http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Hounslow Liberal Democrats en-GB Hounslow Liberal Democrats http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2010 Hounslow Liberal Democrats 2010-02-09T07:28+00:00 United Kingdom http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000365/newly_selected_lib_dem_team_for_brentford_launch_website.html The newly selected team of Lib Dem Council candidates for Brentford ward in the May 2010 elections officially launched their Brentford Focus website today after two months of beta testing. The website provides background on the local team, information on local issues and a number of ways to keep in touch with the team. 2009-12-01T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000364/hounslow_lib_dems_take_local_residents_concerns_on_afghanistan_conflict_to_national_party_conference.html Hounslow Lib Dem campaigner Hazel Dakers this week took the concerns of many Hounslow residents regarding the UK's continued involvement in the Afghanistan conflict on to the national stage at the party's Autumn conference in Bournemouth. Meanwhile (her son!) Cllr Andrew Dakers, prospective MP for Brentford & Isleworth constituency, also challenged the national party with a speech against various aspects of a paper on consumer policy and corporate responsibility. 2009-09-23T00:00+01:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000358/toryled_administration_must_stop_dithering_over_local_democratic_reform__dakers.html As public patience has been stretched to breaking point by a series of expenses scandals and trust in politicians is at an all time low Hounslow Liberal Democrats are calling for democratic reforms at a locally to help restore confidence in public life. These would support reform at a national and European level. 2009-07-06T00:00+01:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000349/lib_dem_challenger_to_mrs_expenses_pledges_change_in_response_to_expenses_scandal.html In response to the national expenses scandal that has also enveloped Hounslow's Labour MPs, Alan and Ann Keen, Andrew Dakers, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Brentford and Isleworth Constituency, has pledged today to reduce his expenses to a minimum and make expenses claims open and transparent if elected to represent Brentford & Isleworth Constituency in the next Parliament. 2009-06-29T00:00+01:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000348/cllr_dakers_invites_community_to_vote_on_areas_to_take_back_power_from_central_government.html Under the banner of 'Take Back Power Hounslow' Cllr Andrew Dakers, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Brentford & Isleworth, is encouraging the Hounslow community to cast their vote online and come up with new proposals on what national spending and legislation should be changed to benefit Hounslow Borough under new Sustainable Communities Act. 2009-06-29T00:00+01:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000347/cllr_dakers_launches_public_debate_series_on_mp_expenses_and_democratic_reform.html Cllr Andrew Dakers, Leader of Hounslow Liberal Democrats, has today announced a series of public debates under the banner of 'Take Back Power Hounslow'. The series of four debates will provide a space for the local community to debate issues of MPs' expenses and democratic reform. The public meetings will be independently chaired. Invites have gone out to all parliamentary candidates, independent groups and the current MP for Brentford & Isleworth Constituency to participate in the debates. Adverts are being placed in both local newspapers. 2009-06-23T00:00+01:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000346/receipts_raise_further_questions_about_mrs_expenses.html A detailed review of 'Mrs Expenses' Ann Keen MPs published expense claims has raised further questions this weekend, according to Cllr Dakers, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Brentford & Isleworth Constituency. In 2003 and 2005 Ms Keen used expenses to pay an accountant to file her personal tax return and in 2005 the junior health minister put in claims for treatment at a private hospital. Cllr Dakers is calling for a full explanation of these claims and, if appropriate, for the expenses to be repaid. He has already called on the Keens to repay the mortgage interest on their second home at Waterloo and use public transport to travel to work from their main home in Brentford. 2009-06-21T00:00+01:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000345/prospective_mps_call_time_on_mr__mrs_expenses_and_speaker_martin.html Amid further revelations about the excessive expense claims of Labour MPs, Ann & Alan Keen, local Liberal Democrat Prospective MPs, Cllrs Andrew Dakers and Munira Wilson added their name to an open letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons, calling for urgent reform or his resignation. As the national scandal of MPs' expenses continues, The Daily Telegraph exposed Hounslow MPs "Mr & Mrs Expenses" - Alan & Ann Keen - once again for not only claiming close to the maximum allowance for their shared apartment in central London, but also for both allegedly reclaiming full council tax in some months. The newspaper reported they recently remortgaged their apartment for more than 100% and are taxpayers are footing the bill for the interest. 2009-05-18T00:00+01:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000331/local_welcome_for_liberal_democrat_vision_for_britain.html Liberal Democrats in Hounslow have welcomed the launch of the Liberal Democrats' vision for Britain by Party Leader Nick Clegg MP. Called 'Make it Happen', the paper will be debated at the party's conference in Bournemouth in September. 2008-07-20T00:00+01:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000337/mr__mrs_expense_lie_low_as_new_row_breaks_over_their_hotel_bills__the_sunday_express.html Today's Sunday Express states that "Husband and wife Labour MPs Alan and Ann Keen have claimed thousands of pounds from the taxpayer to stay in luxury hotels less than 10 miles from their home. The couple, known at Westminster as "Mr and Mrs Expenses", are already at the centre of a storm over their claims for a £500,000 flat. But documents released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal the couple also claimed thousands for staying in hotels." Commenting in the paper Cllr Andrew Dakers said: "The Keens have been on the gravy train for far too long. It is quite ridiculous to say they need a second home when thousands of their constituents make a similar or longer commute. It would be far cheaper if they simply claimed for a taxi home on nights when they have to work late." 2008-06-01T00:00+01:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000335/lib_dems_launch_forces_focus_website__dakers.html The Liberal Democrats today announce the launch of 'Forces Focus', our new website, providing an online forum for us to engage with the Forces community and the wider community with an interest in defence issues. With increasing demands made of our Armed Forces and with continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, our Manifesto pledge has never been more pertinent: we should look after our Armed Forces so they can look after us. 2008-03-19T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000326/lib_dems_back_alternative_zero_percent_budget__propose_1m_climate_change_fund.html The Lib Dem Group tonight renewed their calls for much more urgency from the Tory-led administration in tackling climate change and advanced detailed proposals for the creation of a £1m Climate Change/ Energy Efficiency investment fund in the borough. With these proposals and other key items incorporated, the Lib Dem group supported Labour in an alternative 0% tax increase budget. Group Leader Cllr Andrew Dakers described the alternative budget as "green and socially responsible". 2008-03-04T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000316/letter_mp_ann_keen_must_withdraw_her_support_for_the_id_cards_scheme.html Following the revelation that the personal details of 25 million parents and children have been lost by the Government's Revenue and Customs department (HMRC), and may have fallen into the hands of identity fraudsters, local MP Ann Keen must withdraw her support for the ID cards scheme and a National Identity Register. How can we trust the Government to safely store the personal information of everyone in the country? 2007-11-22T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000308/letter_the_queens_speech__a_disappointment_for_hounslow.html Dear Editor, Hounslow Borough has suffered from significant heavy rainfall and flash floods this year, a result of global warming and climate change which is caused by carbon emissions. The government's response in the Queen's Speech is to bring in a weak Climate Change Bill that lacks targets and the real action needed to tackle the problem. 2007-11-07T00:00+00:00 http://www.hounslowlibdems.org.uk/news/000311/end_election_fiasco__hounslow_liberal_democrats.html Liberal Democrats in Hounslow have called for the Prime Minister to be stripped of the power to decide the date of the general election. Local campaigners want the length of a Parliament to be fixed at 4 years so that a Prime Minister cannot call a snap election at a time that gives his or her party an advantage. 2007-10-26T00:00+01:00