Harlow has not benefited from Gordon Brown's leadership, claim local Liberal Democrats in a message to residents.

Labour MPs unanimously made Mr Brown party leader last year - but local Liberal Democrats are unhappy about Mr Brown's leadership and have argued strongly that Harlow has failed to benefit from his year as Prime Minister. Local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Chris Millington said:

"Gordon Brown has been in office for a year and I am still looking for any significant improvements here in Harlow.

Instead of the strong leadership claims Labour spun last year, we have endured months of dithering, indecision and a chaotic government under Prime Minister Brown. He seems more like a rabbit frozen in the headlights rather than a person giving leadership to the country.

Meanwhile, thousands of local residents on low incomes continue to be worse off under Gordon Brown's 10p tax grab, despite the panic concessions last month.

Thousands are being forced to pay more council tax and many local residents are forced to live in overcrowded conditions because of the credit crunch and the failure of Labour to build sufficient affordable homes.

As I go around Harlow speaking to residents, I find more and more anger as things get worse under Gordon Brown rather than better."

Harlow Liberal Democrats Chairman David Wright was at the Civic Centre for the unveiling of a plaque to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Harlow's master planner, Sir Frederick Gibberd. David says:

"A hundred years after Sir Frederick Gibberd's birth, and sixty years after the foundation of the new town he designed, it's right that we reflect on his contribution to the shape of the Harlow we live in today - and ensure that the principles he set out continue to guide the development of the town in the future."

Conservatives at Essex County Council are underspending on services and banking up millions of pounds in reserve funds, according to a new report. The report, on the council's finances for 2007/08, was discussed and approved at a meeting of the council's cabinet at County Hall. Speaking about the report, Cllr Tom Smith-Hughes, Liberal Democrats group leader on Essex County Council, said:

"Underspending on the council's budget and services, and building up reserve funds, is something that I have been questioning for some time with the council's administration. I'm really not sure how taking council tax from hard-working people and squirreling it away in reserve funds is of benefit to the taxpayer.

As there are county council elections next year, can it be that the Conservatives are banking up an 'election fund' which they can use to announce a low council tax rise and to spend on some eye-catching, but hollow, electorally pleasing gimmicks? The council's latest stunt to offer a job to the runner-up of television's The Apprentice spectacularly backfired when the council admitted they had no intention of offering a job at all.

It is galling enough for council tax payers in Essex that our council tax has risen by 120% over the past 10 years. To then find out that hard earned cash is not being spent on the things I and my constituents would like, such as filling in potholes and providing facilities for young people, but to bolster up excessive reserves for electoral purposes is an outrage."

The Liberal Democrats on Harlow Council have nominated their representatives to the various council committees.

Newly-elected councillor Manny Doku joins group leader Chris Millington on the council's main Policy & Resources Committee. Eleanor Macy remains the group's lead on the Environment & Community Committee, joined by last year's council chairman Lorna Spenceley. Lesley Rideout continues as the party's Housing spokesman, assisted by leader Chris Millington.

Lorna Spenceley and Chris Millington are the Liberal Democrats' Planning team, while the Licensing Committee's Liberal Democrat representatives are Manny Doku, Linda Pailing, Lesley Rideout and Robert Thurston.

Newly re-elected councillor Nick Macy joins Lorna Spenceley on the Audit & Improvement Committee. Nick also joins the Scrutiny Committee, which is to be chaired by Linda Pailing.

The Standards Committee has three Liberal Democrat representatives - Manny Doku, Eleanor Macy and Lesley Rideout.

Harlow councillors Linda Pailing and Lorna Spenceley, and local party chairman David Wright, joined hundreds of other party members for a day of debate and information-sharing at the Liberal Democrats' Local Government Conference in Birmingham.

Key speakers included shadow environment secretary Steve Webb MP, who briefed the conference about the climate change campaign and the hard work being done by Liberal Democrats in parliament to force Labour to strengthen the Climate Change Bill and raise the target for reducing CO2 emissions from 60% to 80%. And shadow home secretary Chris Huhne MP updated the conference on the recent '42 days' debate and the battle against Labour's proposals to extend the length of time people can be held without charge.

Liberal Democrat council candidate James Rideout almost doubled the party's vote in the Harlow Common by-election on Thursday 12 June.

The Liberal Democrat vote rose from just 234 last year, to 419 on Thursday. The Liberal Democrats also saw the largest increase in their share of the vote - up 9%, while the Conservatives increased their share by just 3% and Labour collapsed by a massive 14%. Local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Chris Millington says:

"This is a terrific achievement for our young candidate James Rideout. It is further evidence that the Liberal Democrats are emerging as the real opposition to the Conservatives on Harlow Council, while support for Labour is continuing to evaporate."