How to lose £100m in two minutes
Gavin James, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, explains how the Conservatives have lost over £100m of taxpayers money on their vanity project in Basing View.
1 Mar 2018
Local News
Who loses out from Basingstoke's budget?
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Gavin James has slammed the Conservative budget for Basingstoke and Deane Council means paying more for less. Councillor Gavin James said: "The Conservative Budget puts people and services at the bottom of the priorities. "Who has done well with a Conservative-controlled council - consultants, lawyers, Conservative Councillors, a few lucky businesses on Basing View, the Government that have dodged the blame for cuts." "Who hasn't done well - people - people who want to look after the environment by recycling or taking the bus, people who have to use the pothole strewn roads, people who are struggling to pay the bills facing higher council taxes and increasing fees for using services."
2 Mar 2018
Conservative Budget means paying more for less
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Gavin James has slammed the Conservative budget for Basingstoke and Deane Council means paying more for less. Councillor Gavin James said: "The Conservative Budget puts people and services at the bottom of the priorities." "Who has done well with a Conservative-controlled council - consultants, lawyers, Conservative Councillors, a few lucky businesses on Basing View, the Government that have dodged the blame for cuts." "Who hasn't done well - people - people who want to look after the environment by recycling or taking the bus, people who have to use the pothole strewn roads, people who are struggling to pay the bills facing higher council taxes and increasing fees for using services." "The Liberal Democrats have different priorities. We would invest in clean, green energy, getting a better financial return for Council funds, cutting pollution and reducing energy bills for residents. We would invest in affordable housing, particularly modular housing, reducing t
22 Feb 2018
Lib Dems pledge to protect the Sports Centre
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Gavin James has backed the 10,000+ people petitioning Basingstoke and Deane Council about the future of Basingstoke Sport Centre in Festival Place. Councillor Gavin James said: "This is an extraordinary situation, where we have so many people petitioning the Council and it requires an extraordinary response." "Vague promises from the Conservative of future support with few details and no guarantees will not be enough to secure the future of this vital and valuable asset for the people of Basingstoke and Deane. We've had enough of being fobbed off. Detailed and well supported evidence had been ignored for too long." "It would bad enough if this threat to the Sports Centre was coming for purely commercial reasons, but incredibly it is being subsidised by the Council." "I have repeatedly expressed my concern that the whole 'business class hotel on Basing View' proposal is a poor deal for the Council. It will result in the Council and therefore residents potentially
22 Feb 2018
Stav O'Doherty named Lib Dem candidate in Kempshott
Liberal Democrat Stav O'Doherty is the only candidate in the Kempshott by-election on Thursday 21 June who lives in Kempshott.
30 May 2018
2025 Local Elections
Recent local election results should come as no surprise. Most citizens would tell you that “Britain is not working” and it certainly is not working for them as they struggle with the cost of living crisis and failing services.
Recent local election results should come as no surprise. Most citizens would tell you that “Britain is not working” and it certainly is not working for them as they struggle with the cost of living crisis and failing services. Amidst the uncertainty caused by the incompetence of our two major political parties, long the pillars of our political establishment, as citizens we have lost hope in a better tomorrow.
Whilst Conservative mismanagement of the economy and its destruction of services did us all no favours, Labour has failed to fulfil its election promises. Badly. From winter fuel payments to job taxes and destroying family farms through ill judge inheritance tax changes, we have seen it all.
Furthermore, we have recently suffered from a stitch up in the cancellation of the elections in Hampshire. This was proposed by the Conservative County Council and adopted with speed by the Labour government. All in the interests of efficiency as we move to Local Government Reorganisation. This has led to a major democratic deficit, and we have a Conservative administration which in all probability would have been voted out of office. If you run a business £200,000,000 in the red and not delivering on its contracts, then you would go to the wall. In the case of Hampshire County Council, it is clear that turkeys do not vote for Christmas.
This also raises problems for Local Government Reorganisation where the primary local driver, Hampshire, has no democratic mandate. It also appears to be driven by narrow self-interest rather than the public interest which we deserve. How do we move forward? Rather than adopting a justified “plague on all your houses”, voters should look at the values and competence of the candidates and parties. Clearly Labour and the Conservatives are not the answer.
Councillor Luigi Gregori
Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson NW Hants