For me, nothing better illustrates the Liberal Democrat mission to make Britain a fairer place than our Pupil Premium: extra money for the most disadvantaged children in our schools. We are letting schools decide the best way to spend this money.  I want to strike a deal with our schools and teachers: we’ll give you the cash, the freedom, and we’ll reward and celebrate your success.  But in return, we want you to redouble your efforts to close the gap between your poorer pupils and everyone else.  We won’t be telling you what to do; but we will be watching what ... More

This week, Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat minister at the Department of Health) has launched a national £4 million lung cancer awareness campaign. The campaign, the first of its kind, will use TV, radio and press adverts, and advertising on pharmacist bags and inside GP surgeries, to raise awareness of the disease. One of its aims is to persuade anyone who has had a cough for more than three weeks to see their doctor. You can find more information about coughing and lung cancer at the Department of Health website, here: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/05/coughing-could-be-a-sign-of-lung-cancer-2/ With 33,000 new cases diagnosed each year, lung cancer is a blight ... More

I have received the full final decision from the Standards Tribunal of two weeks ago on 25th April. It spells out in detail why the Judge Karen Aldred and her two tribunal panel colleagues rejected last November’s standards committee decision against me that was triggered by a complaint by the council’s chief executive, Mr John Mitchell.  The decision notice can be read here. Further background can be read here. ... More

Yesterday’s parish council election looked like it might be a clean-sweep for the Liberal Democrats during the first half of count. In the end the voters elected 12 Liberal Democrats (an increase of two) and three Conservatives (down two). It wasn’t a good night anywhere for the Conservatives. It was a bad night for the Lib Dems in most UK places. If a simple explanation for the Stansted result is attempted, I’d say that the national scene didn’t help the Conservatives (and no Labour candidates to complicate the outcome here), but the main reason was voter disenchantment with Conservative-dominated Uttlesford District ... More

Uttlesford claimants of council tax and housing benefit payments are still some way off knowing what standard of performance they can expect from the council. I am hoping that progress can be made during the rest of 2012. At November’s standards committee hearing I was said to have brought the council into disrepute for saying that payments can take up to two months for some people. I was told that I had no evidence to say that. That allegation was rebutted by two people who complained to me; and was rejected by last week’s Tribunal under the gaze of a judge. ... More

The Stansted Matters Facebook group was set up by people opposed to the design and scale of Stansted’s proposed future health centre. It has become a wider forum for issues ranging from potholes to what community facilities are needed and where they should go.   Last week there was a lively debate about the contentious £350,00 hand-out that Uttlesford DC’s cabinet gave to Birchanger village. This was done behind the backs of the people for whom the money was meant; the growing number of residents at Forest Hall Park.   One home owner at FHP wrote: “Well I have to say that as someone that contributed ... More

It was quite clear at Wednesday’s appeal tribunal that the judge and her two colleagues didn’t think much of Uttlesford’s case against me. This was already obvious from the Listing Direction which I received in advance of the hearing. See document 1 below. My appeal application, less appendices, can be read at 2 below. The council’s case had shifted in emphasis from its intial unsubstantiated claim that I didn’t have evidence that benefits claims can take up to two months to be paid. The main argument from the council’s representative, Michael Perry, was that saying that SOME claims can take UP TO two months meant ... More

English Heritage has asked Uttlesford DC not to approve the proposed health centre/shops/apartments building in Lower Street, Stansted owing to its impact on the conservation area and Mountfitchet Castle. Their letter can be read here. ... More

I won my appeal today against the council’s standards committee and the complaint by the chief executive that I had brought the council into disrepute. At the end of the tribunal the judge said that I should use my blog to put the record straight. This is the first of several post in which I will publish background documents on this and other relevant matters. Last August I published the following on this blog and in Stansted “Link” magazine: Housing and benefits are two services from Uttlesford that are important to many people in Stansted. I have received complaints about the standard of ... More

Key messages from a residents’ survey about community needs in Stansted were released today. Over 450 people responded to the survey about how money from the Forest Hall Park developers should be used to benefit the community. The messages are: 1. The Liberal Democrats asked residents how to spend £1-2 million from the developers of Forest Hall Park. 2. Over 450 people responded; there was a massive response from Forest Hall Park residents and a higher than normal response from the rest of Stansted. 3. There is very strong support for improved road safety and parking; and for a swimming pool at the leisure centre. 4. There is strong support ... More