Lib Dems will freeze rail fare increases in Woking saving commuters hundreds of pounds

The Liberal Democrats have announced they will freeze rail fare increases for Woking commuters and season ticket holders for the next five years, while fixing the broken fares and ticketing system.

A Liberal Democrat government would cancel the 2.8% RPI rail fare increase planned for December 2019 and freeze Woking commuter fares and season tickets for the entirety of the next five years.

Figures reveal exodus of EU NHS staff in our local hospitals

Brexit is making the staffing crisis at St Peter's and Royal Surrey NHS Trusts even worse, the Lib Dems have warned.

Figures published by the Lib Dems reveal that 78 EU staff working at the Royal Surrey NHS Trust and 63 at Ashford and St Peter's Hospital have already left the health service, this year.

Petition against December's Rail Strikes

Following the news that there are 27 days of planned rail strikes in December, Will Forster and the Lib Dems have launched a petition against the strikes.

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Woking, Will Forster, said: "Members of the RMT will walk out for 27 days throughout December, causing chaos to commuters, Businesses and to people traveling for Christmas."

The Lib Dems have announced that they will spend £10 billion a year more on schools and hire 20,000 more teachers by the end of the next Parliament.

Figures from the National Education Union show that next year (2020/21), schools in Woking will have seen their budgets cut by well over £2 million - £2,381,781 to be exact - in real terms since 2015, once increasing pupil numbers are taken into account.

The Lib Dems have announced plans to scrap business rates and replace them with a landowner levy, to "breathe new life" into high streets across Woking.

The party would replace business rates with a commercial landowner levy, based on the value of the land only. This would take the cost off businesses and help support high streets.

Lib Dems announce plans to tackle the Growing number of long-term empty homes in Woking.

The Lib Dems have announced today that they would allow Woking Council to increase Council Tax by up to 500% on homes that are left empty long-term.

The latest Government statistics show that there were 346 homes left empty long-term in Woking Borough in 2018.

The 95% waiting time target has not been met since July 2015. Only 83.6% of patients arriving at A&E across England were treated or admitted in four hours in October, the worst-ever performance since a target was introduced in 2004.

Lib Dem Candidate for Woking, Will Forster, said:

"It is shameful that patients in Woking are being abandoned, be it waiting for hours for treatment in A&E or for months in pain for routine operations."

The Lib Dems have announced they would more than double spending on youth services in Surrey to £33,998,703,to help tackle rising levels of crime. This would form part of a total ring-fenced fund of £500 million for Local Authorities across England to spend on youth services, providing young people with positive, safe and healthy alternatives to gangs.

On Monday, 11th November, Nigel Farage announced that the Brexit Party will not be standing a General Election candidate in Woking and other Conservative held seats.

Will Forster, the Lib Dem Candidate for Woking, said:

"Nigel Farage's comments show he is running scared of the Lib Dems as the strongest Remain party in areas like Woking. He knows that we are the only party at this election that can take seats, including Woking from the Tories and stop Brexit."

The Lib Dems will introduce free childcare from 9 months, transforming the lives of parents and children across the UK.

The high cost of childcare means that too many parents are unable to return to work without risking real financial hardship. With the average cost of 25 hours of nursery care for a child under two running to more than £6,500 per year, many parents are effectively excluded from work due to the burden of childcare costs.