Barnet Borough Liberal Democrats

In his keynote speech to the Liberal Democrat Conference, Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has outlined his goals for the Government and the country over the coming years. He reiterated his commitment to liberal values on the environment and human rights and his determination to ensure a fair chance for every child, saying "every child can do good things, great things, if only we give them the opportunities they deserve."

Councillor Jack Cohen, Leader of Barnet Liberal Democrats, called for the scrapping of the One Barnet Programme at tonight's full Council Meeting. Cllr Cohen accused the Barnet Tories of "wasting millions of tax payer money chasing an illusion driven by dogma. There is not a shred of evidence that the Tory plans to outsource and privatise all of its main services will work." Cllr Cohen also condemned the Conservative Council Administration for its gung ho approach to employee /employer relations: "what is becoming clear to me is that there is a sustained and systematic attempt by some leading Tories to denigrate Council Employees to justify getting rid of them"

Councillor Jack Cohen, Leader of Barnet Liberal Democrats, has discovered that the Council failed to implement an increase in the cost of parking permits and visitor vouchers two years ago, thereby losing at least £100,000. The increased charges should have come into force in April 2009.

In a question at this evening's full council meeting to Cabinet Member Brian Coleman, Cllr Cohen asks why the decision of the Cabinet Resources Committee (April 2009) to increase the charges was not implemented.

On 5th May you have a choice. You can keep the discredited First Past the Post system to elect our MPs, or you can choose a new and fairer system - Alternative Vote (AV). Back the campaign for change at www.YesToFairerVotes.org

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Saying YES! to Fairer Votes Means:

Cllr Jack Cohen, leader of Barnet Liberal Democrats, told Tuesday's budget Council meerting that there is a better way of doing things. Cllr Cohen accused the Tory Administration of being "guilty of financial waste, mismanagement and contempt for the public on a grand scale"

Councillor Cohen acknowledged that tough decisions had to be made in the current economic climate. However, "the local Tories have made a bad situation worse. They have cut themselves off from the mainstream, they ignore the public and have made bad choices. All of this combines to making this Council a laughing stock."

The St Valentine's day massacre is how Liberal Democrat Leader, Cllr Jack Cohen is describing Monday's Barnet Council Cabinet decisions to slash millions of pounds from front line services. Cllr Cohen says residents suffered a double whammy: cuts in services, coupled with inflation busting rises in residents' parking permits and visitors' vouchers. Cllr Cohen does not accept the Tory Administrations mantra that there are no alternatives. "I know real savings can be made, for example by tackling the culture of spending millions of pounds on consultants and cutting top officers' pay."

Cllr Jack Cohen, Leader of Barnet Liberal Democrats, is accusing the Conservative Administration of losing their grip on parking enforcement throughout the Borough. In particular Cllr Cohen is accusing the Cabinet Member who has responsibility (Cllr Brian Coleman) of breathtaking complacency.

Cllr Cohen has put down a question for Tuesday's Council Meeting.

The Coalition Government has unveiled further details of the Pupil Premium - a key Liberal Democrat policy which will ensure that the most disadvantaged children in our borough get the help they need.

From April next year, every school in England will get £430 for each child in their school on Free School Meals. Based on latest estimates, this will mean at least an extra £3,630,920 for schools to spend in the Borough of Barnet.