Tewkesbury Liberal Democrats

The announcement that trial badger culls are set to be carried out in Tewkesbury have been met with alarm from County Liberal Democrats who are in favour of exploring other alternative solutions.

The news that Tewkesbury is one of the areas where the trial is to be held came hours after a full council meeting at Shire Hall passionately debated the issue. Liberal Democrats who condemned the trial badger culls are concerned that an industry led shooting spree on badgers will almost certainly end in failure.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Gloucestershire County Council, Cllr. Jeremy Hilton, has asked nine written questions of council leader Cllr. Mark Hawthorne about the new strategy for libraries, being proposed by the Tory administration. The previous plan approved in February 2011 met with massive public opposition that finally led to the High Court ruling that the library strategy was illegal.

South West England and Gibraltar Lib Dem MEP Sir Graham Watson has received an assurance by the European Commission that Members States which do not comply with new welfare rules for laying hens will be closely investigated and, if appropriate, taken to court.

Under intense political pressure from Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, the Commission confirmed its commitment to put in place infringement procedures as of January 2012.

A number of questions will be raised by County Councillor Mike Collins (LD, Brockworth) at full council this Wednesday regarding the new student finance scheme.

Councillor Mike Collins said: "concerns have been raised that a lack of accurate factual information regarding the new finance scheme has meant that some young people are deciding not to go to university. The decision whether or not to go to university is one of the biggest decisions that our young people and their families will make. It is therefore vital that this council should be doing all that it can to ensure that young people make their decision based on real facts and not listening to inaccurate horror stories that surround this new scheme. I would encourage this council to produce a leaflet containing the main facts about this new scheme, which could be made available at council offices, libraries, schools, colleges or any other suitable location."

Leading Government Ministers, Party Leaders and European Commissioners from Liberal Democratic parties across Europe are meeting in London today at the invitation of South West England and Gibraltar MEP Sir Graham Watson, in his role as president of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform party (ELDR) together with UK Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg. The main topics being addressed are the European economic growth; the eurozone and treaty change and the Multi-Annual Financial Framework, the European Unions long term budget strategy. A number of key Lib Dem Ministers will attend including Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Business Secretary Vince Cable.

Prior to the meeting, Sir Graham commented: "Finding a credible solution to the economic crisis remains the number one priority. This will inevitably require greater fiscal coordination, discipline and solidarity among Eurozone countries. The draft Reinforced Economic Union (REU) Treaty under discussion at present is one step in this regard. But fiscal austerity alone cannot solve our problems. Unless we tackle the underlying cause of the crisis - Europe's chronic lack of competiveness in the global economy - this crisis will be the first of many more to come."

The Liberal Democrat Group on Gloucestershire County Council will at full council this month call for a letter to be written to the Environment Secretary urging the Government to prioritise vaccinations over any badger cull.

The Secretary of State in December announced the go ahead for controlled culling of badgers as part of the package of measures to tackle bovine TB (bTB). The approach which will be piloted in two yet to be determined areas this Autumn has also been condemned by the Liberal Democrat Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood.

Dear R esident,

I would like to wish you and your family all the best for 2012.

We are now in the second year of the Coalition Government with the Conservatives. The main objective of the Coalition has been to provide stability during a difficult economic time and to tackle the country's deficit which is necessary to achieve long term growth and prosperity.

The Liberal Democrat group has lodged a legal challenge under Gloucestershire county council's constitution after Urbaser Balfour Beatty was selected as the preferred bidder to build a massive waste incinerator at Javelin Park.

The legal challenge known as a 'call-in' will halt the incinerator project until the councillors on the overview and scrutiny management committee can meet to review the process that led to the cabinet decision to progress the waste incinerator project.

Glos CC have agreed to go with Urbaser Balfour Beatty's bid to provide a solution for dealing with Gloucestershire's residual waste.

The company iNtends to build an energy from waste facility on Javelin Park (near Junct 11 of the M5) to deal with the county's household rubbish - the stuff that's left over after recycling and composting all we can.