From the Liberal Democrat Group Leader
33a Elianore Road, The Glen, Colchester
Dear Essex Resident,
The Liberal Democrat team of county councillors has been
busy since we were elected to serve the people of Essex four
years ago. I am proud of the Liberal Democrats' record of achievement.
We have:
been at the forefront of the campaign to boost recycling
and avoid incineration of waste in Essex.
won extra money to boost early years education
for Essex children, at the time when it matters most
worked with the Health Service to bring better care
to the elderly and ill in Essex.
Individually our strong team of councillors has helped
hundreds of Essex residents with their problems and concerns.
The Tories currently control the county council by just
one vote. Four solid years of Tory control would be a disaster
for Essex.
Every extra Liberal Democrat vote and every extra Liberal
Democrat seat will help protect our environment, ensure investment
in education, and promote a better transport system in Essex.
Every Liberal Democrat vote will help implement the policies
in this manifesto.
Your vote will be crucial.
Councillor Ken Jones (Leader of
the Liberal Democrat Group)
Investing for our Future
The Labour government has failed
to tackle bureaucracy and workload in schools. Essex faces a
shortage of teachers, especially in south and west Essex. The
Liberal Democrats have positive policies to attract more teachers.
The Liberal Democrats have a strong
record of investing in education, which is essential for the
future prosperity of our county and the well-being of our children.
Liberal Democrat councillors will:
Treat early years education as
a priority, because this is when it makes the most difference
to a child's life. We will match the supply of childcare and
early education more closely to demand.
Replace the most dilapidated temporary
classrooms in Essex. It would cost about £100m to get
rid of all the temporary classrooms in Essex and this would need
an increase in government funding - so we will start on the worst
first.
Reduce the number of schools at risk of
failing by offering `early intervention' to tackle
specific weakesses where the Head and Governors agree.
Tackle teacher shortages in Essex
by improving the support and benefits available to teachers and
being innovative in recruitment.
Essex has suffered from the fact
that the Tories have set all the budgets since the last election.
This election gives us a chance
to elect more Liberal Democrat councillors who will work hard,
put local people first and take action to improve local services.
Liberal Democrats
Make The Difference
Protecting our Environment
The Liberal Democrats are the greenest
of all the main political parties and have a long record of campaigning
for a more sustainable future. Liberal Democrat county councillors
will:
Refuse to sign any waste management strategy
that is based on incineration rather than recycling.
Consider whether indications that the
Government might change its pro-incinerator policies justify
major revision of the Waste Plan.
Work with district and borough councils
to increase composting and kerbside recycling,
in order to achieve the 60% by 2007 target agreed when the Liberal
Democrats chaired the Waste Committee.
A green thread binds together
all our thinking. Without steps to preserve our planet for future
generations, none of our other policies would have much purpose.
Internationally and locally the
Liberal Democrats are working for a cleaner and safer environment.
Liberal Democrat councillors
have been at the forefront of working for recycling and against
incineration in Essex.
Liberal Democrat influenced councils
such as Colchester and Epping Forest top the county's recycling
tables.
The trials in Witham and Colchester
are reaching recycling rates of 50% and above.
Liberal Democrats
Make The Difference
Implement Quiet Lanes in appropriate
rural locations and Homezones or 20mph limits
in urban areas where pedestrians and cyclists are at high risk,
to reduce death and injury on our roads.
Invest in flexible Community Transport
schemes where commercial bus routes are uneconomic.
Implement an emergency plan of action
to deal with the worst potholes in Essex, caused
by the recent wet weather and years of underinvestment by the
Government.
Seek to safeguard potential new rail routes,
such as Braintree to Stansted and Epping to Ongar and ensure
that new developments are accessible by public transport, walking
and cycling.
Campaign to persuade the Government not
to force inappropriate development on Essex, and to give
local communities more control over the kind of housing provided,
so local people doing essential jobs are not priced out of the
county.
Protect our landscape, countryside, and
historic buildings, villages and towns.
Caring for all Essex's People
The County Council provides essential
services for some of the most vulnerable in our community, such
as children who need protection from abuse, older people who
cannot care for themselves without help, and people who need
help because of mental illness or learning disability. Liberal
Democrats will:
Work with district councils and the voluntary
sector to introduce a seven day a week Meals on Wheels
service, in line with the recommendation made by the Liberal
Democrat chaired Health and Social Services Select Committee.
Improve links between Education and Social
Services when dealing with children at risk of offending or in
care. This will help reduce crime and youth nuisance.
Continue to work closely with the NHS
to reduce the number of people ready to leave hospital but delayed
because their care has not been organised. Joint Boards with
the North Essex and South Essex Health Authority were set up
when the Liberal Democrats chaired the Social Services Committee.
Focus our services to older people
on supporting people to live at home when they want to, and ensuring
that an adequate supply of residential beds are available in
each local area for those who need the care of an Older Person's
Home.
The Liberal Democrats are contesting
all 79 seats on Essex County Council. Our candidates come from
every walk of life. Each candidate, if elected, will bring experience
and enthusiasm to the job.
Most of all, each candidate is
determined to speak up for his or her area and work to improve
local services.
Liberal Democrats
Make The Difference
Looking after Your Money
Liberal Democrat councillors never forget
that they are spending your money, and that every penny spent
must be for a good reason.
Essex suffered for years under a Conservative
Government who dramatically underfunded the council. Our schools
and other key services suffered under year after year of cuts.
But Labour has been little better. The
Labour Government has given Essex less money than it needs to
meet the increasing demand for local services. The situation
has been made worse by the reckless and irresponsible way that
Conservative County Councillors have set the county council's
budget.
The Conservatives have set every budget
since 1998, increasing council tax at an average rate of 11 per
cent yet still making millions of pounds worth of cuts.
Liberal Democrat county councillors will:
Consult
local people on the level of services they receive and the amount
they are prepared to pay.
Tell you clearly how your money
is spent.
Set clear priorities, so that money
isn't wasted on unnecessary projects.
Regularly review the quality and efficiency
of our services.
Work closely with other organisations,
public and private, to improve value for money for local residents.
Tory tax rises
Despite claiming to be in favour
of low taxes the Tories hiked the county tax by 44% since 1997.
Average Lib Dem tax rise 1994 - 1997
6.2%
Average Tory tax rise 1998 - 2001
11%
See the difference!
Life & Learning in Essex
The Liberal Democrats want to make Essex
an even better place in which to live and work. Liberal Democrat
county councillors will:
Expand Sunday opening, started
when the Liberal Democrats chaired the Libraries committee, to
more libraries.
Expand free Internet access in
all Libraries and new Community Information Points and invest
in Learning Centres in libraries.
Seek to ensure that workforce skills match
the needs of a successful local economy.
The Liberal Democrats believe
in lifelong learning and training to support you at work and
leisure.
Learning isn't restricted to
what happens in school, but is a vital part of life at all ages.
It also benefits the economy
and prosperity of our area.
Liberal Democrats Make
The Difference
Your Council
The County Council belongs to the people
of Essex. But too often local people get the impression that
the county council is doing things to them, rather than
with them or for them. The Liberal Democrats will
bring the county council closer to local people, taking more
account of what local people say and want.
We will introduce local decision-making
meetings, where local people or their representatives can put
their views across and make themselves heard on the issues that
matter to them.
Unlike the other parties we recognise
that Basildon has different needs to Braintree and that Castle
Hedingham is different to Castle Point. Our local arrangements
will therefore be flexible, depending on the wishes and priorities
of local people.
We will give parish councils the right
to comment at meetings of the Development Control Committee.
We will improve access to information
about how the county council affects you by publishing better
contact and other details for all departments on the Internet
and in other publications.
Four more years of Tory control
at Essex County Council would be a disaster.
The Tories have broken their
pledge to keep taxes low. They have cut millions from services.
Labour has let Essex down. We
have teacher shortages and fewer police.
The Liberal Democrats are putting
forward positive policies for the people of Essex.
Liberal Democrats Make
The Difference
Make The Difference
For more information about the Liberal
Democrats in Essex or details of your local candidate, please
ring 01245 430329 or email essexccld@cix.co.uk.
You can also get more information about
Liberal Democrat policies and campaigns at www.libdems.org.uk
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