Tim Ball

Throwing a spotlight on information the Government would rather keep hidden is an essential part of our democracy. And when dealing with an administration legendary for its secrecy, you increasingly have to rely on whistle-blowers to see the full picture.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has written at length in today's  Telegraph about the treatment of Tory MP Damian Green.

Follow this link to see the full contents of Nick Clegg's letter.                  

Bath MP Don Foster is calling for real action in keeping HGVs and through traffic out of Bath, by researching a scheme that sees alternative recommended routes sent to Sat Nav mapping companies.

Earlier this month Liberal Democrat research revealed that Bath and North East Somerset Council officers had not been attending meetings of the South West Regional Freight Forum, where the scheme has been discussed and actively piloted by Somerset County Council.

Don has now written to the Chief Executive of Somerset County Council to find out more.

Don said, "This is a sensible, practical way of reducing the number of HGVs getting stuck on inappropriate routes in our city, and can also help to reduce through traffic.  It is pleasing that these companies are willing to work with local communities to improve the service they provide.

"We need to find out more about this scheme and start playing catch up so that we can work with Somerset County Council in producing effective alternative routes.  It is time that there was real action on this issue."

Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Gilchrist asked a question on the issue at the last Full Council meeting.  He said, "The Tories have talked and talked and talked.  They keep claiming that they are working to stop HGVs using Bath as a through route, but the reality is that they are doing very little.

"If this was really a priority, as they claim it is, then they would have made sure officers were attending these meetings and that our Council was pioneering this scheme.  Instead we are sadly lagging behind."

Commenting on reports that Alistair Darling considered raising VAT to 18.5% in 2011, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "The Government has been at best incompetent and at worst highly duplicitous."

Vince Cable went on to say:

"At a time of economic emergency we need a clear-headed Government with a sound economic strategy, instead we are seeing tax policy being made up on the hoof.

"Ministers were clearly planning to sell the VAT cut on the basis that it would help millions of struggling families, when actually it was going to be nothing more than a shield for a permanent VAT rise.

"The fact that the Government can't even get its briefing documents right doesn't bode well for their future management of the economy."

Bath MP Don Foster has said that the Chancellor’s pre-budget report will not help people that are most in need of assistance.  The report contains a temporary cut in VAT which will only help big spenders, and a National Insurance hike.

Don said, “What people in Bath who are struggling to make ends meet wanted to hear was help for them now.  Instead we have a VAT decrease which does not apply to basic items such as food.  What we should have seen was a cut in the basic rate of income tax to put money in these people’s pockets now.

“The Government has missed a golden opportunity to make the tax system permanently fairer which it could have done by cutting income taxes for those on low and middle incomes, paid for by getting rid of tax loopholes for the wealthy.

On the day that the ATOC announced a 6% increase in the cost of regulated fares for January 2008, Bath MP Don Foster has joined calls demanding a freeze on rail fares and called for the planned rail fares increases for January to be abandoned.

Liberal Democrats are calling for a 1 year freeze on rail fares to help people through the current economic crisis.  This will be paid for by cutting the budget for major road widening schemes.

Don said, “People, especially commuters, travelling from Bath to Paddington are already paying one of the highest prices per mile in the world.  With food and heating bills rising, another 6% on rail fares is not going to be a welcome late Christmas present.  Freezing fares would give a huge boost to many hard-pressed families.

“The cost of rail fares has risen above inflation by 6% since this Government came to power.
 “The Government has repeatedly frozen fuel duty for motorists in the light of external circumstances, despite the fact that under Labour the cost of motoring has actually fallen in real terms by 10%.

Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed the adoption of their motion on the Sustainable Communities Act. By adopting the motion B&NES Council has resolved to “use, to the full, its powers under the Act by preparing and submitting proposals to central government”.

The Act became law in 2007 and gives Councils the opportunity to make proposals to make proposals to Government to encourage the improvement of the economic, social or environmental well being of the local area.

The Act can be used to address issues such as over-concentration of second homes or student houses, ‘clone cities’ and protection of post offices and local shopping areas.

Now the Council needs to decide how it will advise and help communities develop proposals to be submitted to local government and how it will evaluate these proposals.”

The motion was adopted unanimously, reflecting the cross-party support the act has received at Parliament level.

Liberal Democrats are campaigning for the rights of Gurkhas who are being denied citizenship and full pensions.

It's an ongoing disgrace: Gurkhas who retired from the British Army after 1997 can automatically stay in the UK, but those who retired earlier must apply, and many have been refused and face deportation. Pension rights for years served by Gurkhas before 1997 count at only around a quarter of the level of years served after that time.

On Tuesday 30th September, in a test case, the High Court ruled their treatment had been unlawful in terms of the right to live in the UK if they retired before 1997. Following that decision, a huge campaign has been started to get the Government to change the law on how it treats Gurkhas.

Liberal Democrats on Bath and North East Somerset Council last night backed a  motion calling for equal treatment for Gurkhas.

The Liberal Democrats have been firmly backing the Justice Campaign, and have consistently raised this issue in Parliament. Our position is unequivocal: The government must allow all Gurkhas who risked their lives serving in our armed forces to become British citizens, and enjoy equal rights. If someone is prepared to die for our country they should have the right to live in our country.

Bath MP Don Foster joined up with two-time Olympic medallist Rebecca Romero this week to support CCPR’s Subs for Clubs campaign. Romero, track cycling gold medallist in Beijing, as well as silver rowing medallist in Athens was in the House of Commons to show off her medals and tell MPs about the importance of community sports clubs.

MP for Bath, Don Foster said, “With an ageing and growing population, as well as an obesity crisis looming, we have to support sports clubs which help us to lead healthy and active lives.  Community sport is the base from which elite success springs and I am particularly proud that Bath has a variety of sports clubs so that people can get involved. 

“This is why I support CCPR’s Subs for Clubs campaign to allow sports clubs to claim Gift Aid on junior subscriptions, providing a much needed resource for these clubs who contribute so much to our community.”

The aim of CCPR’s Subs for Clubs campaign is to allow Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) to claim Gift Aid on junior membership subscriptions – just as organisations like the National Trust are permitted to do on their subscriptions.  Currently 51% of sports clubs operate at a deficit or just manage to break even. 

The cost would be small - £1.2 million in the first year rising to £4.4 million by 2012 – but the value to community sport would be enormous, allowing clubs to improve their facilities, train and improve their coaches, and re-invest in vital kit.

 Rebecca Romero, 2008 Olympic track cycling champion and 2004 rowing silver medallist said:

“Without grassroots provision, elite success is not possible.  Even though we do not know who many of them are yet, our Olympic champions of the future are being given a chance to succeed at community sports clubs across the country.  This is why it is so vital that community clubs are given as much financial help and support as possible. Allowing them to reclaim Gift Aid on junior subscriptions is a step in the right direction.”

Don, who is the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport added that his party also backed the campaign.  He added, “Liberal Democrats across the country see this as a positive move.  Community sports not only help our children in their first steps to becoming athletes, but they also help to bring communities together.  We all know that many sports clubs struggle to make ends meet, and this is a great way to get them some much needed extra cash.  The argument is a very convincing one.”

Bath MP Don Foster has today written to Bath & North East Somerset Council urging them to actively participate in a scheme that could dramatically reduce the number of HGVs driving through Bath.

 Don said, “I have long argued that we should be working with sat nav companies to provide sensible and appropriate routes, not just the theoretical best route that they provide.  I think every resident in Bath would have seen an HGV driving along a street that is clearly too narrow for it, or having to perform an awkward u-turn which holds up traffic.  We could also suggest routes for through traffic which avoid the city centre.

 “Somerset County Council has now taken a lead in working with sat nav companies to provide these practical solutions.  They have done this with the involvement of the South West Regional Freight Forum, of which Bath & North East Somerset are a member.  However, it turns out that a Council officer from our Council has not attended this group for some time.

 “Today I have written to the Council and urged them to work closely with Somerset County Council and catch-up on the information that we have missed out on.  I have also asked that we take an active involvement in this pilot scheme from now on, as it could be of great benefit to the city.”

Bath MP Don Foster has stressed his relief that the Government has finally reached the right decision on the Post Office Card Account, giving the contract to the Post Office.

Don said, "I spoke to a lot of sub-postmasters during our campaign to save post offices from closure earlier this year.  The concern about this contract going elsewhere was palpable.  Sub-postmasters were saying that without the Card Account they would lose so much business that they would be forced to close.  This is important news in maintaining the number of post offices we have available in the city.

"Unfortunately Labour MPs voted against a Liberal Democrat motion to have more Government services available through the post office network."

More than 4 million people in the UK receive pensions and benefit payments through a Post Office Card Account at their local Post Office. At the end of 2005 there were 5,500 Post Office Card Accounts in Bath.

The contract had previously been put out to tender, risking the loss of 3,000 Post Offices if a private firm won the contract.

Don said, "Local people have shown just how important their local post office is to them by joining our campaign earlier in the year against closures.  I have also received thousands of items of correspondence on the Post Office Card Account, so I am pleased that the Government have performed this u-turn.

"However, the Government should have realised the importance of post offices to communities and awarded the new contract to the network without these months of delay.

"Instead, local branches have had to deal with the uncertainty that ministerial dithering and unnecessary contracting processes has caused."

I have often asked myself that question and was fascinated when I saw the Graham Watson Video on U Tube, If you are unsure then follow this link and watch like I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASZ2DdoS4U4

The Conservative-run Cabinet of Bath and North East Somerset Council has become complacent about recycling and waste policies, according to opposition politicians.

As the first Council to adopt a zero waste policy, under Liberal Democrat leadership, Bath & North East Somerset Council was seen as a trailblazer on recycling. However since the new Administration took over however the Council's waste record is becoming a damp squib.

The Conservative Cabinet are happy to congratulate themselves about Government statistics, but meanwhile they are once again considering delaying their promised introduction of kitchen waste collections - now saying this could be put off till 2011 - and same day collections of waste and recycling will now not come in till 2009. These measures would already have been in place under Liberal Democrat plans and local recycling rates would have been nearly 60% by the end of next year.

This latest boast from the Conservative Administration should really be an admission that recycling and global warming are not high on their agenda. 77% of Bath & North East Somerset residents recycle - residents clearly want to do their bit and want to start now.

The Government has done a U-turn on the Post Office Card Account and will now allow the Post Office to keep the ‘POCA' contract until at least 2015.

The contract had previously been put out to tender, risking the loss of 3,000 Post Offices if a private firm won the contract.

To cheers in the House of Commons yesterday, Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell announced that the bidding process had been closed, saying, "Now cannot be the time for the government to do anything to put that network at risk."

This announcement follows a debate in the Commons on Monday 10^th November which was called by Liberal Democrat MPs and in which Labour MPs voted against proposals for the Government to carry out more services through Post Offices.

More than 4 million people in the UK receive pensions and benefit payments through a Post Office Card Account at their local Post Office. At the end of 2005 there were 5,500 Post Office Card Accounts in Bath and 5,700 in North East Somerset.

The Post Office Card Account, as stressed by the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters, brings vital footfall and business to local Post Offices and therefore helps to ensure their survival.

Commenting on today's Bank of England prediction that inflation could fall below 1% next year, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "It's clear from the today's figures that we're heading for very high levels of unemployment with falling inflation. This could soon become negative inflation, with prices actually falling."

Vince Cable went on to say:

"The Governor of the Bank of England is right to say that interest rates will fall a lot further. We may find ourselves in a world of zero interest rates before too long.

"The actions we have urged, including drastic interest rate and tax cuts, now attract wide political support. However, the key problem is that despite the Government's recapitalisation of the banks, the financial system is still completely gummed up.

"Ministers must consider more drastic action to ensure that credit flows on reasonable terms to solvent borrowers."

This year marks the 90th anniversary of The Great War and the relevance of Remembrance Day and the two minute silence remain undiminished.

More than three quarters of the population are expected to pause for the two minute silence this year. Now, we remember not only those who fought during the two World Wars but also those who have lost their lives in more recent conflicts.

Very few people remain untouched by the effects of conflict and taking a few moments to reflect is a key part of coming to terms with loss or learning from the past.

With troops on duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other trouble spots around the world, remembrance, and this two minute tribute, are as important as ever.

let us not forget.

The Liberal Democrats will tonight call on the Government to cut the taxes of people on low and middle incomes, paid for by increasing environmental taxes and closing tax loopholes exploited by the very wealthy. The House of Commons will this evening vote upon a Liberal Democrat motion supporting tax cuts, as part of the Party’s Opposition Day debate.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg said:

"Senior figures from both Labour and the Tories have suddenly started talking about the need for tax cuts. Tonight's debate will give them all a chance to put their money where their mouths are.

"The Liberal Democrats have consistently called on the Government to cut taxes for people on low and middle incomes. It's high time ministers started to listen."

The admission from the Conservative Cabinet member for customer services that he is considering delaying same day and kitchen waste collections till 2011 shows that this Administration is not only failing to take waste seriously, but also means that the Conservative promises to the electorate will be broken.  The authority will now be at risk of increasing land fill charges.

Liberal Democrat plans, which were in place before the 2007 election, would have seen kitchen waste and same day collections introduced by now and our recycling rates would be heading towards 60% by the end of 2009.

The Cabinet also approved a West of England Partnership paper on sites for waste facilities under the strategic Waste Partnership. The proposals – all of which include a waste site to be located in Keynsham – are to be put to consultation early next year.

The failure of the WEP waste strategy is the failure to rise to the waste challenge and for our partners to take the wrong route down the incineration path.

The failure of our Conservative led Council has been our lack of success in convincing our WEP partners to join us in a Zero Waste strategy.

Commenting on the 1.5% cut in interest rates, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "Naturally we welcome this bold move, which now amounts to a 2% cut in rates in under a month. This is exactly what we've been calling for."

Vince Cable went on to say:

"It is much more radical than had been anticipated in the City, and goes a long way to restoring my faith that the Bank of England can react strongly in an emergency.

"The next priority is to ensure that this cut is passed on to borrowers. It is very clear that the conditions attached to the Government's recapitalisation of the banks were far too lax.

"The Government-appointed directors of these semi-nationalised banks will now have to ensure that they continue to supply credit and pass on interest rate cuts.

"This may not be the end of the story. Further interest rates cuts may be needed if it becomes clear this recession is turning into a deep slump."

I am disturbed to hear the news that our local Bath MP Don Foster has today revealed that a whistle-stop tour of the city led to the Government's decision on the number of new homes for Bath. 

Don put forward a Freedom of Information request that revealed that Examination in Public (EiP) Panel members drove a route around Bath that could have taken no more than 45 minutes, before coming up with their recommendations. I feel that it is ridiculous that senior Government officials would be so neglectful of their duties.

 Commenting, Don said, "This is, quite frankly, crazy.  This short drive around the edge of Bath has led to the Government accepting an increase to the size of the urban extension for the city and altering the ‘area of search' within which the Council can decide where to build the new homes.

 "These decisions are massively important to the future of the area, and yet the EiP has clearly spent less time considering them than the Council would spend on a planning application for 2 or 3 homes! 

 "This Regional Spatial Strategy has left many people unhappy, and to discover that key decisions have been made based on a short drive around the outskirts of the city is an insult to the people of Bath."

Commenting on the Chief Operating Officer of HSBC, David Hodgkinson's warning that the bank may not pass on an expected interest rate cut to its customers, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "It is difficult to see the justification for Mr Hodgkinson's comments that a cut in the Bank of England's interest rates may not be fully passed on to customers."

Vince Cable went on to say:

"Banks are only too happy to increase the cost of lending when interest rates go up. For customers to get a fair deal, this needs to be a two way street.

"When the whole banking industry owes so much to taxpayers for their very survival, any bank will find itself on very thin ice if it is found to be unfairly profiteering from its customers.

"As the credit crunch continues to keep millions of customers and small businesses in a stranglehold, borrowers need interest rate cuts now."

We have two planning applications this week that you may wish to have a look at.

The first application is for the erection of a single storey rear extension to provide a dining room and family room at 2 Kelston View Whiteway.

The application was first registered on 27th October 2008 and has a decision date of  22nd December 2008. The application registration number is 08/03863/FUL and your can view the application by following the link on the application number.

The second application is for the Installation of 5 air conditioning cassettes and security shutters to windows on the ground floor rear elevation at St Michael's Surgery Walwyn Close Twerton.

The application was first registered on 27th October 2008 and has a decision date of 22nd December 2008. The application registration number is 08/04007/FUL and you can view the application by following the link on the application number.

Any representations on these applications should be made in writing to Development Control, Trimbridge House, Trim Street, Bath BA1 2DP.  Alternatively representations can be made using the Planning Service pages of the Council's website http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/.  All representations must arrive no later than the 27th November 2008.

Commenting on the news that Barclays have announced a proposal to raise up to £7.3bn from Arab investment in order to strengthen its balance sheet, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable said: "This is a scandal of mammoth proportions. Here is a bank which relies on the taxpayer to bail it out if the going gets rough but which has offered Middle Eastern investors a much better deal than the banks are offering to the British tax payer."

"Sheikh Mansour and the Qatari Group are being offered convertible bonds at very attractive interest rates with an opportunity to convert into shares when things improve.

"We have to ask why Barclays is willing to offer a better deal to foreign investors than the British taxpayer. The answer is simple: they don't want the British Government stopping them from paying massive bonuses to their executives. More than the other banks, Barclays operate a high-risk casino operation which makes the bank particularly unstable but which gives very rich pickings to the top executives. 

"The British Government must not simply let this pass. I have absolutely no objection to Arab investment in the British economy but this deal smells to high heaven.

"The Government should seriously be considering making it clear to Barclays shareholders that if they accept this deal, the bank will forfeit any future entitlement to protection from the tax payer. 

"And this deal also raises the wider question as to whether the banks, which are licensed to take deposits from the public, should be allowed to continue very high risk gambling operations which have brought the financial system to the brink of disaster and which Barclays is at the very heart of."

Commenting on Friday's speech by George Osborne on the economy, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "George Osborne is clearly way out of his depth."

"His arguments on how to get us out of recession are entirely incoherent. He argues against continuing Government spending on the basis that it will push up borrowing, then announces un-funded tax cuts which would do just that.
 
"Throughout the economic crisis George Osborne has consistently shown poor judgement, from opposing the nationalisation of Northern Rock, to advocating continued short selling and supporting further deregulation of the City.

"After weeks of waiting for the Tories to give a hint of their economic proposals, this speech is a damp squib. We have heard nothing from them which would help the millions of families struggling to make ends meet.

"We must cut taxes for those on low and middle incomes, funded by closing tax loopholes exploited by the wealthy.

"Binding rules must be placed on banks to only ever repossess someone's home as a last resort.

"And we must ensure that energy companies pass on falling energy prices to struggling customers."