Catch up on N. Somerset Council Exec Q&A session
Once a month the North Somerset Council Executive hold a Facebook Live Q&A to enable residents to ask questions directly to Council leaders.
PK
13 May 2021
News
Weston-super-Mare LibDems slam undemocratic Tory "voter suppression plan"
A solution to a problem that doesn't exist. The Conservative Government's proposal in this week's Queens' Speech for voters to be required to present photo IDs is nothing less than an attack on democracy. Instead of bringing forward real plans to improve social care or properly fund our vital public services, the Tories are spending time tackling a problem that doesn't exist - only one case of vote fraud was detected in the whole of the UK in 2019. What these plans will do is exclude almost a quarter of the electorate - mostly younger, more vulnerable people who do not have photo ID - from participating in democracy. LibDem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Weston-super-Mare and the Villages, Cllr Patrick Keating, said: "I would hope that our MP - who claims to be a defender of liberty and democracy - will oppose this over-the-top solution to a totally non-existent problem, which will only discourage voting by younger people in Weston. If the Government is really serious about bringing back honesty in
PK
12 May 2021
LibDems call for action on Weston hospital leadership
LibDems on North Somerset Council are calling for an action plan and funding to tackle issues at Weston General Hospital highlighted in the latest report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The report of an inspection of the medical care services department at the hospital on 11 March, which was published on 12 May, praised the focus given by staff on the needs of the patients, but said the hospital's leadership team needs to make a number of sustainable improvements. North Somerset Council's executive member responsible for health and adult's social care, Cllr Mike Bell, said: "We all recognise the enormous pressure our NHS has been under during the Covid-19 pandemic and we are grateful for the huge efforts staff have made to care for us and support the hugely successful vaccine programme. "Weston General Hospital has had significant challenges for many years, particularly around the ability to recruit and retain appropriate staff, but also due to the uncertainty about the future of the hospital
PK
12 May 2021
Weston's Tory MP lets down local residents... again.
While North Somerset Council voted in favour of a Liberal Democrat motion to support people caught up in the #CladdingScandal, Weston's Tory MP has once again let down local residents by voting against proposals that would have saved leaseholders in our area from huge fire safety bills. More and more tenants and leaseholders across the country are facing huge bills for remedial fire safety work. This is usually due to the owner cutting corners on safety rather than being any fault of their own. This has left thousands of people anxious about the safety of their houses in the event of a fire, at serious financial risk and unable to sell their leasehold and move on. The Liberal Democrats first introduced an amendment in the House of Commons to protect tenants and leaseholders from these costs which was voted down by the Conservatives. Liberal Democrat members of the Lords reintroduced this amendment to the Fire Safety Bill - but once again the Tories, including Weston's MP, voted against these measures.
PK
23 Mar 2021
Tory MP votes to ban "annoying" protests
The right to peaceful assembly and protest is a fundamental human right. It has always been a crucial part of our democratic society.
PK
17 Mar 2021
LibDems Oppose the Policing Bill - but what about Weston's MP?
Today, Liberal Democrat MPs will be voting against the Conservative Government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill as it is an attack on our right to protest (not just during lockdown) as well likely allowing for more racial profiling by the police; this is this a fundamental attack on our basic rights The Bill also proposes an incredibly excessive sentencing change for up to 10 years in prison for defacing statues or memorials. Weston's LibDem Spokesperson Patrick Keating has written to the local Tory MP asking him to stand up for our rights and freedoms and vote against this draconian bill tonight. Patrick said: "The Conservatives' plans to crackdown on protests are dangerous and draconian. The appalling scenes on Clapham Common at the weekend only confirm this. The Liberal Democrats will fiercely resist anti-democratic attempts to silence protest. This is why I wrote yesterday to Weston's MP asking him to vote against the Government on this crucial piece of legislation." The picture
15 Mar 2021