Responding to Margaret Beckett’s comments that the Government’s pledge to build three million affordable new homes by 2020 is in trouble because of the recession, Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing Minister, Sarah Teather said: “Finally Margaret Beckett has woken up to reality.”

“The Government should urgently reverse its failed VAT cut and spend the money on new zero carbon affordable housing.

“Ministers should also allow councils to borrow in order to rebuild Britain’s stock of social housing.”

Responding to the Government being forced to withdraw already delayed sentencing statistics today after errors were uncovered, Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth said: “Today’s fiasco will further undermine people’s trust in official crime and sentencing figures. These errors must be eliminated if ministers ever want people to believe a word they say.”

“The Government continues to compete with the Tories to sound tough on sentencing. Instead they should focus of reducing sky-high reoffending rates, which have left our prisons bursting at the seams.”

Responding to the Government ‘talking out’ today’s Bill on reforming the right of succession and the laws preventing the monarch marrying a Catholic, Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris, who proposed the legislation, said: “Despite the spin from the Prime Minister about amending religious and sexual discrimination in our constitution being a higher priority, the Government has dealt a serious blow to the prospects of reform by talking out my Bill.”

“Jack Straw was asked three times to provide either a timetable, a commitment to a government Bill before the next election or any other tangible step towards this necessary and popular reform, but said he couldn’t provide any.

“The Liberal Democrats, with cross-party backbench allies, will seek every opportunity to keep this on the agenda.”

Speaking on today’s Politics Show, Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman, Steve Webb urged the government to allow people to take tax-free cash lump sums from their pension funds to avoid home reposessions and put money into the economy.

He said 25% of a pension can be taken as a lump sum at retirement and it would be more useful in the current crisis to allow people to take it now.

“It is crazy to reposess someone’s home now when they have a capital sum in their pension that could save their home,” he said.

Asked if people might take the money to buy a car or other goods he said that too would be acceptable because it put money into the economy. “That’s just what we need,” he said, adding there would, in any case, be a cap on the amount allowed.

Mr Webb said he got the idea from Labour peer, Baroness Hollis so: “it’s an idea people are thinking of”.

MPs caught misusing public money should face by-elections where constituents would have the chance to sack them, according to the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg  Nick Clegg has said the Lib Dems would demand a massive constitutional shake-up as a condition of forming a power-sharing government with either of the two big parties. Only the offer of a “new type of government” could tempt him to join forces with Labour or the Tories in the event of a hung Parliament“Thousands of voters have seen their MP exposed for corruption – and been told there’s nothing they can do about it,” Mr Clegg told a Lib Dem conference in Liverpool. He proposed “a Derek Conway Clause” to be added to parliamentary rules, so that when an MP is suspended for serious misconduct, there would an automatic recall ballot so people can call for a by-election. “If your MP lets you down, you should have the power to fire them,” Mr Clegg said.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is said to be “mortified” after she was forced to offer an apology for an expenses claim which included an amount of £67 for adult films watched by her husband in June last year.   A friend said that the Home Secretary knew there was “no excuse” for the error but added: “To say she’s angry with her husband is an understatement.  “Jacqui was not there when these films were watched.  

“She’s furious and mortified.”  Ms Smith stated: 

 “I am sorry that in claiming for my internet connection, I mistakenly claimed for a television package alongside it.   “As soon as the matter was brought to my attention, I took immediate steps to contact the relevant parliamentary authorities and rectify the situation.  “All money claimed for the television package will be paid back in full.”  

Ms Smith is already at the centre of row after revelations that she has claimed more than £116,000 for a ‘second home’ while effectively lodging with her sister.

She has claimed the Additional Costs Allowance, which is currently £24,006 a year,tax free, on the detached house in her West Midlands constituency where her husband and two young children live, which she originally bought for £300,000 five years ago.

Ms Smith  is able to do this because she told the Commons authorities that her ‘main home’ is a house in South London solely owned by her sister, Sara, where she stays on some weekdays.

Neighbours of Ms Smith have challenged her claim that she spends more nights there each week than her family home in the West Midlands.

This followed the revelation three months ago that Ms Smith’s Husband who is paid £40,000 of public money a year to run her Redditch constituency office had sent a series of letters defending the Government to their local paper. Mr Timney had a series of letters published in the Redditch Advertiser backing Ms Smith’s identity card plans and attacking the Tories over schools, without mentioning that he was married to the woman responsible for the policies. 

Tory MP Philip Davies has said that if the porn-movie claims were true, the Home Secretary would have to resign.

“Claiming that her sister’s back bedroom is her main home is one thing but this could push her over the cliff. It is surely not legitimate to use Commons’ second-home allowances to buy blue movies. If this is true, I cannot see how she can survive.”
 

Taxpayers in North East Lincolnshire paid out £140,000 bill last year to clean the mess left by fly-tippers. 

Recent figures released by the Government show there were 1,870 incidents of fly-tipping in North East Lincolnshire in 2007/8, but and only 66 successful prosecutions.

Fly-tipping statistics released by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) put the clean-up cost to taxpayers in North East Lincolnshire at £139,022 in 2007/8. In the year previously, there were 1,480 incidents of fly-tipping across our region and five successful prosecutions for the offence, meaning the clear-up bill was £94,752 – 46.7 per cent less than in 2007/8. 

Phil Barton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said:  “Problems such as litter, graffiti and fly-tipping affect people’s perceptions of themselves and their neighbourhoods and can also act as a magnet for more serious crimes.  

Clearly, a massive amount of work remains to be done to reduce litter on our streets.  This annual report shows progress in some areas, such as a reduction in dog fouling, but the reality is that

England’s streets and neighbourhoods remain in an ‘unsatisfactory’ condition. We need the support of councils, businesses, communities and individuals to help ensure we all live and work in areas we are proud of.”

 An average of seven tons of fly-tipped waste are removed from the streets of North East Lincolnshire each month. North East Lincolnshire Council’s environmental enforcement manager, John Waite, says  “ 

YOU can help make the area a cleaner and more pleasant place to be. “I would encourage anybody to report any negative activities or places where waste is building up to us as soon as possible,” he said. 

“By giving us as many details as you can you will help us to take action as soon as possible and bring these people to justice. “We now liaise with the Environment Agency, Humberside Police and neighbouring authorities to make sure we are doing as much as possible to make North East Lincolnshire an even better place to live.” 

One satisfied Cleethorpes resident was thrilled to see a Grot Spot on

Dolphin Street

cleaned-up by NELC was Paul Taylor, who said that the”horrific” Grot Spot on his street has been completely transformed.  Mr Taylor said that things have improved a million per cent in his area thanks to NELC. 

“I also want to say thank you to John Waite and his team. As well as getting everything cleaned up, they have put up notices warning people about fly-tipping. “Over the past month they have been absolutely fabulous and the difference is light-years away from what it was.” 

As reported in the Grimsby Telegraph, Mr Taylor had become tired of piles of rubbish repeatedly building up on the street close to his front door, which he described as “disgusting and horrific”. Tony Neul, acting deputy director of neighbourhood services at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: 

 “I would like to commend both the public and the Telegraph for working with us to cleanse and regenerate the area.  “It is down to the hard work of our staff, the community wardens and Police Community Support Officers that so many Grot Spots have been transformed.” To report a Grot Spot,to the council on ring (01472) 313131, or to report fly-tipping call NELC on (01472) 313131 and ask to speak to Environmental Services. 

North East Lincolnshire Council’s trading standards team is urging local businesses to stay vigilant to avoid being caught out by a new business scam.

Companies in the local area have been receiving unsolicited telephone calls from an unidentified company when the receiver is asked for their full name, and the address of the company. No potential order is discussed or authorised.

The telephone call is then followed by a fax stating that an order for franking labels valued at more than £200 has been placed by the person whose name was taken and asking for payment, with dispatch of the order within the next 24 hours.

If businesses fall victim to the scam, they need to write to the company as a matter of urgency, by recorded delivery post and retaining a copy of the letter, advising that no order was ever placed.

If the franking labels have been received, an offer to return them upon receipt of a postage paid label could be made.

North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “This type of company often targets businesses who don’t have time to check their invoices closely. It is always worth checking the small print and making sure that such scam techniques are not allowed to succeed.”If you have concerns about this scam or any other issues about trading standards across North East Lincolnshire, call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

After a hard fought campaign in the Yarborough Ward by-election there was a victory last night, for “common sense” as the Conservative Party was rejected by the voters.

The tactics used by the Conservative party in this campaign were unbelievable, a long serving Liberal Democrat councillor told me that it was one of the dirtiest election campaigns that he has ever been involved in and that’s saying something!

Watch out for the General Election!

The Liberal Democrats increased their vote on last year’s election, and Peter Bailey proved to be an excellent candidate in his first election campaign, winning with an increased majority from the previous election.

Yarborough Ward By-Election, March 26 2009  Peter Bailey (Liberal Democrats)       763 (35.8; +4.4)Steve Fyfe            (BNP)                    370 (17.4; +17.4)

Martin Grant         (Generalist Party) 49   (2.3; +2.3)

Kathleen Norton   (Conservative)      513 (24.1; -0.3)

Michael Taylor      (Labour)                437 (20.5; +2.5) 

Majority                                              250 

Turnout: 25.45%  

In tonight’s Grimsby Evening Telegraph, the Liberal Democrat candidate Peter Bailey, said: “I’m very pleased. It has been a new experience to stand in an election and an important event for everyone.  “I’m going to bring my energy and community interest to benefit the whole of the ward. “My first thing will be to go on a fact-finding mission.” Hopefully, within a few weeks you will be hearing a great deal more about Councillor Peter Bailey – as soon as he gets up and running on the World Wide Web – see you soon Peter, and “Well Done!”

Peter has asked me, through this blog, to thank all of his team of helpers and all of the voters for their support 

Surveillance powers designed to prevent crime and terrorism and have been used by councils more than 10,000 times since 2004, research by the Liberals Democrats has found.

A survey of more than 180 councils discovered that:

• Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) powers have been used 10,288 times in the last five years
• 1,615 council staff have the power to authorise the use of the RIPA
• 21% (340) of these staff are below senior management grade
• Just 9% of these authorisations have led to a successful prosecution, caution or fixed-penalty notice

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, Julia Goldsworthy said:

“This Government sees civil liberties as little more than a temporary inconvenience. Slowly but surely freedoms have been eroded. We’re now in a situation where dog fouling is considered enough to warrant surveillance by council officials.

“When RIPA was passed, only nine organisations, including the police and security services, were allowed to use it. Now a total of 795 bodies, including all 475 local authorities, can use powers that were originally designed to prevent terrorism.

“Unless RIPA is reformed it risks becoming a snoopers’ charter. Surveillance powers should only be used to investigate serious crimes and must require a magistrate’s warrant.”