Market Harborough Liberal Democrats

Frustrated at the time that has passsed since they first raised their concerns about the felling of trees in Great Bowden, Lib Dem councillors Phil Knowles, Sarah Hill and Barbara Johnson have called for an urgent meeting with senior officers at Harborough District Council.

"We should have received some answers by now. It's important that the correct proceedures are followed, but residents want answers and we will be pushing for them to be provided without any further delay," the three councillors say.

Last night, in private session, Harborough District Council voted for major changes in its waste collection arrangements.

Liberal Democrat councillors believe it was clear something needed to be done about the food waste collection. It is haemorrhaging cash and, as we have been warning, has been doing so for a long time.

The Market Hall was saved after a long debate at tonight's Full Council meeting of Harborough District Council.

Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed their delight at the decision. Phil Knowles said:

''An 18,000-signature petition, traders' rally, public march and public meeting plus a widespread campaign have won the day. People felt that they were being ignored and that the Council's controlling group were ploughing on regardless.

Liberal Democrat local councillor Phil Knowles has condemned Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Primary Care Trust mismanagement of the building of the new day case unit at St Luke's Hospital, Market Harborough. The unit has cost the NHS almost £900,000 more that expected.

Phil told BBC News:

"It was so badly delayed and if they had done the job properly the unit would have people queuing up to use the much needed facility, but it's very much under-used.

Cllr Phil Knowles has spoken with Lib Dem Baroness Ros Scott, who has tabled a question on fuel duty exemption for air ambulances in the House of Lords. She tabled the written question on 22 March and the question should receive an answer by 5 April.

Phil says: "This is another way to draw the government's attention to this important campaign."

A petition has been launched to encourage the government to exempt air ambulance services from duty on the fuel they use, in the same way as the RNLI lifeboats are exempt.

Please support this petition and send the link on to friends.

Liberal Democrat councillor Phil Knowles says: "So many people benefit from the air ambulance service. So many lives have been saved and can continue to be saved. I understand that so far the petition has over 17000 signatures, the target is 100,000 when Parliament could debate the issue. I would urge the whole of the East Midlands to back the petition."

Over 20 million working people will be better off next year after Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government delivered the biggest ever increase in the income tax personal allowance in the Budget.

The massive £3.5bn tax cut for working people delivers:

• The biggest ever single uplift in the tax threshold
• A personal allowance of £9,205 in April 2013
• 21 million working people getting an extra £220 tax cut
• Brings the total tax cut for basic rate tax payers to £550
• Brings the total number of people lifted out of tax to 2 million.

You may have seen Lib Dem councillor Phil Knowles on the local television news over the weekend. He was interviewed about the theft of metal from Market Harborough Cemetery and from the councill offices in Adam and Eve Street.

Phil has also spoken to local police officers and urges anyone with information on either of these incidents - or on any other metal thefts in the area - to call the police.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg used his speech to the Party's Spring conference in NewcastleGateshead to call for the forthcoming budget to be a "budget for fairness" and pledged that it would help working familes.

The Deputy Prime Minister pledged that by 2015 Britain would have seen an end to control orders, the first gay marriages and the first elections to the House of Lords.