• [Jan 27] Cllr Gareth Roberts writes: CONSERVATIVE group at Tues­day's council demonstrated that, whatever the position is nationally, the nasty party is alive and well locally.

Rather than support a Liber­al Democrat motion as tabled, calling upon the council to ensure no council employee is paid less than the London liv­ing wage, as set by Mayor Boris Johnson, Cllr Ar­bour, with the full support of Lord True, tabled an amend­ment supporting the substan­tive part of the motion yet attacking the national Lib Dem party for paying wages at less than the living wage level. That the exact same state of affairs exists within the Con­servative Party did not seem to concern them.

• [Jan 25]: RICHMOND Council staff will all now be paid at least the rate of the London Living Wage (currently £8.30 an hour) thank to a resolution put forward by the Liberal Democrats and passed at last night's Council Meeting.

The London Living Wage is set annually by the Mayor of London as the minimum basic rate of pay that is needed to live in London. A total of 17 non school staff and 49 school staff are currently paid on hourly rates below the £8.30 level and will see wage rises as a result of the decision of up to 50p an hour. Whilst the London Living Wage is increased annually by the Mayor of London to take account of rising living costs, the pay rates in local government have been largely frozen for three years. This means that the lowest paid council staff are now paid about 50p an hour less than the London Living Wage.

• [Jan 26] Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg: TODAY I want to make clear that I want the Coalition to go further and faster in delivering the full £10,000 allowance. Because the pressure on family finances is reaching boiling point.

Yesterday's GDP figures remind us that the road to the UK's economic recovery will be long and progress will be uneven. Those GDP figures remind us that we cannot simply ride out these troubles. Waiting for the good times to roll around again, nor can we return to business as usual. The financial crash and the recession that followed were unprecedented, and they were global. But the UK's weakness in the face of those events was a damning indictment of the way our economy had been run. An economy that became closed, elitist, driven by vested interests. Where we prized recklessness and short-term gains, and undervalued stability and hard work.

• [Jan 25] Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone* writes a monthly column for one of her local newspapers. Here is the latest edition, looking at Parliamentary representation:

Our Parliament has come a long way in recent years. In fact, watching 'The Iron Lady' with Margaret Thatcher sticking out like a blue female sore thumb amongst the total male greyness of the then chamber - it reminded me of how recently in history this establishment was nearly all male. However, despite real progress, it is still nowhere near reflecting the percentage of women in the country - and that is without even starting to talk about other aspects of diversity such as ethnicity, class or disability . .

• [Jan 25] Mike Tuffrey* writes: AFTER four years at City Hall the Mayor has frozen his budget precept for the fourth year in a row. Sounds impressive? Well, actually it is not.

For the last two years all local authorities have been given a central government grant to freeze the council tax, so credit is due to the national government, not Boris Johnson . .

• [Jan 23] Paul Burstow* writes: IF I said the words "telecare" and "telehealth" to the person on the street it's likely they wouldn't have a clue what I was on about. They're hardly phrases which just trip off the tongue. But dig under that jargon and you'll find that these are really very simple technologies which can help elderly people and those with long-term conditions right across the country. Yesterday I hosted a launch of the Three Million Lives campaign . .

• [Jan 20] David Heath* writes: IT'S strange how this selective amnesia thing works. The official Opposition has been agitating over recent weeks about when the government will publish the promised consultation on a Statutory Register of Lobbyists. You'd think they had always been in favour of such a thing. Er, no, not exactly. Because there were calls for its introduction under the last government. Liberal Democrats, for instance, asked repeatedly why the then Labour government wasn't responding to clear recommendations from select committees to do just that. Labour ministers didn't want to know . .

• [Jan 21] Julian Huppert*writes: JUST one week after the Government gave the green light to a multi-billion pound high speed rail network, taxpayers are being asked to consider another tranche of infrastructure investment. But the case for a £50 billion Thames Estuary Airport, dubbed 'Boris Island' after London's inimitable Mayor, is so confused that it no longer constitutes a coherent proposal at all.The main argument in favour is that, in order for London to retain its 'hub' status, we need significant investment in a brand new airport . .

• [Jan 25] Robert Smith (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Liberal Democrat): FOLLOWING the death of workers in the Piper Alpha disaster in the North sea, this country developed a world-leading safety case regime for offshore oil and gas, which is now threatened by regulations from the European Union. Will the Prime Minister use his best endeavours to back his Department of Energy and Climate Change in persuading the rest of the EU that what we need is not more regulation, but a- [Hon. Members: "Derogation?"] No-I am sorry Mr Speaker. What we need is not regulation, but a directive, which can be implemented flexibly.

• [Jan 25] Baroness Tonge (Liberal Democrat): My Lords, some of us may be old enough to remember that in times of plenty the Pharaohs used to build up stores of excess supplies to use in times of famine. I wonder whether the international community has made any progress in pre-empting these crises by making sure that there are stores in strategic parts of the world that are likely to suffer famine in advance of the famine occurring.

• [Jan 24] Robert Buckland (South Swindon, Conservative): WHAT fiscal steps he plans to take to promote economic growth.

Danny Alexander (Chief Secretary, HM Treasury; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Liberal Democrat): The Chancellor is at ECOFIN today.

As the experience of many European countries has demonstrated, loss of control of the public finances is catastrophic for growth. That was why, in the autumn statement, we set out plans to maintain the credibility of our fiscal stance while innovatively using the money that we do have to support home buyers, small firms and infrastructure and to tackle youth unemployment.

• [Jan 23] Chuka Umunna (Streatham, Labour): (Urgent Question): WILL the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills make a statement on the Government's proposals on executive remuneration?

• Vincent Cable (Secretary of State, Business, Innovation and Skills; Twickenham, Liberal Democrat): I welcome this opportunity to set out Government proposals on executive pay. Last September I published papers that explored the issues around the rapid growth in executive pay in our largest listed companies, and embarked on a call for evidence.

• [Jan 23] Baroness Kramer (Liberal Democrat): MY Lords, my noble friend Lord Bradshaw had hoped to speak on this issue and the House would have been very interested to hear him because he is clearly one of the leading experts in this field. I regret that I am only the understudy since he is unable to be here. I must also declare that I am a member of HACAN, the protest group that is made up primarily of residents but is now fairly international, which opposes further expansion at Heathrow and works closely with those of a similar view at both Stansted and Gatwick.

• [Jan 23] Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon (Liberal Democrat): MY Lords, I feel that this debate is probably drawing to a close, and I want to address particularly the last point made by my noble friend about transitional measures. I fear that I do not agree with him.

I speak as somebody who has voted consistently with this Government for every single one of the very tough benefit reform proposals. I think that Mr Duncan Smith and my good colleague Steve Webb in the other place are doing something extremely important. They are at last reforming the welfare system root and branch. I agree with the point made by my noble friend that there is a huge prize to be gained here, namely the universal credit and genuine reform. I am strongly in favour of that, as indeed I am in favour of a benefit cap, contrary to what was said in certain broadcasts yesterday which inaccurately reported comments that I had made. It is important and I strongly favour it. But I believe that, before we vote for this, it is important-for exactly the reasons that have been given earlier-to have a look, at least in outline, at some of the transitional mechanisms.

• [Oct 31]: SOUTH West London campaigner, Munira Wilson, has welcomed news that the 110 bus route will now serve West Middlesex Hospital, but the wish of over 2000 residents, that the bus be re-routed via Whitton High Street, continues to be ignored.

The news is a victory for local Lib Dem councillors who have long campaigned for a direct bus from Whitton to the West Mid, to prevent residents having to change buses at Hounslow. However, residents' calls for the 110 to serve Whitton High Street are falling on deaf ears.

• [Jan 22] South West London GLA candidate Munira Wilson has called for a focus on protecting runway alternation instead of re-opening the debate over a third runway at Heathrow. Local residents were shocked to hear Tory MP for neighbouring Spelthorne constituency this week suggest that a new runway be built at one of the airports in the South East - potentially even at Heathrow.

• [Jan 22] SOUTH West London GLA candidate Munira Wilson and Brian Paddick, Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of London, joined the Richmond Street Pastor patrol of Richmond town centre on Friday night.

The Richmond Street Pastors team was set up six months ago by volunteers from local churches who give up time and sleep on a Friday night to listen to, care for and help all those out and about late on the streets of Richmond. They have built up strong relationships with bouncers at Richmond bars and clubs, as well as the local Police who have just given them a grant of £9,000 because of their valuable work.

• [Jan 22]: BBC Video; starts at 31:20.

• [Jan 21]: LAST week Mike Tuffrey - London Assembly Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson - travelled to Sunderland with the London Assembly Environment Committee for a site visit hosted by Nissan, manufacturer of the world's first mass-market electric car. The Committee is currently investigating the Mayor's plans for electric vehicles and their potential environmental benefits.

• [Jan 21]: THE London Assembly this week supported the establishment of a Mayoral Development Area in and around the Olympic Park. Using new powers contained within the Localism Act (2011), the Mayor's plans would create a unique mayoral development corporation (MDC) to drive regeneration and development in the area over future decades. The Corporation would also assume the full range of planning powers and responsibilities (including setting and collecting the Community Infrastructure Levy) - in effect becoming the local planning authority for the area.

• [Jan 21] KEY failings in the way the London bike hire scheme is performing were exposed this week by Caroline Pidgeon, leading to an extensive report by BBC London television. The failings, which are holding back the success of the scheme, include a widespread problem with the allocation of the bikes across the docking stations, making it difficult for people to either hire a bike, or return a bike at the end of a ride. In November 2011 there were on average 27 docking stations in London that had no bikes available for hire for between 6 to 8 hours every day.

• [Jan 20]: TORY Mayor of London Boris Johnson has this week rejected all the funding bids from Richmond Council to his Outer London Fund in a move which will be seen as a clear 'snub' to local Tory London Assembly Member and Richmond councillor Tony Arbour. Bids for a total of nearly £6.2 million had been submitted for a variety of improvements to Twickenham, Whitton, Richmond and East Sheen. All the surrounding boroughs of Kingston, Hounslow, Wandsworth and Sutton were awarded funding for their bids but not a penny was announced for Richmond, despite the borough having a Tory London Assembly member at City Hall who is also a leading borough councillor.

• [Jan 20]: THE Tory administration has decided to cut the Council's maintenance programme for schools by 20 % from next April. News of the £254,000 budget cut was announced on Wednesday (18th) to representatives of the borough's head teachers and governors. The budget is for the larger cost items which cannot normally be paid for out of school reserves. It is used for providing replacement roofs and boilers, repairing blocked drains and providing new windows.

• [Jan 20]: ALL Richmond Council staff should be paid at least the rate of the 'London Living Wage', according to the Liberal Democrats. The London Living Wage is set annually by the Mayor of London as the minimum basic rate of pay that is needed to live in London (currently £8.30 an hour). Liberal Democrat Leader Stephen Knight has tabled a motion at next week's council meeting calling on the Conservative run Council to ensure that no council staff are, "paid on a spinal point lower than the London Living Wage." Whilst the London Living Wage is increased annually by the Mayor of London to take account of rising living costs, the pay rates in local government have been largely frozen for three years. This means that the lowest paid council staff are now paid about 50p an hour less than the London Living Wage.

• [Jan 20]: RICHMOND Council 'forgot' to ask a developer for a contribution to affordable housing until reminded by a Liberal Democrat councillor at last week's planning committee. The council's policy (DM HO 6), adopted only two months ago, requires developers of small housing developments (less than ten homes) to make a financial contribution to the Council's Affordable Housing Fund. An application (11/2047) for 8 residential units in place of garages adjacent to Railway Cottage, White Hart Lane, Barnes should therefore have led to negotiations for a financial contribution to the Affordable Housing Fund. However, though submitted as recently as 21st June 2011 when the policy was emerging, no such request had been made.

• [Jan 18] Andrew (St Ives, Liberal Democrat): A YEAR ago the Prime Minister told me that the reason for the, at the time, new Health and Social Care Bill was "simply that this country now has European levels of health spending but does not have European levels of success".-[Hansard, 19 January 2011; Vol. 521, c. 831.] Now that we know that that is not the case, will the Prime Minister shelve this disruptive and destructive Bill, which is struggling in another place, go back to the coalition agreement and build from there?

• [Jan 16] Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat): MY Lords, I should like also to speak to Amendments 35 and 89. These amendments relate to the ability of claimants, the majority of whom are disabled, to appeal against decisions on their entitlement to welfare benefits. The intention behind these amendments is to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The Bill as it stands would remove social welfare cases from the scope of legal aid, which would have an adverse and disproportionate impact on disabled people in particular, and would leave them unable effectively to challenge decisions when they are let down by the system.

• [Jan 16] NICK Clegg has today announced the participants in the Liberal Democrat Leadership Programme. The Leadership Programme is designed to support future Parliamentary candidates from under-represented backgrounds through training, mentoring, shadowing opportunities and more.

More than two-thirds of participants are female and a third are from BME backgrounds. Furthermore, a significant number of participants are disabled, openly LGBT, under 30 years old and/or from a lower socio-economic background.
Download the Candidate Leadership Programme Participant Profiles document here.

Commenting, Nick Clegg said

• [Jan 18] Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore MP writes a regular column for local newspapers in his constituency. Here's the latest edition, covering his busy week at Westminster and in the Borders:

• Independence Referendum: Deciding on the future of our country and whether it remains in the UK or becomes independent will undoubtedly be the most important decision we Borderers make in our lifetime . . when the referendum does come it is vital that it provides us with a true and fair opportunity to determine the future of our country.

• [Jan 18] Tim Farron writes: ARE 2 Eds better than one? I'm not sure - but the two Eds said something very interesting over the weekend: apparently they don't have a 'Plan B' for the economy after all!

As I drove into the village of Haverthwaite . . Ed Balls popped up. I listened with amazement. In his interview he admitted not only that the programme of cuts being carried out by the Coalition government were right, but that Labour would not over turn them if they were in Government . . In addition, Nick Clegg deserves an apology. Nick has been berated and abused by the Labour leadership over the last 18 months for having the guts to stand up and work as part of the Coalition in the best interest of the country. Now Labour have admitted that their attacks were inaccurate - but there's no hint of apology. They have gone from being in the wrong place, to all over the place.