In today’s Independent, David Laws, Schools Minister, writes a piece about the take up and uses of the Pupil Premium. We ran a piece on this last year in our local Focus. West Sussex County Council is mentioned in David’s piece, but not in a good way. West Sussex is one of six Conservative-run Councils […]

I have not done much campaigning recently, due to bereavement and work pressures, but am delighted to be standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Bramber Castle in the County Elections this May. I am, of course, hoping to shoulder the heavy responsibility of carrying on the good work that Derek Deedman has done for […]

Southern Water’s Metering Programme – June 2012 The South East has been classed by the government as an area of water stress. Population growth will continue to increase the demand for water, whilst at the same time climate change is likely to mean drier summers and more frequent droughts. That means we need to stretch […]

A couple of weeks ago, Chris Huhne wrote in the Guardian about the need for ‘green growth’ – finding and supporting ways to grow the economy that prioritise sustainability of resources, not simply because it is a feel good thing to do, but because, increasingly, this will become the currency – there will be no […]

This week we have seen Nick Clegg’s measured and reasonable performance at the Leveson enquiry, Danny Alexander’s mature and well-received speech to the GMB, and a very positive reception for our plans to allow gay couples to marry, thus ending centuries of inequality. On a local front, your County Councillor, Derek Deedman, is taking up […]

Last night we heard from the local PCSO and Neighbourhood Warden concerning the antisocial riding of mopeds – please report any registrations where possible. We also heard about metal thefit from a company on the Henfield Road. Again, contact the police if you have any details. There has been a garage burglary on Henfield Road, […]

The Sun has launched a campaign to ‘ditch benefits for the rich’, saying that items like bus passes and the Winter Fuel Allowance should be taken from millionaire pensioners. There are no plans to remove such benefits. The Coalition Agreement clearly states: “We will protect key benefits for older people such as the winter fuel […]

At 7.30 pm Upper Beeding Parish Council will meet at Bramber and Beeding Village Hall. You are invited to attend, either to raise an issue that you feel needs council attention, or just to find out what is going on. Neighbourhood Wardens and our Councillors from District and County will be there. There is also […]

On the doorstep this afternoon, I was asked if the Liberal Democrats were actually achieving anything in Government. After all, were we not just subsumed into the Tory machine? I believe that it is to be proud of, and because of Liberal Democrats working hard, that: the coalition will be collecting five times more money […]

The papers like to vilify Clegg… or ignore him. Individual voters, even Liberal Democrat ones, sometimes try to hold him personally accountable for what they see as bad policy from the Coalition. Last night, I and 80 others, spent an hour with him, asking questions and getting a close up, relaxed view of the man. […]