Thank you for having me! I'm delighted to be the Shepway Lib Dems Chair for 2006, and am looking forward to working with the whole local party. I would like to thank John Hughes and the other outgoing members of the Shepway Exec for their time, effort and huge commitment especially in the last year.
Train operator Govia has been given an eight-year franchise to run services across Kent and in parts of Sussex. The franchise includes running domestic Channel Tunnel Rail Link services. Govia, which also runs rail firm Southern, will take over from South Eastern Trains which was set up in 2003 after Connex lost its franchise.
'Keep warm, keep well' is the message South East Public Health Director Dr Mike Gill wants to get across to the South East's population this winter. According to the Met Office, the coming winter months may well be the coldest in recent years. This has health implications for us all, but particularly for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those suffering from heart or chest problems.
The Lib Dem group on Shepway Council has helped defeat an attempt by the ruling Tory group to put a massive 45% on to the council allowance paid to the Conservative Deputy Leader. The Deputy Leader, Cllr David Monk, stood to gain an extra £3,753 in addition to his current allowance of £8,247.
Shepway Council's web site at www.shepway.gov.uk has been "hacked" - removed from the internet by malicious computer users intent on disrupting the site. Shepway Lib Dem web master, Tim Prater, noticed the problem on Saturday afternoon at 2pm, and alerted the Council.
The government has announced today that adult passport fees will rise for the 6th time in eight years to £51, with the passport cost almost trebling since 1997. With a flexible return to France from the Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal costing around £44, the total cost of a cheap day return to France for a family of 4 now tops £200 including the required passports.
New figures obtained by Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, David Laws MP show that a shrinking proportion of people coming off Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) have been moving into work over the last six years. In the South East area, the percentage of those coming off JSA who had found work in 2005 is 40.4%, down from 50.2% in 1999.
In a keynote speech today to young people, Charles Kennedy has called for young people to given more respect by politicians, and made a call for the voting age to be lowered to 16 so that more youngsters can take part in elections and have a direct say in policies. Local Lib Dem campaigner Sam Matthews has strongly welcomed the call as reaffirming the Party's strong commitment to treating young people with respect.
Charles Kennedy has criticised the police for their support of a Bill to allow the detention of terror suspects for 90 days without charge. Charles said that Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, "overstepped the mark" in his endorsement of the controversial terror Bill.
Kent Police may be amalgamated with the Surrey and Sussex forces in a series of proposals put forward by the home secretary Charles Clarke. The restructuring proposals, which could see the number of police forces in England and Wales reduced from 43 to 12, were announced by Mr Clarke on Thursday as part of an ongoing review.
News that the skateboard park at Folkestone Sports Centre may be closed over the winter in response to complaints from local residents about noise has been balanced by the re-opening in the last few weeks of the Hythe skate park. Lib Dem controlled Hythe Town Council secured the re-opening of the park after receiving planning permission to reopen the site after an extended closure.
Plans for a lorry park for up to 1,500 trucks are being unveiled by Dover Harbour Board today. The Board said it would end Operation Stack, where lorries wait on the M20 when port operations are delayed. No site has yet been named, but it is thought the lorry park, set to cost between £20m and £30m, may be between Farthingloe and Aycliff.