Throughout Epsom & Ewell people have resisted the siren call "It's time for change - vote Conservative" and wisely continued, as they have ever since 1997, to opt for parties opposed to the Tories running one-star Surrey.
A deep hole in Downs Hill Road has been repaired, but local activist, Diana Coman, questions the quality of the work done. Reported by Diana and logged on her internet site, see Related Link below, this hole was very deep and a hazard to cyclists and motorists.
A proposal clarifying that Epsom & Ewell Borough Council will not voluntarily ask residents to show ID Cards or add residents' details to the National Database was defeated recently by RA Party councillors. Instead they agreed not to decide their policy until after the government announces whether they will force councils to insist on seeing ID cards and hand over residents' data.
It seems that gross misrepresentation of the facts is party policy for the Conservatives all over Surrey, since the same strategy is being adopted in their Ashtead newsletters.
With local schools being expanded this year, and others expected in the next few years, Cllrs Anna Jones and Colin Taylor, together with county council candidate Diana Coman, are leading the way in a dialogue with local residents over concerns about traffic and safety.
Last year, Conservative dreams of seeing Surrey declared an 'excellent' County Council were shattered by Ofsted's shocking findings in the Joint Area Review. Vulnerable children were not safe in Surrey. By the Autumn the Secretary of State had given Surrey notice that it must carry out a demanding two-year improvement programme, meeting a rigorous series of targets, or risk having its services taken over.
The former leader of the Conservative MEPs, Edward McMillan-Scott, the Conservatives' most senior MEP, has joined the Liberal Democrats, it was announced at the Liberal Democrats' Spring Conference in Birmingham.
The President of the European Parliament has used new powers to dock the allowances of UKIP MEP Nigel Farage, who refused to apologise for gratuitously insulting the new President of the European Council, thanks to an initiative taken in the last parliament by Lib Dem MEP Graham Watson to ensure that such powers existed.
"Ken Clarke's legendary hush puppies made no sound this week as they padded their way to EU Commission President Barroso's office. The Daily Telegraph got wind of the story, but there was no further media comment, no photographic evidence and not so much as a press release to mark the Shadow Business Secretary's visit", writes Lib Dem MEP for the South East, Catherine Bearder.
The Surrey Police Authority is to hold a widespread public consultation on their plans to expand their force by about 200 new constables over the next 3 years, paid for by cutting about 50 senior officers and relocating Police Stations to council offices and supermarkets. About 100 of the new officers would join the neighbourhood police teams of "Bobbies on the Beat". This initiative has been supported by the Lib Dem members of the Surrey Police Authority.
The new Conservative administration, following David Cameron's lead, has now proudly proclaimed a conversion to "localism" (the devolution of decision making to the lowest level) which is a complete reversal of the policies of the last Conservative government. However the first test of the new approach revealed that not much had changed.
Throughout Surrey there was a failure to fill and top-up grit bins during the periods of heavy snow in December and January resulting in many justified complaints from residents. Just how chaotic the situation was has been revealed following questions from County Cllr Stephen Cooksey.
