Liverpool Liberal Party

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Letter Printed in Liverpool Echo

* If anyone has any doubt of the dangers to innocent people of the state running an ID system and demanding fingerprints of every honest citizen, I hope they consider the news that 1,500 ordinary honest people were falsely catalogued as criminals by the CRB.

Will any of us be able to check the database behind the government ID system? Of course not.

For residents who resent having to pay extra for passports so they can be fingerprinted like criminals, please obtain your passports before October this year.

Cllr Steve Radford, President of the Liberal Party

author: Steve | 05/24/06 21:07 | comments

Housing Association Derelict Property an abuse

Cllrs Steve Radford and Chris Lenton

Liberal Party

41 Sutton Street

Tuebrook

Liverpool

L13 7EG

0151 259 5935

mobile 07920090322

Dear Editor,

After a sustained campaign of lobbying over two years we have finally persuaded Riverside Housing to release for sale the vacant property 6 Russian Drive

The disgraceful thing is that Riverside finally agreed to sell this long term vacant after it was set on fire

It had been a health nuisance and blight on the neighbourhood for two years

These Housing Associations do not have the incentive of profit to utilise their assets

Often they buy properties using soft loans financed by the tax payer, then leave them vacant or derelict

This abuse of publicly funded assets should not go on

If any Liverpool residents have details of neglected and derelict Housing Association property near them please write to us with as much detail as possible at The Liberal Party, 41 Sutton Street, Tuebrook, Liverpool , L13 7EG

Cllr Steve Radford

Leader of The Liberal Party Group

Cllr Chris Lenton

Liberal Party Finance Spokesperson

author: Steve | 05/24/06 14:27 | comments

Cllr Steve Radford

President of The Liberal Party

41 Sutton Street

Tuebrook

Liverpool

L13 7EG

0151 259 5935

Mobile 07920090322

Letter for Publication

Dear Editor

For those readers who don’t believe this country is having its freedoms eroded by New Labour we hope they will consider the following recent events in Parliament Square

Brian Haw's one-man protest in parliament square for the past five years has been such an irritant to New labour that they passed a law to get rid of him and his placards, which were a permanent reminder of the slaughter Tony Blair and the MPs who supported him brought to the people of Iraq.

At 2.30am on 23 May, Brian's placards were removed by the police. In the words of the civil rights group Liberty, "The government's intolerance has surely reached a fever-pitch when 50 police are sent in to dismantle one man's peaceful protest in the middle of the night.

Everyday this government is using and abusing the excuse of “security” to repress legitimate protest

We can only imagine the abuse of the ID card system and government database that will surely come next

Cllr Steve Radford

President of The Liberal Party

author: Steve | 05/24/06 12:21 | comments

Monday, May 15, 2006

Combat Racism by tackling shortage of affordable housing

Stop the House Crusher Programme -

Letter from Cllr Steve Radford

Leader of The Liberal Party Group

41 Sutton Street

Tuebrook

Liverpool

L13 7EG

0151259 5935

Mobile 07920090322

Dear Editor

Recent letters concerning he vote for far right parties call for the symptoms to be tackled rather than going to the root of the problem

Without doubt the shortage of affordable housing has too often given rise to racist attitudes and support for neo-fascist parties

The burning resentment in Norris Green at the way the Boot estate was fragmented and mislead by the council has no doubt given ample fuel to the far right preaching contempt for the democratic parties.

6 years after the decanting of the Boot estate began not one single new home for rent has been built and handed over to the Boot tenants who have been dispersed throughout the city

This problem is compounded when the “Demolition Coalition” of Lib Dems and Labour in Liverpool have embarked on a policy of blighting working class terraced areas of the city, emptying council and housing association homes there, then forcing remaining owner occupiers out by CPO. This policy results in the supply of affordable housing being reduced and thousands being added to the growing waiting lists

In Liverpool the combined Council Housing and Housing association waiting lists have already exploded from 13,500 a few years ago to now 21,000. Over the next three years another 5,000 will be added to the waiting lists as a consequence of the demolition and clearance programme known as “Pathfinder”. It would be more aptly named “House Crusher Programme”

If we are serious about undermining the far right, we must reverse these disastrous housing policies which reduce the supply of affordable housing and brake up communities. We should starve the Far Right of the oxygen of resentment and grievances their policies of hatred require

Cllr Steve Radford

Leader - Liverpool City Council Liberal Party Group

author: Steve | 05/15/06 22:48 | comments

Fri, 19th May 2006 — Preston NO2ID Public Meeting

at 7.30 pm till 9 pm, at 'Bitter Suite' behind Times Square pub, off Fylde Rd., Preston, opposite the Student Union. Phil Booth, NO2ID National Coordinator will be speaking.with Cllr Steve Radford on behalf of the Liberal Party.

author: Steve | 05/15/06 17:09 | comments

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

The Liberal Party Challenges endless cheques for Edge Lane Demolitions

THE company behind demolition of thousands of homes in Edge Lane was criticised because it is to get an extra £500,000 of public moneyrequested at the Exec Board 12 May

Liverpool Land Development Company will use the cash to carry on its work over the next two years.

The organisation is made up from the North West Development Agency (NWDA), English Partnerships (EP) and Liverpool City Council, which has applied for the extra funding.

But Liberal Party leader Steve Radford claims it could easily find the money itself by dropping parts of the Edge Lane demolition scheme.

He said: "It is £500,000 at the moment but how do we know that is not going to keep rising? The LLDC has not even started to buy out or relocate the small business's

"We should not be signing blank cheques, particularly when the money could be found quite easily.

"They could reduce their costs and still achieve their objects by re-drawing the Edge Lane Scheme

"There are hundreds of homes that are needlessly being demolished under these plans, homes that people do not want to move out of." An alternative plan drawn up by Elizabeth Pascoe envisaged a dual carriageway being built with only 25 homes needing to be demolished. A safer and cheaper option

"Instead they want more public money. People are deeply unhappy with this scheme, which is one of the main ones it is responsible for."

Work started last month on the contentious Edge Lane scheme which will widen the eastern gateway into the city and see 550 homes built.

Many residents have protested against the changes after the compulsory purchase of 490 homes and 24 businesses.

In April 2003 the city council was awarded £1.5m of European funding to fund LLDC, just under half of the total operating budget.

It has been behind 30 projects in the city but its most high profile are Edge Lane and Liverpool Science Park, which are still a long way from completion.

Liverpool City Council pays for its operating costs and asked the Government Office North West to apply for European funding on its behalf, but was initially told it was reluctant to step in because it felt its budget was sufficient.

But it has now agreed to hand over the £500,000 over a two year period.

The council has also had to increase its own contribution to LLDC by an extra £250,000 a year between now and 2008.

spokesman for the city council said: "This money is to provide support for all of LLDCs projects, not just Edge Lane.

"The European money is not for meeting housing costs."

LLDC, which was set up in 2003 and runs until 2009, insists money earmarked for capital projects such as Edge Lane could not be used to fund other costs.

A spokeswoman said: "LLDC is very pleased that Liverpool City Council is giving due consideration to the continued support of LLDC in delivering a range of high quality commercial and mixed use schemes across Liverpool."

author: Steve | 05/10/06 13:16 | comments

Liberals call for investigation into Kirkdale Count

The perverse result that there was no votes cast for the Liberal Party - Stop Demolitions is being challenged

Already one resident from Florence Street , Kirkdale has protested at the Town Hall her vote was lost. the previous election Liberal Party candidates had achieved 125 votes in the same ward

If you voted for the Liberal Party ,George Roberts, in this ward please write a protest letter to us at 41 Sutton Street, Tuebrook, L13 7EG

author: Steve | 05/10/06 13:03 | comments

Friday, May 05, 2006

Lib Dems need to change Policies or suffer further loses

An open Letter to Local Press

Cllrs Steve Radford, Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton

Liberal Party

41 Sutton Street

Tuebrook

Liverpool

L13 7EG

0151 259 5935

07920090322

Dear Editor

May we thank the 6,492 Liverpool residents who voted for Liberal Party candidates in the recent local elections, representing 7.55% of the Liverpool votes cast.

This was a greater number of voters than for the Conservatives, Green or UKIP candidates across the city

We in The Liberal Party team will continue to resist this current council’s extensive demolition and clearance programme. We will also campaign to safeguard our parks and playing fields which are being encroached and built upon , with the support of both Lib Dem and Labour Councillors

Without doubt whilst the Lib Democrat vote collapsed from 56% to 40% of the vote was due to a series of factors.

Without doubt the broken pledge to save our parks and the ongoing demolition programme cost them dearly, in particular in wards like Kensington and Fairfield and Princes Park where they lost seats

We urge Cllr Bradley and his colleagues to immediately withdraw and review their current CPO and demolition programme

Secondly they should call an immediate halt to developments on our school fields and Victorian Parks.

If the Lib Dems continue to ignore these views than they can be assured of further loses at the next local elections

Cllrs Steve Radford, Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton

Liberal Party Council Group

author: Steve | 05/05/06 23:39 | comments

Monday, May 01, 2006

Election Report from Liverpool Echo

MERSEYSIDE goes to the polls on May 4 in the local elections. Political Reporter NICK COLIGAN examines the parties and issues

By Nick Coligan, Liverpool Echo

Local Elections 2006 logo IT has not been an easy year for Liverpool council.

The departures of former leader Mike Storey and chief executive Sir David Henshaw, after the astonishing email scandal, rocked the town hall to its foundations.

Add to that the seemingly never-ending rows over trams, hospitals and roadworks, and you would expect the ruling Liberal Democrats to approach the elections with some concern.

The fact that another relatively comfortable victory is predicted shows that the Lib Dems have ridden the storm and emerged intact.

With cranes on site at Kings Dock and

Paradise Street

and Capital of Culture preparations under way, they can point to a very different Liverpool from the 1980s and 1990s.

The backlash against Tony Blair's government makes it harder than ever for their Labour opponents to focus on local rather than national issues.

Labour's chief targets for this year's elections, where 30 seats are up for grabs, include defending four vulnerable areas rather than pushing for the landslide needed for them to regain control.

The Lib Dems are actually hoping to make gains in traditional Labour areas, rather than worrying about losing their grip after eight years in power.

Key battlegrounds are Labour seats in Belle Vale, Croxteth, Central and Clubmoor, while the Lib Dems will have to fight hard to keep Princes Park and Kensington and Fairfield .

The Liberal group of three seats may play a significant part in the shake-up after recruiting anti-demolition campaigners to stand in regeneration areas.

Cllr Warren Bradley took over from Cllr Storey as council leader in December and is now relishing his first chance to lead his party to the polls.

The Lib Dems hold 60 out of 90 council seats, and will try to defend 20 of them on May 4.

Cllr Bradley said: "We are fighting on so many fronts that we have to make sure we hold on to what we have got. If we do that as the ruling group, it will be an excellent result.

"But we are also going for Croxteth, Central and Belle Vale in particular and we have good workers out there in those wards.

Liverpool has a unique political scene and it does not really matter what happens nationally. We took control not long after Labour won the general election.

"We do not take the electorate for granted and the day we do will be the day we regret, because we will be shown the door."

The Lib Dems are campaigning on their record of running the city, Capital of Culture preparations and their opposition to the controversial merger of police forces.

Cllr Bradley added: "The public knows Liverpool is a different place eight years on. People who voted Lib Dem before are content to do that again, because they know the city is going from strength to strength."

Labour are also campaigning on the Lib Dems' recent record, but on a much more critical line.

They attack the Storey-Henshaw row, which ended with the council leader standing down after being accused of bringing his office into disrepute and the under-fire social services department.

But Labour group leader Cllr Joe Anderson is realistic about his party's chances of regaining control.

He said: "We are working towards making Liverpool a hung council by 2008. It would take an enormous swing to Labour for us to take control this time.

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"But I do think people out there believe this city is being mismanaged and noticed headlines about the Fourth Grace, housing repairs and social services.

"There is only one alternative - a return to a Labour administration that has learned from its mistakes in the past and is now determined to work with the government and continue Liverpool 's transformation. We have to remind people that a local election does not decide the future of Tony Blair. Instead, they should use their vote as a protest against the way the city is being run."

The Liberals, meanwhile, are moving out of their traditional Tuebrook stronghold to contest 29 of 30 wards.

They hope their anti-bulldozer stance in areas like Kensington, Anfield, Princes Park and Picton will help cause a shock.

Liberal councillor Steve Radford said: "It is striking a chord everywhere, even areas not directly affected by demolition.

"People recognise it does not make sense when we have a long housing waiting list and homes can be renovated cheaply."

The Conservatives are making a fresh start in Liverpool , posting 28 candidates, and say their best hope is to increase their vote in the increasingly affluent Central ward.

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There are also a handful of Independent, Green, Socialist Labour, UK Independence, Respect, United Socialist and British National Party representatives.

What voters say

Iris Thomas, 56, administrator, Tuebrook, says: "I'm voting for Steve Radford, the Liberal candidate. He keeps his word and gets things done. He cares about the area, he lives there. Important are conservation, recycling, care of the elderly."

author: Steve | 05/01/06 12:31 | comments