Paul Crossley

Liberal Democrats in Bath have long been calling for sensible approach to student housing by Government. On the one hand the Government are asking for outrageous numbers of new housing but then it refuses to count student housing. Bath is a small city and each family house that is taken over for multile let adds to the pressure on our housing stock. Yet if we built 400 student housing units and save 100 family houses the Government does not acknowledge the figures. Areas such Oldfield have large numbers of HMOs let to students.

Our MP Don Foster backs this view and is calling for Common Sense Campaign on Affordable Homes

Don Foster MP has called for residents to back him against the Government in his common sense campaign on student housing.

Bath residents now have the chance to get behind Don's view that new purpose-built student accommodation should count towards the affordable homes target set by the Government and he is urging them to make themselves heard on this issue.

Don said, "It's simply common sense that the Government should allow student houses to count towards the target. The new purpose-built accommodation means that students will move out of the houses in the most affordable areas of our City. Can the Government really not see the benefit of this?

"We now have the opportunity to get involved with the RSS consultation process, which could dramatically affect the number of houses to be built within the Bath . If we are to stop Government indifference towards local circumstances, then it's crucial that Bath residents take this opportunity with both hands. I hope the public will make their voice heard, either directly to the consultation, or by getting in touch with me."

The consultation process for the Regional Spatial Strategy, (which demands that 21,300 new homes are built in Bath and North East Somerset by 2026), has now begun and runs until the 24th October. Throughout this period, members of the public can voice their concerns to the Government over any aspect of the Government's plans for the South West.

Don added, "We raised this issue with the Secretary of State some time ago, and she pointed us towards the consultation process. However, the deadline is approaching, so it's important we act now."

Please sign our petition at student housing link

The drama in Zimbabwe continues. The world prevaricates, Mugabe procrastinates, the Southern African states hesitate and the people's suffering continues. And now MDC MPs are being arrested and the election of the Speaker of the House becomes the latest battleground in this sorry tale.When will the world wake up to this preventable disaster in the making and help the people find a positive future away from the bullying and intimidation that is currently daily life for so many.

Please check out the Sokwanale Blog on the interesting blog list in the right hand column and read and see what is happening in this country.

Well done to all our athletes in the Olympic games. As a keen cyclists I have been following our cycle team with a keen interest and it has provided some great events in so many different styles. Team Bath provided a number of our athletes and Heather Fell got a silver medal.

Apart from the great cycling the star for me was the Bolt from Jamaica and three fantabulous races.

The task ahead over the next four years must be to get more people active and healthy as well as providing the stars for 2012.

In Bath we had a low key hand over event to mark the passing of the flag from Beijing to London.

Many people lost out through the Equitable Life fiasco. It is now clear that the Government failed in its duty to regulate. Prudence Brown caught out yet again and again and again on issue after issue. This one does though go back to the incompetent Conservatives and their cloud cuckoo economics of the late 1980s. It is also clear that it is now the Governments duty to provide compensation and to put in place regulation to stop this happening again. The new chancellor certainly picked up the short straw taking over the treasury just as all Gordon's chickens were coming home to roost and the world economy goes into free fall.

Alastair Darling needs to visit Vince Cable and get some advice I think on this issue.

Our MP Don Foster has just issued a press release on this matter.

Date:Tuesday 19th August

I will campaign for those who lost out through Equitable Life - Foster

Bath MP Don Foster is urging all constituents who have lost money through pensions and investments with Equitable Life to contact him, so that he can effectively take up their case in Parliament.

Commenting, Don said, "I feel that after 8 years and 13 reports it's time for the Government to finally admit that it comprehensively failed to regulate Equitable Life properly - and to start talking compensation.

"It is critical that the Government now sets out a credible, transparent and independent process to enter into a dialogue with policy holders over compensation. My colleague Vince Cable MP has led the Liberal Democrats in Parliament on this issue - and he is the Equitable Members Action Group's Political Champion. I would hope that everyone in Bath who has lost money through Equitable Life contact me so that we can put more pressure on the Government to pay out this compensation."

Those who have lost out can contact Don by writing to 31 James Street West , Bath , BA1 2BT , or calling 01225 338 973.