On May 4th 2023, we, the people of Tendring, will elect our representatives for the next four years. Who we elect will determine what kind of council we get and set the course for decisions to be made that will affect us all. Sometimes, the consequences aren't obvious. In 2019, the people of Tendring elected a council in which no one party had a majority BUT some independents joined with the Conservatives, keeping the same Conservative politicians in power. Life is hard and things are worse than most of us can remember. Many people are fed up with the council and with politics but the answer isn't to stay at home and not vote. That just gives a free run to councillors who don't work hard and don't listen to their electors.

Following on from the success of the Christmas Draw the LIb Dems present our new Summer Draw. Prizes include a top cash prize of £1,200. Enter via https://libdemdraw.org.uk/tendring-district and you will be helping your local Lib Dem party, Tendring District Liberal Democrats to raise funds to increase our presence in this area.

November's draw for the NEELD 100 club was held at The Robert Burre PH, Burrsville and was drawn by Laura behind the bar.

The results are:

If you would like to join the 100 Club please contact Keith Pitkin by e-mail at kpitkinld@yahoo.com.

Our Priorities for the 2017 Elections

End the Tory cuts to public services

Over the last four years Conservative run Essex County Council has been savagely cutting services

• Children's Centres have closed
• Meals on Wheels have ended
• Community Transport has been cut
• Bus services have been cut
• Side roads and pavements have deteriorated
• Care packages for the elderly have been delayed
• Charges for Home Care has increased five fold
• Youth Services have been dismantled
• Recycling Centres restrict home DIY waste
• Local Highways budgets have been halved
• Charges for home to school transport in rural areas has rocketed
• Traffic congestion has got worse

North East Essex Liberal Democrats welcomed Baroness Lynne Featherstone to Manningtree last Friday. Baroness Featherstone, a Liberal Democrat peer and the party's Spokesperson on Energy and Climate Change, spoke to a packed meeting about her time in Government and Brexit.

Baroness Featherstone expressed her concerns over the Government's actions so far and its refusal to guarantee the rights of EU nationals living and working in the UK. She took questions from members who expressed serious concerns about Brexit and the impact it will have across the country. A member who works for the NHS expressed their concern for the health service, which has seen serious cost increases since the pound collapsed after the vote in June. Another said that she was worried about farmers losing their subsidies, which many local jobs depend upon.

Essex County Council's Conservative group has pushed through a cut of over 14% in the funding for community transport schemes across the county. Essex Liberal Democrats "called in" the cabinet member decision for review by the scrutiny committee last Thursday (23rd March), but the Conservative majority backed the decision.

Essex County Council Conservatives have voted down Liberal Democrat proposals to:

• address the Essex NHS and social care crisis by increasing funding for partnership working with the NHS and care providers
• put more of the Highways budget under local control, to speed up the repair of local roads and deliver important safety schemes
• invest in new youth services including school lunchtime sessions
• address Conservative cuts to school transport and recycling centres

Essex County Council has spent £1,234,180 compensating motorists for damage caused by potholes since 2012, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.
Nationally a total of £12 million has been paid out over the last four years across the country, with an average payment per person of £650.
The figures were uncovered by Freedom of Information requests to 500 councils by the Liberal Democrats.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Stephen Robinson (Chelmsford North) said: "This is a lose-lose situation for everyone, whether they are motorists, councils or taxpayers.
"Thousands of pounds are now being spent on pay-outs that could have been invested instead in fixing our roads.
"This is a symptom of the short-termism taken to infrastructure investment by our Conservative-run Council and Government.
"Roads should be fixed quickly so this compensation does not have to be paid out in the first place."

Introducing Matthew Bensilum

Our candidate is Matthew Bensilum, who lives locally with his wife Hayley and three children. Matthew was educated at a local primary school and then at Clacton County High School, and has now lived in the Tendring district for over forty years. As a local employer and business owner, Matthew has a keen grasp of financial issues and if elected, this will certainly help him in representing us and promoting the interests of our community.

Essex Conservative councillors this week (Tuesday 11 October) rejected a Liberal Democrat move to protect community pharmacies and the vital role they play in the local NHS.

Instructing his Conservative colleagues to vote in favour of £170m cuts to local pharmacies, the lead Conservative speaker claimed face-to-face consultations with a local pharmacist were an "old way of thinking" and drugs should be delivered digitally to patients.