• [Feb 21] OUR party political broadcast airing Wednesday 22nd of February 2012 at 18:55 on BBC1.

• [Feb 21]: LOCAL campaigner Munira Wilson is supporting calls for crossings in Richmond to be made safer for the blind and partially sighted.

Munira recently met RNIB volunteerJackie Venus from Twickenham, who campaigns on issues impacting the lives of those who are blind or partially sighted. Jackie, who is registered blind herself, told Munira about the challenges of trying to cross the road when pedestrian crossings do not have an audible sound (bleeping) and tactile rotating cones under the box with the push button. The latter is particularly important for those who are both blind and deaf.

• Caroline Pidgeon writes: FROM this April, the Mayor will assume direct control over the capital's £3 billion affordable homes programme as the land, property and assets of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) are transferred over to the Greater London Authority (GLA). Housing remains a major challenge for London. Over 800,000 people are now waiting for affordable housing in London, an increase of nearly 85% over the last 10 years.

• Caroline Pidgeon writes: DEE Doocey AM, Chair of the Economy, Culture and Sport Committee on the Assembly has called for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to provide a detailed breakdown of how many tickets have been sold at what price for each event of the games.

[Feb 21] Caroline Pidgeon writes: The London Mayor has become the first Police and Crime Commissioner in the country and the Metropolitan Police Authority has been replaced by the Mayor's Office of Police and Crime. There are changes too at City Hall where we now hold the Mayor to account for his policing role at a new regular Police and Crime Committee.

• [Feb 21] Caroline Pidgeon writes: ONCE again the Liberal Democrats have led the arguments on the London budget. Thanks to the hard work of my colleague Mike Tuffrey, we've proposed an alternative budget with an average council tax cut of £13.11. But by cutting out so much of the Mayor's wasteful expenditure, we've been able to show how we would fund major new ideas for London:

• [Feb 17] RICHMOND'S Tory council is embarrassingly awash with money after unnecessarily cutting services and increasing charges, say the Liberal Democrat Opposition. After almost two years of rhetoric about 'hard-times' and the 'need for cuts', the budget reports before Cabinet this week reveal a council hoarding record surpluses and balances.

• [Feb 15] Paul Tyler writes: THERE has for some years been a conceit in the House of Lords that the place could gain stature and authority simply by doing a bit of tidying up at the edges, and by ending the hereditary principle. There has been a further conceit that this work can be done without controversy or delay.

• [Feb 13] LDV writes: THE Liberal Democrat Voice team is normally very circumspect about surveys. But, it being Valentine's Eve, our romantic natures got the better of us on this occasion…

UK Dating site FreeDating.co.uk has carried out a survey which reveals differing attitudes to Valentine's Day, based on political persuasion. According to the survey, Liberal Democrats are particularly positive about Valentine's Day. The site says:

• [Feb 03] Nathaneal Sansam writes: "THIS might sound awkward but…" starts Nick Clegg after a few moments of looking at his BlackBerry. For a moment I fear that something urgent may have occurred in government. Had the Eurozone finally collapsed? Were the Unions escalating strike action? Or perhaps the Lib-Dem's coalition partners were performing some sort of political manoeuvre on policy behind the scenes that he, as Deputy Prime Minister, has to keep tabs on. Whatever it is, after a moment he sets his phone down and declares he's was ready to go ahead, his phone at his side in case anything urgent happens.

• [Feb 14] George Parker, Political Editor, FT, writes: VINCE Cable, business secretary, has urged David Cameron to endorse his plans for a long-term industrial strategy, to counter what he admits is a failure by the coalition to set out a clear vision of Britain's economic future.

In a letter to the prime minister and Nick Clegg, deputy leader, Mr Cable wrote: "There is something important missing: a compelling vision of where the country is heading beyond sorting out the fiscal mess; a clear and confident message about how we will earn our living in future."

• [Feb 16] Baroness Tonge (Liberal Democrat): TO ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases of female genital mutilation were investigated by the police in the last year for which figures are available.

Baroness Verma (Whip, House of Lords; Conservative): My Lords, information on the number of police investigations involving female genital mutilation is not collected centrally. However, the Government work closely with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that they are equipped with guidance and information to deal with cases of FGM, and that they are clear on their legal powers to protect women and girls from this abhorrent practice.

• [Feb 13] Baroness Kramer (Liberal Democrat): I SHALL try to be very brief. The Minister will be aware that for the ordinary consumer trying to deal with the combination of the OFT, Consumer Focus, Consumer Direct, the CBA and the Competition Commission, knowing where to go when there is an issue that needs to be raised is next to impossible. With the restructuring coming, the confusion is just adding laying layer upon layer. Would it be possible for the department to put some real clarity on its website to direct people under the current structure and with some clear indication where restructuring is going to take us?

• [Feb 13] Baroness Tonge (Liberal Democrat): MY Lords, will the noble Earl remind the House of what arrangements are being made for cervical cytology should the Health and Social Care Bill ever become law? Will he also reassure us that the excellent cervical smear campaign will not fall foul of the competing interests of local authorities and the clinical commissioning groups?

• [Feb 17] THE Mayor and London Assembly Members will be facing questions from the public at a People's Question Time event in Hammersmith on Wednesday 7 March.

Register now to get your free ticket. The event is taking place at Hammersmith Town Hall, King Street, from 7 - 9 pm.

• [Feb 17] QUESTIONS as to how much revenue is generated through TfL's contract with Associated Newspapers Ltd, and how much has been invested in public transport as a result, remain unanswered - nearly one month after they were first submitted by Mike Tuffrey, Liberal Democrat London Assembly budget spokesperson.

• [Feb 17] MORE than 10 million Tube users are missing out on refunds worth more than £20 million when their trains are seriously delayed. The figures were obtained by Caroline Pidgeon following questions she put to Boris Johnson. Commenting on the situation Caroline said:

"It is bad enough to face severe Tube delays, but people shouldn't then miss out on the refunds they are entitled to. In a week where far too many people have already faced delays on the Tube, I would urge everyone to start claiming what they are entitled to. The Mayor and TfL will only start to take delays seriously when they are hit financially by passengers claiming in full the refunds for their terrible journeys."

• [Feb 17] UNNECESSARY secrecy risks jeopardising public confidence in the ticketing arrangements for the 2012 Games, a new report from the London Assembly warned this week. The report Sold Out, is the result of a two-year campaign by the Assembly's Economy, Culture and Sport Committee, which is chaired by Dee Doocey, to get answers from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) about the ticketing process for the Games.

• [Feb 13] Shirley Williams writes: ANDREW Lansley has reiterated his determination to drive the health and social care bill through parliament - regardless of the opposition of professional medical organisations, all but one of the royal colleges, evident public disquiet and dissent from senior members of his own party. Choosing to override all of these would be a perilous road to follow. I do not favour a complete abandonment of the bill, given the changes already made and the further changes that many peers, not least crossbenchers, are pressing for and hope to get. But these further changes are essential.

• [Feb 13] Angela Harbutt writes: A WHILE ago we wrote about a new group that was considering forming a grass roots organisation aiming to bring together (and facilitate discussion and policy development) amongst those in the Liberal Democrats who are sympathetic to economic liberalism.

At the time Mike Bird (one of the founders of Liberal Reform) said: "The aim of this organisation is provisionally to promote economic liberalism within the Liberal Democrats. We hope to be a 'big tent' of opinion, and will welcome anyone who feels that there are areas in which the party could be more open to promoting a free market. We seek to co-operate with other groups within the party, and would like to integrate ourselves as part of the liberal mainstream in this country. Our outlook is not solely economic: we wish to see our party advocating four-cornered liberalism - liberal economics, in a framework of personal, political and social liberalism".

• [Feb 13] LOCAL campaigner Munira Wilson has uncovered alarming evidence showing many of our local Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) are being cut by stealth.

The Mayor has quietly put in place a recruitment freeze for all Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) vacancies across London, leaving gaps in many of our local SNTs. This shocking news follows recent cuts to SNT sergeants, with a number of wards in Richmond now having to share a sergeant. SNTs were set up so that every council ward had one sergeant, two PCs and three PCSOs.

• [Feb 10] LOCAL residents were shocked to hear Tony Arbour, South West London Tory GLA Member, claim at City Hall yesterday that not many Londoners use public transport, whilst defending the Mayor's fare hikes.

At a meeting of the London Assembly to discuss the Mayor's budget, Tony Arbour defended the 7 % fare hike by saying, "It is a fact is it not that relatively few Londoners use London Transport in any way? Most people don't use London Transport with any sense of regularity."

• [Feb ] Linda Jack* writes: THE freshly painted walls of the new Liberal Democrat HQ in Great George Street are emblazoned with the words: "The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity."

• [Feb 09] Ed Davey* writes: SOME things in politics are symbolic. For dyed-in-the-wool environmentalists like the Lib Dems, solar power is one of these things - indisputably clean, green and cutting edge technology. The sort of thing [we] . . should be unequivocally behind.

Our commitment to the environment was why I joined the party in the first place. So I understand why many of you were confused and disappointed when the Government appeared to scale back the Feed in Tariffs that allow people to install solar panels in their homes and businesses, . . Make no mistake, I want solar power to be as widely available as possible. The fact is the Feed in Tariffs scheme, as we inherited it, helped too few people. With the cost of solar panel installation dropping dramatically in recent years, having an unnecessarily high tariff means fewer people can take advantage of it . .

• [Feb 10] Carys Matthews writes: BUSINESS secretary Vince Cable has given the UK's offshore renewables sector a boost as he unveiled a £50m national centre for green technologies. As part of the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, technologies for offshore wind, wave and tidal power will be explored, with the aim of "bridging the gap" between university research and full commercialisation . . the project forms part of a wider government investment in Catapult centres across a plethora of sectors.

• [Feb 08] Brian Paddick writes: EXACTLY six months ago a series of riots spread from Tottenham to other parts of London and across the country. The only way police officers were able to re-establish order in the capital, after three days with the criminals in control, was by sheer weight of numbers and the exercise of force.

• [Feb 09] Martin Kettle writes: IT is old hat to pretend that there's nothing new to say about the Liberal Democrats. Stereotypes about Nick Clegg and his party put down deep roots early in the coalition's life. Trying to do the right thing in tough times for the country, the Lib Dems assured themselves. Selling out their principles for a taste of office, thundered Labour. A distasteful but temporary necessity, sneered the Conservatives. Meanwhile, the Lib Dems' ratings and electoral support all plummeted.

• [Feb 07] Nicholas Cecil writes: A BATTLE erupted today over the new map of MPs' constituencies with Liberal Democrats demanding changes for nearly half the seats in London.

. . Business Secretary Vince Cable, MP for Twickenham, has accused the Boundary Commission of reintroducing 19th-century constituencies while failing to take into account borough boundaries and identities. His seat is being carved up to create a new Richmond and Twickenham constituency, spanning the Thames, and which could be contested by Mr Cable and Zac Goldsmith, the Tory MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston.

• [Feb 02] Paul Waugh and Sam Macrory write: NICK Clegg has finally sorted his left-right problem. More than 18 months into the coalition, the deputy prime minister has shrugged off the conflicting counsel from his team of experts on the vexed issue that's been bugging him since his first week in office: which way to look in PMQs.

• [Feb 05] Jenny Willott* writes: BENEFITS are not an easy subject to get your head around: we have a benefits system with enough acronyms, assessments, taper rates and tax credits to make your head spin. That's why this Government is finally undertaking a hugely important and long-overdue reform of benefits.