lib Dem-led Camden is doing as much as it can to use and develop these projects and target young offenders early, to prevent them falling into a life of crime. For more information on the Lib Dem proposals to tackle youth crime, see our proposals here.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg MP is determined to break the “Westminster bubble” and reconnect politics with ordinary people around the country.

The Lib Dems have pledged to do politics differently - giving people a real say, devolving power to local government and local communities, giving British people a fair and modern voting system, and reforming party funding and Parliament to kick out sleaze and corruption. But while the two old parties enjoy themselves shouting at each other across the floor of the Commons, Nick Clegg is taking the Lib Dems out of Westminster and talking to ordinary people around the country.

Nick said: “For too long, politics has been cut off, disengaged from real people and their lives. It’s been stuck in a bubble in Westminster, a million miles away from what people care about. No wonder people have such a low opinion of politicians, when most politicians aren’t even interested in people.

“That’s why I get out of Westminster as much as possible, travelling up and down the country. I visit people in their communities, listening to what the issues are that affect them: post office closures, schools and hospitals, crime, rising bills and worry over jobs.”

Wherever he goes, Nick holds public meetings where he answers whatever questions the public put to him. You can see a video of Nick’s latest video here, and follow his out of Westminster tour on his website.

Although the Government forced through the third runway at Heathrow without even having a vote at Parliament, the Lib Dems both locally and nationally are keeping up the fight against the unnecessary and damaging expansion.

All three Cantelowes Lib Dem Councillors have signed up to Greenpeace’s ingenius new campaign, becoming ‘beneficial owners’ of the plot of land Greenpeace UK have bought in the area earmarked for the third runway. Beneficial owners have no financial stake in the land (so it’s like signing a petition), but they are entitled to legal representation if the Government issues a Compulsory Purchase Order. The more beneficial owners there are, the more difficult and complicated it will be for the Government to get ownership of the land and use it to build the third runway. If Labour won’t let us have our say democratically, we have to make our voice heard a different way!

I wrote to Camden Labour MP Glenda Jackson, who supports the third runway, to urge her to change her mind. You can see my letter here, and her response here. Local campaigner Jo Shaw is continuing the fight and pressing our MP to call the Government to account. Nationally the Lib Dems are leading the fight against Heathrow expansion, putting forward more sustainable and effective alternatives investing in a high-speed rail network across the UK. You can join in the fight to by signing up to Greenpeace’s Airplot! campaign, and supporting the Liberal Democrats.

Local resident Councillor Paul Braithwaite has been re-appointed as Camden’s Cycling Champion for another year. Paul became Camden’s first ever Cycling Champion in November 2007, and has campaigned tyre-lessly (sorry again!) to make Camden a more cycle-friendly place.

A committed cyclist himself, Paul has been very active in the role - participating in on-site cycle route assessments, working with the Camden Cycling Campaign to represent cyclist’s views and interests to the Council at a wide variety of meetings, and organising and leading the 25-mile “All Around Camden” bike ride. Locally, he’s also single-handedly secured the funding for the Camley Street cycle and pedestrian link, providing a safe and direct route to Kings Cross and St Pancras for our neighbourhood. The link is due to be built this year. Paul also campaigned for a London version of the Paris ‘Vélib’ cycle hire scheme and, after all the candidates for London Mayor become supporters, has been pushing for more action on the Mayor’s election promise.

Paul said: “I want to see Camden as London’s most cycle-friendly Borough. Cycling in Camden has doubled in five years and I want to see this figure double again. I cycle almost every day and spend most of my holidays on a bike. In my role as Cycling Champion I will continue to work towards making biking in Camden safer and more enjoyable.”

To find out more about Paul’s role as Cycling Champion, contact him.

Labour and the Tories have U-turned on their plans to make MP expenses secret thanks to pressure from the Liberal Democrats, campaign organisations and the public.

The plan was due to be voted on today and, if passed, would have become law tomorrow.  Cantelowes Lib Dems Jo Shaw and Cllr Ben Rawlings wrote to MP Frank Dobson - who has a history of voting against transparency in Parliament - to urge him to oppose these proposals.

Jo said: “It is vital that our representatives in Parliament can be properly scrutinised so that the public can have confidence in those they elect. This Order is wrong and will, if passed, do further damage to the way MPs and politicians of all parties are viewed by the public.  Why should there be a different rule for MPs than for everyone else?”

Nick Clegg MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, has pledged that the party will vote against any Government plans to exempt MPs from the Freedom of Information Act. He said: “MPs should accept that the same rules that apply to everybody else should also apply to them. The public pay our wages, they are entitled to see what they are getting for their money. MPs who decide to continue hiding their work in secrecy should ask themselves who they are in Parliament to serve, the electorate or themselves?”

The Lib Dems are leading a campaign to stop Labour and the Tories rushing through an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act that would keep MP expenses secret.

Harriet Harman, Leader of the House of Commons, is understood to have pressed for the change after being lobbied by the Conservative 1922 Committee and the Parliamentary Labour Party Committee. News of the plan only hit the headlines last Friday, at the same time that news about the Heathrow third runway was released, the Gaza conflict was debated and the compensation for Equitable Life policyholders was announced. It’s being rushed through so fast that many MPs don’t even know a debate has been scheduled, as it has been timetabled for a slot when many will have already gone back to their constituencies. It will be debated this Thursday, 22ndJanuary, and if passed will become law the very next day.

Over the weekend Lib Dem MPs and activists have started campaigning against the proposal. Jo Swinson MP  has tabled a parliamentary motion (EDM) against the Government’s decision to exempt MPs from publishing their expenses.

There’s not much time to act, but you can join me in writing to our MP today to urge him to sign the EDM and oppose the proposals. Click here for information on opposing the plan, and find out how to contact our MP here.

Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, has unveiled a new front bench team showing that the Lib Dems are serious about government and are the only party with a real plan to save Britain’s economy.

With Vince Cable as Shadow Chancellor the Lib Dems already have the greatest economic mind in Parliament - he was the first to warn of the personal debt timebomb, saw how to respond to the Northern Rock crisis before Labour even accepted there was a problem, and has fought tirelessly against Labour’s attack on the low-paid. Now Nick Clegg has set up an economic recovery team - making the Lib Dems the only party with the people and the plan to fix Britain’s economy.

London MP Susan Kramer takes up a new role leading the Lib Dems major campaign against Heathrow Airport expansion.

See full details of the new team on the Liberal Democrat website.