Jack Lopresti, MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke, has announced that he has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. Prior to the diagnosis, the MP had been in and out of hospital with suspected appendicitis for three months, culminating in a major operation three weeks ago. In a statement issued today, Mr Lopresti said: “I am to have three months chemotherapy.
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Labour accuses Tories and Lib Dems of misrepresenting “service cuts”
Labour’s leader in South Gloucestershire has accused the district’s Tories and Liberal Democrats of pretending that the council does not face cuts in its services. This afternoon, councillors on the Policy and Resources Committee were asked to agree the public consultation questionnaire on next year’s budget. This document included a reference to “additional service cuts” if certain options are taken.
Continue readingSouth Glos Council “lived within its means,” say Tories
South Gloucestershire Council “lived within its means” during the last year of the authority’s Conservative Cabinet, it was announced this week. At the first meeting of the council’s Policy and Resources Committee, the authority’s budget ‘Outturn Report’ for 2011-12 was reported as showing an under-spend of £239K, which represents 0.1 per cent of the council’s £180m approved budget. This is
Continue reading“Power dispersed closer to the people”
South Gloucestershire Council has tonight voted to abolish the undemocratic Cabinet, and to return to a Committee system of governance, where all members are involved in decision-making processes. Councils were forced to disband their committees by the Labour government, but new powers in the Localism Act allowed them to return to collective decision-making. South Gloucestershire is one of the first
Continue reading“A Black Day for local democracy”
South Gloucestershire residents have been denied a say on a major constitutional change in what has been labelled a “Black Day for local democracy” in the district. Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors voted down a Conservative proposal to consult with the public at tonight’s Full Council meeting (Wednesday 21st March), even though Bristol residents have the chance to vote in
Continue readingChange “great for democracy and transparency”
Labour councillors in South Gloucestershire have heralded the Council’s decision this evening to scrap its ruling Cabinet and move to a Committee system of decision making which will involve all 70 councillors as great for democracy and transparency. From mid-May, politically proportional committees will make the authority’s key decisions instead of just seven Conservative ‘Executive’ councillors. The decision was made
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