Thank you to all who voted for her, and for the army of volunteers who put so much effort in.
The work starts now.
You can watch her gracious acceptance speech via this link.
Surrey County Council's increase in Council Tax of "only" 5% may not be as high as in some recent years, but not only is it around twice the rate of inflation, it comes at a high price in terms of cuts in services, with the expectation of hundreds of staff redundancies to follow in April.
The new leader of the national Liberal Democrat party is currently being chosen by the party's thousands of ordinary members, on the basis of "one member - one vote" using the democratic Single Transferable Vote system by ranking the three candidates in order of preference. The deadline for ballot papers is 1st March and the name of the new Leader will be announced on 2nd March in time for the party's Spring Conference at Harrogate, starting on 3rd March.
There is so far no firm news about the formal inquiry to be held by a Planning Inspector into Rosebery's appeal against Epsom & Ewell Planning Committee's refusal of their application to build 72 new dwellings accessed from Rosebank on part of the school playing field, known locally as the Cabbage Patch. It is understood that current delays in holding planning inquiries are such that it might be autumn before this one is heard, but on the other hand efforts are being made to reduce delays.
Despite strong opposition from the Liberal Democrat group, the Conservative majority on Surrey County Council has forced through a sell off of Surrey school support services to warship makers Vosper Thornycroft.
The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have successfully forced the Conservative administration to reconsider their decision to cut bus services from September, even though they refused to debate a Lib Dem motion before the summer holidays.
The Conservative Executive of Surrey County Council have decided to withdraw large numbers of evening and weekend bus services right across Surrey with effect from September 2003. This was agreed at their meeting on the 10th of June.
The Liberal Democrats are committed to rebuilding the trust and compassion that the UK was once known for. We believe that our country has a responsibility to support those in need, no matter where they are in the world.
For too long, years of neglect and mismanagement by the previous Conservative Government have pushed our prison system into a deep crisis.
The Liberal Democrats have long championed proportional representation, advocating for a voting system where every vote truly counts. We believe that reforming our electoral system is crucial for a fairer democracy and better governance.
