ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS
1 MAY 1997

The Liberal Democrats are making the difference in Essex

In May 1993 - the last county council elections in Essex - the residents of Essex elected an almost evenly balanced council: 33 Labour, 32 Liberal Democrats and 32 Conservatives, with 1 "community representative".

The Liberal Democrats have shared the administration of Essex County Council since 1993. They have held the chairmanships of senior committees including education, enterprise and highways and transportation.

Our manifesto, Priorities for Essex, describes the Liberal Democrats' key priorities as investment in children and young people, jobs for local people and building local communities.

We pledge to

• continue to open more nursery classes and repair more school buildings
• encourage inward investment and quality training
• develop a partnership for complete community safety
• encourage open government and easier access to information
• pursue public transport, recycling and other environmental initiatives

Liberal Democrat county council group leader Councillor Richard Boyd said: "Under Liberal Democrat chairmanship, the number of nursery school places in Essex has more than doubled, and we are near the top of the league for spending on our school pupils, where we were nearly at the bottom under the Conservatives.

"A Liberal Democrat initiative - the Essex Regeneration Challenge - has brought new money and new life into small towns and villages across Essex.

"We have brought in cash from Europe, increased police numbers despite the Government's broken promises of extra funding, developed public transport and recycling schemes and achieved savings in the massive bureaucracy left to us by the Conservatives.

"We now seek the mandate of the people of Essex to continue the work we have begun, and make a real difference to the lives of people across the county."

Harlow councillor and parliamentary candidate Lorna Spenceley welcomed the manifesto. She said: "The Liberal Democrats have been the driving force behind many of Essex's initiatives over the last four years - more nursery places, increased spending on schools, jobs and enterprise, environmental schemes and cuts in wasteful bureaucracy. We hope the people of Harlow will give their Liberal Democrat candidates the opportunity to continue the work we have begun."

Liberal Democrat Priorities for Essex

Summary

Our priorities

• investment in our children and young people
• jobs for local people
• building local communities

Investing in education

• we have more than doubled the number of nursery places since 1993
• under the Liberal Democrats, Essex is near the top for spending per pupil
• we will open more nursery classes and repair more school buildings

Building prosperity for the long term

• we have brought in cash from Europe to help create local jobs
• we initiated the Essex Challenge to bring new life to small town centres
• we will encourage inward investment and quality training

Preventing crime through effective policing

• despite broken Government promises we have increased police numbers
• we will develop a partnership for complete community safety
• we will tackle road accident danger spots and traffic bottlenecks

Caring for the vulnerable

• we have substantially reduced the number of children on the child protection register who do not have an allocated social worker
• we want older people to have a choice of a council or private home
• we want to increase the amount of respite care to give carers a break

Cleaning up the mess in politics

• we will encourage open government and easier access to information
• we will encourage councils and local groups to work together
• we have achieved savings in council bureaucracy - and will find yet more

A clean and safe environment

• we have been in the lead in encouraging better public transport
• we will measure air quality regularly, publish the results - and act on them
• we will continue to encourage and expand our many recycling schemes

The more Liberal Democrats you vote onto Essex County Council - the more we can achieve

Vote Liberal Democrat on Thursday 1 May

Further details of our policies for Essex are available on request