http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from St Albans Liberal Democrats en-GB St Albans Liberal Democrats http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2010 St Albans Liberal Democrats 2010-03-11T13:31+00:00 United Kingdom http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000130/public_meeting_called_on_whether_rail_operator_fcc_should_lose_its_franchise.html Following continuing erratic performance by First Capital Connect and a growing wave of anger at the complexity of FCC compensation proposals after a winter of discontent, Sandy Walkington has called a public meeting for Tuesday 16 March to discuss whether FCC should now lose their franchise. The main speaker will be Norman Baker MP, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesman in the House of Commons. 2010-03-09T09:45+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000129/local_liberal_democrats_back_st_albansbased_campaign_for_community_pubs_local_brewers_and_consumer_rights.html Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for St Albans, made a special visit today to St Albans-based CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale) in Hatfield Road to sign the Beer Drinkers' and Pub Goers' Charter. 2010-03-05T12:43+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000128/massive_swing_to_lib_dems_in_london_colney_byelection.html St Albans Liberal Democrats have been celebrating a fantastic result for Vibs Nazeri in Thursday's London Colney parish council by-election. Just 32 votes deprived Vibs of victory in a barnstorming performance by the first-time candidate. 2010-02-14T14:00+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000127/welcome_for_tescos_city_centre_decision.html Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington has welcomed Tesco's decision to move to new, larger premises in the city centre and no longer seek to impose a wholly inappropriate superstore on the London Road site. 2010-02-09T12:28+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000126/first_capital_connect_scores_zero_points_for_compensation_package.html Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington has accused First Capital Connect of making "as much of a dog's breakfast" with their compensation offer as they have of running the actual rail service. 2010-02-01T11:00+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000125/west_herts_hospital_doctors_participate_in_ash_cash_payments.html In the week when he is coming to St Albans to speak on the future of the NHS, Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb MP has revealed that doctors working in hospitals earned almost £15m last year in so called 'ash cash' payments made by grieving families. The payment is made to doctors to sign a form releasing a body for cremation. In West Hertfordshire alone, families paid out £148,218 in 2008/9 alone to get their loved ones' deceased bodies released for cremation. 2010-01-18T14:50+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000124/has_the_nhs_left_the_people_of_st_albans__what_next_for_our_local_health_services.html St Albans Liberal Democrats are organising a public meeting on the future of our NHS with keynote speakers Norman Lamb MP and Hertfordshire County Councillor Nick Hollinghurst. The meeting takes place on Thursday 21st January at 7 pm at the Marlborough Road Methodist Church in St Albans. Doors open at 6.30 pm. 2010-01-18T14:20+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000123/lib_dem_leader_in_house_of_lords_challenges_transport_secretary_over_fccs_woeful_performance.html Lord Tom McNally, St Albans resident and Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, today confronted the Transport Secretary Lord Adonis over the woeful performance of First Capital Connect. 2010-01-14T17:00+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000122/need_for_a_complete_rethink_on_clearing_pavement_ice_and_snow.html As the slight thaw to be followed by another freeze signals more problems for local people trying to get to school, work and the shops, Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for St Albans, has called for a fundamental rethink on the prioritisation of pavements and footways in ice and snow clearing. 2010-01-11T09:00+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000121/st_albans_youth_unemployment_doubles_in_just_one_year.html Highlighting the latest published unemployment figures for St Albans parliamentary constituency, Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for St Albans, has expressed his particular dismay at the doubling in local youth unemployment in just one year. 2009-12-21T13:23+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000120/light_at_end_of_tunnel_for_fcc_commuters__now_fight_is_for_proper_compensation.html Commenting on the news of a likely settlement between First Capital Connect and its drivers, Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for St Albans, said: "This has been a nightmare for local commuters. It was not an act of god. It was a simple failure of First Capital Connect to deliver the service they had promised to the travellers who purchase tickets at such expense. There should now be no ducking or diving by FCC about compensating passengers for a breakdown in the advertised train service caused by internal industrial relations failings. 2009-12-07T10:15+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000119/train_pain_continues.html 57 Trains notified as cancelled in one day - is this a record? 2009-11-10T14:52+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000118/victory_for_rail_passengers_over_fcc_summer_super_offpeak_ticket_failures.html Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for St Albans, is pleased to have received confirmation from Jim Morgan, Managing Director of First Capital Connect, that anyone, who can show they purchased a weekend day return from a self-service ticket machine over the summer and failed to benefit from the Super Saver discount of up to 25 percent, will now be compensated with the difference in fare. 2009-10-26T11:07+00:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000117/damning_road_and_pavement_dossier_leads_to_unprecedented_highways_committee_response.html Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington attended last night's Highways Joint Member Panel to formally present the devastating road and pavement dossier compiled from the two and a half thousand responses to his survey carried out earlier this year. 2009-10-23T15:28+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000116/lib_dem_candidate_challenges_fcc_over_failure_to_make_super_saver_fares_available_at_station_ticket_machines.html Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Sandy Walkington has uncovered yet another ticketing confusion from rail company First Capital Connect. The FCC "super saver" promotion, which was launched in the summer offering a 20 percent discount on the standard day return for weekend travellers, has not been available all that time at the station ticket machines but only at the ticket office. 2009-10-09T15:54+01:00