More hoops for Citizens Advice to jump through

Cllr Barker calls on Conservative Executive Leader to end vendetta

Cllr Barker, Liberal Democrat Leader on Woking Council is saddened that the Council's Conservative Executive has come up with yet more hoops for our local Citizens Advice service to jump through to secure grant funding.

Liberal Democrats criticise move to 7-day property turnaround

Why set target council's own contractor doesn't meet?

Liberal Democrats were surprised to see proposals to reduce a properties' exemption from Council Tax from 30 days to just 7 days. Currently a property is not charged Council Tax whilst empty for one month. Proposals going to this week's Council meeting are to reduce that to just one week.

Delight that Carlos will be able to return to the park

Liberal Democrats welcome the Conservative U-turn that will restore Carlos' ice cream van to Woking Park. We look forward to confirming our support at the Council meeting on 13 February.

Commenting Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, Leader of Woking Liberal Democrats, said "The Bellancas have been through so much, from being told 5 days before Christmas 2017 that they couldn't return to the park in 2018, to then being offered a new site but later having that offer withdrawn. The Liberal Democrat Group are delighted that Carlos ice cream van will be returning to Woking Park in 2019".

Lib Dems get Surrey County Council to help Europeans stay post Brexit

Surrey County Council has agreed to the Lib Dem request to help its European Union (EU) staff and children in care apply for 'settled status' post-Brexit.

Earlier this year, the Government announced that EU nationals would have to apply and pay for settled status post-Brexit, though they have recently waived the application fees. This 'pay to stay' process has been widely criticised as being too complicated and making Europeans feel unwelcome in the UK.

Lib Dem County Councillor Will Forster recently addressed the Council's Cabinet to get them to commit to helping EU citizens that work for or are in the care of the local authority with their applications for settled status.

Will Forster said, "I am delighted that Surrey County Council has agreed to my request to support EU nationals from some of the damaging effects of Brexit and will help its EU staff and children in care apply for settled status if Brexit takes place."

"10% of construction workers are from the EU, that's 84,000 people. Without Europeans we will not be able to build new homes or schools, or resurface roads. 18% of social care workers are from the EU - without European staff, the County Council will not be able to look after vulnerable elderly people. EU citizens make a huge positive contribution to this country and our county."

Lib Dems call for Surrey County Council to protect Europeans from Brexit

Lib Dem County Councillor Will Forster has today called on Surrey County Council to support European Union (EU) nationals living locally from the damaging effects of Brexit.

Before Christmas, the Government announced that EU citizens would have to apply and pay for 'settled status' post-Brexit, causing fears that some European workers will leave the UK post Brexit. Surrey County Council, like other local authorities, relies on EU nationals to fill key jobs especially in the social care sector.

Therefore, Will Forster and the Lib Dems have called on the County Council to protect EU nationals by paying the settled status fees of all of its EU staff.

Lib Dem County Councillor for Woking South, Will Forster, said:

"Although Theresa May's Brexit deal was recently rejected in Parliament by a record 230 votes, Brexit is still a huge threat, especially to Surrey County Council's social care system which relies on staff from Europe. Brexit and the Government's settled status plan for EU nationals marks it more difficult for local authorities to hire and keep much-needed staff."

"I urge Surrey County Council to commit right now to support its European staff by paying their settled status fees, and helping them with the paper work if needs be too. EU nationals do an invaluable job, they keep key services going, but the Council must back them now or it risks losing staff as a result of Brexit and a 'hostile environment' to immigration."

Will Forster has also asked the Council's ruling Cabinet to automatically apply for the settled status of any children in its care, following agreement from the Home Office to waive the application fee for children in local authority care, though not the application process itself.

Councillor Forster added:

"I cannot believe the heartlessness and stupidity from the Conservative Government to make some of the most vulnerable members of society, children in care, complete such complicated paperwork. Although I hope the Home Office automatically gives settled status to the very few European nationals that are in care, I hope Surrey Council agrees to complete the application for any child in care."

It may be that the recent 'block' voting by the Tory members in Woking Borough Council is a way in which to keep the length of the Council sessions to a reasonable time? However this means that we have many important decisions being compressed into one meeting, some of them involving millions of pounds of investment, possibly without balanced debate and consideration.