Liberal Democrat county councillors in Surrey have expressed their anger as the Conservative County Council was forced to reveal cuts of £346K to library resources over the next two years.

The Conservative-administration plans to reduce the county's library resources budget, used to buy items such as books and DVDs, by £346K which amounts to a cut of 22% by 2019. The reduction in the resources budget for libraries follows significant cuts in the amount of library stock owned by the county council, which has dropped from 1,597,830 items in December 2013 to 1,386,752 items in March 2016 - a reduction of 211,078 items (13%).

South Lakes MP Tim Farron is calling for the government to guarantee the rights of EU citizens already living in the UK, ahead of negotiations with the EU about post-Brexit arrangements. This would reassure EU citizens in the UK, as well as UK citizens living abroad who also face the same uncertainty about their future.

Imogen Shepherd-DuBey says: "I would like to thank the residents of Emmbrook for voting overwhelmingly to help Stop the Conservative Rot last Friday, by electing me as their new councillor."

A Lib Dem councillor was surprised and shocked when local Conservatives refused to back her plea to support the rights of Europeans from other countries living in Woking.

Cllr. Ann-Marie Barker had asked that the Leader of the Council write to the Prime Minister supporting the right of EU citizens to stay in a post-BREXIT Woking.

Tens of thousands of deaths could be linked to cuts to health and social care, a new research paper by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University of Oxford has found.

The researchers concluded that "the evidence points to a major failure of the health system, possibly exacerbated by failings in social care".

Britain could be more vulnerable to terrorism and organised crime after a hard Brexit, Europol's chief has warned.

Director of Europol Robert Wainright told Sky News today that Britain could be more vulnerable if the Government fails to secure access to vital intelligence sharing.

Commenting on the warnings, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Brake said: "People did not vote to undermine our country's security.

Today at County Hall Surrey's Conservative Cabinet approved proposals for a 15% council tax rise, a referendum on the council tax on 4 May and cuts of £93 million to services in Surrey.

Councillor Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council said:

"The Conservative administration at County Hall is asking Surrey residents to pay more for less - an unreasonable and unaffordable 15% council tax increase and £93 million of unspecified cuts in council services.

"It is time for the Tories at County Hall to end their secrecy and to spill the beans about the £93 million of cuts which are coming down the pipeline. Councillors who have to vote on the County Council budget next week and Surrey residents who pay council tax and are served by the County Council should not be kept in the dark and have a right to know now about the cuts which are on the way.

The Liberal Democrats have identified five black holes in the Government's Brexit White Paper.

The paper fails to address key questions facing Britain after Brexit including on common trading standards with Europe, key crime-fighting measures and the right of UK citizens to live and work on the continent.

It also fails to propose any solutions to the issue of how to maintain the current soft border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Brake said: "This is not a White Paper, it's a whitewash. The government has completely failed to answer key questions about Britain's future relationship with Europe.

"If this is the paper Labour sold their votes for, they've been short-changed.

"From the ability of businesses to trade freely to the right of future generations to live and work abroad, instead of concrete proposals we see yet more vague platitudes.

"This is not good enough. The British people deserve to know more about what this government will negotiate on their behalf and they deserve to have the final say on the deal."

The local Lib Dems have welcomed the Government's decision to make the 'Pay to Stay' scheme for Council housing tenants earning over a certain income will now be voluntary, not compulsory.

The Housing and Planning Act, currently working its way through Parliament, was going to require local authorities to charge tenants with a household income in excess of £30,000 a higher rent than they currently pay. However, in the run up to the Autumn Statement, the Government has conceded its plans were misguided and will no longer force councils to charge social housing tenants to 'Pay to Stay'.

The Local Lib Dems are seeking an end to burial charges for children and stillborns.

Lib Dem Councillor Ian Johnson has asked Woking Borough Council to waive its burial charges for children and stillborns of local families.

Lib Dem Councillor for Mount Hermon, Ian Johnson, said:

"It is impossible to imagine how hard it must be for families to cope with such a sad situation. As Woking Borough Council now own Brookwood Cemetery, the Council is in a strong position to do its bit by waiving the fees it charges grieving parents."