In September Walsall Council undertook a four week consultation period to get the views of residents as to their preference for future governance of the Council. There were two alternatives to be considered - Elected Mayor or Leader and Cabinet.

The population of Walsall is 254,000, with some 187,000 of these registered to vote. Overall 100 valid responses were received:

Elected Mayor                    18 via website, 6 in writing      =      24

Leader & Cabinet               65 via website, 11 in writing   =      76

A special meeting of the council is therefore to be held on 21 December 2009 in relation to revised governance arrangements. It will take place in the Council Chamber, Council House, Lichfield Street, Walsall, at 6pm.

View proposal to be considered at special council meeting (PDF 91KB)

Appendix 1 (PDF 30KB)

The party is pledging to raise tax thresholds to £10,000 a year, taking four million people out of income tax. Party leader Nick Clegg said the plans “would put £700 back in the pockets of the vast majority of taxpayers”.

But four million top-rate taxpayers would lose out as they will no longer be able to claim tax relief on their pension contributions at the higher rate.

Mr Clegg said tax would be “one of the key dividing lines” between the parties at the next general election - and the Lib Dem proposals were “fairer” because they helped the poor and ensured the “very rich” paid more.

‘Not a U-turn’

The press seem to be more interested on what it describes as the “mansion tax U turn”. Originally it was suggested that owners of properties worth over £1 million would pay 0.5% a year on a property’s value above £1m. Properties will now have to be worth at least £2m to incur a 1% charge - the previous plan was to charge

“It is not a U-turn. A U-turn would be abandoning the policy,” said Mr Clegg. Instead, he said the party leadership had “looked in more detail” at property values before deciding that a tax aimed at the owners of “very high value properties” should be levied at £2m.

“We don’t want family homes caught up in local property bubbles to be hit. We want to ensure that only the very wealthy pay this tax - pay their fair share so that we can offer tax cuts for everybody else,” said Mr Clegg.

He said the £2m mansion tax “does what it says on the tin” and would generate more money than the original £1m proposal, as it was a 1% annual levy. The £1.7bn raised would help pay for tax cuts for low-paid workers - making the Lib Dem proposals the fairest of the three main parties, he added.

He said: “Our plans represent the most radical, far-reaching tax reform in a generation.

“They embody everything the Liberal Democrats stand for: fairness, protecting the environment, rewarding hard work.

“It is right to ask those with the broadest shoulders to bear a little more of the burden so that millions of people on normal earnings get the break they desperately need.”

He said the tax package was not about “envy”, it was about fairness and boosting “enterprise and initiative” by ensuring the low-paid did not pay a greater share of their income tax than the wealthy.

“Why should not those at the top chip in more to help out?,” asked the Lib Dem leader, adding: “Our tax plan is simple, it is doable but above all it is fair.”

I was saddened and somewhat surprised when I read this result.

As many Swiss people said, if it was a ban preventing churches of all religions it would be easy to explain. To target one religion - that happens to be the 2nd largest in the country - however can do nothing but lead to a sense of grievance.

Do those voting to ban minarets actually believe it will somehow stop people practising their religion?

I’m surprised, it’s not the sort of intolerence I expected from the Swiss!

The papers and press often pose these questions, but until now I’ve not seen any actually give any details about the man and why he believes in Liberal ideals - indeed many simply chose to dismiss him and liberalism without really wanting to know who he is, or what it is all about.

Well the BBC have an article on their website now, which provides the answers:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8381846.stm

The answers seems to fall into two main categories: Obstinacy and optimism.

Liberals have a republican dread of people and institutions wielding power over others.

“I’ve probably as a character got a bolshiness in me as well, which abhors arbitrary, illegitimate power,” says Clegg, “whether it’s the kind of pantomime that passes for our democracy in Westminster through to people arrogating to themselves authoritarian powers over other people. I think there’s a bolshiness to Liberalism, which says that if anyone has power, that power’s got to constantly be challenged and justified and held accountable.”

As well as this bolshiness, bloody-mindedness almost against the wielding of arbitrary power there is also in liberal thought - and evidence in Clegg’s liberal instinct - an innate optimism.

Liberalism as a political philosophy has always been founded on a conviction that free people will lead good lives; that when people are left to their own devices, those devices will be mostly good.

“I see it as a description of a state of mind - a generosity of spirit, generosity of heart, great optimism - because it starts with a very intuitive belief that individuals can do great things if they’re, if they’re empowered to do so. It’s very, very optimistic.”

“The Liberal Democrats have proposed a regional points-based system for immigration,” says the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary.

Commenting on today’s ONS figures on immigration, Chris Huhne said:

“Immigration continues to rise but its benefits have been undermined by bureaucratic incompetence, which has shattered public confidence in the system.

“The truth is these figures are complete guesstimates – since the Tories and Labour abolished exit checks no one has any idea how many people are living in Britain. They must be reintroduced immediately.

“We need a system that attracts migrants to areas where they are most needed, which is why the Liberal Democrats have proposed a regional points-based system for immigration.”

The government has been accused of “suffocating” the Iraq inquiry in its guidance on what can go in the report.

When Gordon Brown announced it in June, he initially said it would be held in private for security reasons but after widespread criticism he said committee chairman, Sir John Chilcot, would have the option to hold sessions in public.However Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said Whitehall departments had been given “rights of veto” over its contents. He said a protocol issued by ministers listed nine reasons why information could be suppressed “most of which have nothing to do with national security” and “outrageously gives Whitehall departments individual rights of veto over the information in the final report”.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it was up to the inquiry chairman to decide what information he published.

Truth ‘vital’

The long-awaited inquiry into the build up, conduct and aftermath of the Iraq invasion in 2003 began on Tuesday and at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Nick Clegg asked for further reassurances, saying it was “vital” the inquiry was “able to reveal the full truth about the decisions leading up to the invasion of Iraq”.

Here is a link to the full BBC report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8379081.stm

Commenting on Conservative plans to cut the emissions of Government departments by 10% within a year, Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary) said:
“It’s a pity the Tories’ deeds so often fail to match their words. George Osborne’s decision to back a 10% cut in the emissions of Government departments is a good idea now and was a good idea one month ago when he and his leader failed to vote for a Liberal Democrat motion that would have done exactly this.”

“Just weeks ago, the entire Conservative group shamefully walked out of a London Assembly meeting to tackle CO2 emissions in London, preventing the capital from signing up to 10:10.

“If the Tories want to learn about local best practice on the environment, they should look to Liberal Democrat councils who have led the way in greening Britain’s cities.”

In September I reported on my meeting with Sgt Finch where we discussed the issue of residents concerns about speeding on several of the roads in Aldridge.

Part of the activity promised was for monitoring of speed on the roads, and over the past few weeks you may have noticed black wires stretched across a number of roads - collecting details of vehicle speeds.

Once the data is collected the next stage will be to consider what actions, if any, may be appropriate to address any instances of vehicles excessively exceeding the speed limits and thus endangering residents.

We are lucky. We can sit safe in the comfort of our homes and watch the news showing individuals and whole communities suffering at the hands of severe weather conditions.

I cannot express my admiration for all the people involved, particularly the police, RNLI, fire brigade, ambulance service, mountain rescue teams, army, helicopter rescue and other volunteers who risk their lives to save others.

Sadly PC Bill Barker paid the ultimate price - sacrificing his life to save others. He was only 44, his wife and four children have every right to be proud. Too often I hear people saying “he was only doing what he was paid to do…” but know that these self same people (or hypocrites as I prefer to call them)  would not be prepared to willingly risk their lives.

I’m ashamed that those willing to sacrifice so much, especially our soldiers in Afghanistan, are paid so little! We must continue to fight for real justice!

Julia Goldsworthy and Simon Hughes today gave their congratulations to six Liberal Democrat lead cities for their outstanding performance in Forum for the Future’s annual league table of sustainable cities.

Liberal Democrat controlled Newcastle and Bristol came in 1st and 2nd respectively, and four more cities in the top ten are in Liberal Democrat control. They are Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds and Sheffield.

Commenting Julia Goldsworthy, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said:

“I’d like to congratulate all Liberal Democrat cities who are topping the list of Britain’s most sustainable cities.

“From Newcastle city council’s leadership in handling the recession with its £300million capital investment programme and “Newcastle Futures” scheme to support the long-term unemployed; to Sheffield offering a programme of free loft and cavity wall insulation to reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2020 and 60% by 2050, Liberal Democrats are leading the way.

“Lib Dem-run councils are showing what can be done with a localised response to the challenges our cities face across the country.”

Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said:

“It is fantastic to see Liberal Democrat cities at the forefront of building a sustainable Britain.  If we are to be successful in tackling climate change, then cities and councils all around Britain will need to take a leading role. Today’s league table of the most sustainable cities in Britain shows that where Liberal Democrats are in control we are leading the way in tackling climate change today.”

How we Lib Dems in Walsall would like to see the residents of Walsall have a chance to experience all the benefits that Lib Dems have brought to the many cities and towns around the country where they have been given an opportunity by voters to implement these!