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) 2008 St Albans Liberal Democrats 2008-08-07T19:41+01:00 United Kingdom http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000057/gas_prices_up_35__already_too_high_figure_of_7500_st_albans_households_in_fuel_poverty_will_increase.html With British Gas/Centrica confirming that it has increased gas prices by 35% with immediate effect, and other suppliers expected to follow, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington has expressed his great concern for local residents in St Albans. 2008-08-01T16:36+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000056/government_forced_to_admit_how_much_it_is_taking_from_council_tenants.html One of the key issues in the recent St Albans council elections was how large a proportion of council tenants' rents was being seized by central government. It was reported then that almost half of every pound being paid in rent by St Albans council tenants was being swiped by Gordon Brown rather than being spent on home improvements locally. 2008-07-23T10:28+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000055/time_to_stop_putting_democracy_up_for_sale.html Liberal Democrat candidate for St Albans Sandy Walkington has welcomed the report by the Information Commissioner Richard Thomas recommending that the practice of selling names and personal details from the electoral register be stopped as soon as possible. 2008-07-16T16:28+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000054/post_office_march_from_waverley_road_to_st_peters_street.html As part of the campaign against Post Office branch closures, local residents took to the streets on Saturday to march from the threatened Waverley Road Post Office to the central Post Office in St Peters Street. 2008-07-14T12:47+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000053/why_does_any_south_hertfordshire_mp_need_a_second_home_at_taxpayers_expense.html St Albans Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington has expressed his total dismay at last week's parliamentary vote to keep second home allowances together with the so-called John Lewis list of "allowable" expenses and a rejection of any external audit of MPs' expenditure. 2008-07-07T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000052/in_post_office_lala_land_you_too_can_visit_the_town_of_bricket_wood.html - after the current round of five post office closures, will more local branches be targeted? 2008-07-04T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000048/post_office_closures_kick_in_the_teeth_for_st_albans_local_communities.html "The announcement that five local post office branches are to be closed is far worse than we had anticipated," says Sandy Walkington. "2500 post offices are being closed nationwide in this latest round of cuts, so five is more than St Albans's fair share. No wonder Labour delayed the announcement till after the local elections." 2008-06-17T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000050/some_signs_of_local_improvement_in_latest_healthcare_survey.html The latest Healthcare Commission report on self-assessment of the performance of health trusts indicates a considerable and welcome improvement in the performance of West Herts Primary Care Trust, although the PCT still fails to meet key government standards on hygiene and on staff training. 2008-06-16T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000047/where_will_the_axe_fall_for_st_albans_post_offices.html The long-awaited announcement of which St Albans area sub-post offices will be for the chop comes next week on Tuesday 17th June. This is when the Post Office will announce closure plans for South Herts, South Essex and Buckinghamshire - the area which covers the St Albans parliamentary constituency. Harpenden sub-post offices are in a different administrative region and will not know their fate until 8th July. Both announcements were delayed until after the local elections on May 1st. 2008-06-09T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000046/national_walk_to_school_week_highlights_dangers_of_c76_lower_road_in_bedmond_and_primrose_hill.html Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the St Albans constituency which covers the blackspot areas of the C.76 Lower Road in Bedmond and Primrose Hill, joined the C.76 residents group and a host of local children in their specially organised walk to school this morning. 2008-05-21T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000045/satnav_misuse_threat_to_local_country_lanes.html After being contacted by anxious local residents, Liberal Democrat parliamentary campaigner Sandy Walkington has highlighted the threat posed by SatNav systems guiding over-large lorries down local roads and lanes ignoring all the weight limits or simple driver judgment. 2008-05-20T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000044/two_fingers_to_st_albans_and_hertfordshire_from_government.html Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Sandy Walkington has condemned the Government decision to ignore local representations and blow apart the Green Belt around St Albans, announced today in the final version of the Government's 'East of England Regional Spatial Strategy'. 2008-05-12T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000043/liberal_democrats_confirmed_as_only_challenger_to_the_conservatives_in_st_albans_constituency.html "The local elections on Thursday May 1st provide further confirmation that the Liberal Democrats are now breathing down Conservative necks to win the St Albans constituency in the next general election," said Sandy Walkington. 2008-05-02T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000042/tesco_must_not_be_the_great_white_shark_which_destroys_st_albans.html Speaking at the standing-room only Stop Tesco public meeting on 29th April at Trinity URC, Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for St Albans and former councillor for St Peters Ward, welcomed the all-party support for the campaign. 2008-04-29T00:00+01:00 http://www.stalbanslibdems.org.uk/news/000041/25_years_for_county_council_to_get_it_right_for_next_batchwood_drive_resurfacing.html The traffic chaos caused by the closure of Batchwood drive for partial re-surfacing could have been considerably lessened with more thought by the county council and its contractors, says Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for St Albans. 2008-04-07T00:00+01:00