Lib Dems select candidates for triple by-election in Addlestone
Meet your local Lib Dem team standing in the Addlestone by-elections on 21st August 2025!
21 Jul 2025
Runnymede Liberal Democrats
Working Hard for Runnymede All Year Round
Local News
Surrey families know the real story behind Conservative claims
Surrey's Conservative leader is trying to rewrite history as his council faces dissolution - but families across our county know the real story of Tory failure
20 Jun 2025
New £1.3 million fund puts Runnymede communities in control of local improvements
Runnymede Borough Council has launched an exciting new £1.3 million fund that will directly benefit local residents through improved infrastructure and enhanced public spaces across the borough.
11 Jun 2025
Putting care at the heart of politics: Ed Davey's message resonates in Runnymede
How the Liberal Democrat leader's deeply personal approach to politics is already making a difference locally
29 May 2025
Runnymede Council meetings now live streamed: A win for transparency
After years of advocacy by Liberal Democrat councillors, Runnymede Borough Council has finally introduced live streaming for council meetings, making local democracy more accessible to residents across the borough.
21 May 2025
Financial Inclusion Project transforms lives in Runnymede
Runnymede Borough Council's innovative financial inclusion project has delivered remarkable results since its launch in April 2024, helping vulnerable residents manage debt while recovering in excess of £1.5 million for the council.
10 May 2025
Surrey County Council News
A Wasted Opportunity?
The issue of waste remains high on the agenda in Surrey, with not one but two draft waste plans up for discussion. The first, which ended its 6 week period of public consultation in December 2005, comes from the position of Surrey County Council (SCC) as the Waste Planning Authority (WPA) and is called "The Surrey Waste Plan - The Preferred Plan". This basically sets out the County's overall strategy of where and how waste should be handled, giving site specific details. The Liberal Democrats at County Hall criticised this plan as being fundamentally flawed, back in September, because it was predicated on incineration and highlighted a preferred site, Capel. We are still awaiting the results of the public consultation.
3 Feb 2006
Surrey's roads set to get worse
Surrey County Council has outsourced its highways maintenance to two contractors, one for the west and one for the east. Since its start 3 years ago the management of this Tory-inspired arrangement has been heavily criticised, with work not being done on time or to budget. Lib Dems are seeking to ensure that these issues are addressed by beefing up the management of the contract and ensuring that its performance indicator criteria deliver on-time and on-budget results. We are very concerned that yet another Tory reorganisation of the transportation service (proposed in the Business Delivery Review) will damage the county's ability to manage the contractors. Also proposed in the BDR is a cut in the maintenance budget to spend more on capital. In the short term (5 years) that will mean worse roads in Surrey!
2 Feb 2006
Tories plan to close six libraries
As part of the BDR review ordered by SCC's Tory executive - and endorsed at a council meeting with only the Lib Dems voting against - there are plans to close six libraries in order to ensure that SCC hits government CPA targets for the ones that will remain open.The libraries that are proposed for closure are:
2 Feb 2006
Liberal Democrats Oppose Cuts in Services
At the County Council meeting today the Liberal Democrats opposed proposals to cut services. The proposals were made in a report prepared by consultants for the Business Delivery Review commissioned by the Conservative administration to find £50 million of savings in County Council expenditure. Councillor Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council said: "This Review was supposed to identify savings without cutting frontline services. Unfortunately it has failed. The proposals include closing 15 youth centres and 6 libraries as well as cutting bus services. On top of this, the proposals drastically reduce the number of highways staff, which is likely to worsen the ability of highways to deal with problems promptly.
24 Jan 2006
Executive decides not to proceed with new County Hall
Surrey County Council's Executive have decided not to proceed with its PFI contract plans to build a new County Hall in Brewery Road, Woking. They announced this last week, but without revealing which other alternative they want to pursue instead. As a result of questions by County Councillor John Doran (Woking, Horsell) at this week's Council meeting it emerged that the Executive have not yet agreed how best to proceed and an announcement about the future should not be expected for some time.
24 Jan 2006
Liberal Democrats call for limit to Minerals Extraction
Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council, has called for the Council to reduce the level of mineral extraction in the County over the next decade. The County Council's Conservative Executive has determined that the level of minerals extraction should be set at 2.24 million tonnes annually. The Liberal Democrats believe that this is too high.
6 Dec 2005
UK Lib Dem news
Education, Children & Schools
Certainty for Ukrainian Children Living in the UK
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, thousands of Ukrainian children have found safety in the UK – but many still face uncertainty, disruption, and trauma. They deserve security, stability, and the chance to thrive.
LS
by Lisa Smart
22 Sep 2025
Health, Care & the NHS
Never Again: Justice for Contaminated Blood Victims
The contaminated blood scandal is one of the gravest injustices in NHS history. We must honour victims with recognition, dignity, and compensation – and ensure no one ever suffers from such injustice again.
JBF
22 Sep 2025
Home Affairs
Improving Access To Justice
Years of Conservative cuts have hollowed out the legal aid system, leaving millions without access to timely legal advice. Our new policy will legal aid a guaranteed right, ensure no one is left without help.
BM
22 Sep 2025