Derby Liberal Democrats

President Trump has imposed a whopping 25% tariff on all UK imported steel and 10% on aluminium. Over 32,000 people in the UK are employed in the steel industry, nearly 5% of those jobs are here in the East Midlands.

Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Derby North, Barry Holliday commented:

"President Trump has launched a petty and self-defeating trade war with his tariff on British and European steel. He's acting like a spoilt 2 year old not a world leader.

It has come to light that the A52 widening project started by the previous Labour City Council administration is rocketing in cost. From a previous budget of £15 million, the works are now forecast to be an eye-watering possible £30 million. The new Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Campaigner for Derby North, Barry Holliday, has called on Derby Labour members to come clean about what they know.

At a meeting with Council Group Leader Cllr Ruth Skelton, Barry Holliday said:

Former cabinet member for Sport and Leisure Joe Naitta has today called out the Tories on their "backwards" plans to change Moorways swimming pool to 25m, rather than the 50m length currently planned.

In their sports strategy plan, written when the Liberal Democrats ran Derby City Council, they left plans for a new 50m pool at Moorways - which Labour failed to act on, losing Derby's top swimming facility.

Following a packed selection meeting, the Liberal Democrats in Derby North
have selected Barry Holliday as their new prospective parliamentary candidate.

Barry has already been working with Group Leader Councillor Ruth Skelton and
the local elections campaign team to achieve our recent superb local election
results, securing the re-election of every sitting Liberal Democrat councillor and
only missing winning the Abbey Ward by a single vote.

The results of the recent election gave no single party an overall majority on the Council. All parties have been talking to each other to try to find the best way forward.

Our priority as Liberal Democrats is to get Liberal Democrat policies enacted for the benefit of the whole of Derby. Detailed and serious discussions took place with both Labour and the Conservatives. We discussed our respective manifestos to identify areas in which we could agree, and problems where we could not. Of particular importance was restoring accountability to the Council after some years of decisions being made behind closed doors, and fixing the increasing problems that are plaguing special educational needs provision in Derby, both of these were key Liberal Democrat manifesto commitments.

Four years after the fire closed the Assembly Rooms, the Labour Council STILL aren't any closer to a solution.

Late last year Labour revealed a plan drawn up - at great expense - by consultants. But it quickly became clear local people didn't back Labour's plans. And worse, Labour's 'consultation' wasn't listening to people but trying to persuade them why Labour was right all along.

Roads make up a lot of our public space so how well they are kept makes a bit difference to the whole area. Thank you to everyone who has been reporting potholes and other problems, either directly to the Council, or using the 'fix my street' app. It means the highways team are rushed off their feet - but hopefully our roads stay safer and smarter.

Flooding - again

There have been a couple of days of heavy rain recently, leading to the footpath past Littleover Community School to Mickleover being washed away again, as it was a couple of years ago. This time Cllr Lucy Care was around to see what was happening - water flooding off the A38. Lucy has written to Highways England asking them to stop this happening again. She hopes they'll also pay for the path repair.

The new traffic lights at Blagreaves Lane End have recently been the scene of a two-car crash. This closed the road for some time.

This is in addition to the increase in rat running that's been seen in front of the shops on the corner. With vehicles coming past the shops in both directions and often narrowly missing people, a crash there too could be only a matter of time. Cllr Ruth Skelton and Cllr Joe Naitta are working with local shops and the Council to make this area safer for pedestrians.

Life can be frustrating…

One of the Council's 2016/17 highways priorities in Littleover was to make improvements for walkers and cyclists in Heatherton. If it were more attractive for people to choose these hopefully it would reduce the traffic on Pastures Hill.

By the end of 2016 the Council had got nowhere. To help, we asked for ideas. It included some suggestions - lowered kerbs, extra seats, better signs. Thank you to those who replied.