Political

In other news…

Good news on human rights:

Lib Dems thwart Tory hopes of human rights convention withdrawal
Decision will infuriate Tory rightwingers unhappy at what they believe is Strasbourg judges’ interference in UK rights

Chris Rennard writes in The Guardian:

Those seeking a fairer voting system may be rather more dismayed if the Guardian is correct that there are difficulties getting Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg working together in support of the referendum. Political rivalry over other issues should not prevent all supporters of reform from campaigning for a cause on which they agree. Lessons should be learned from the Scottish referendum in 1997 when Labour had to campaign with its great rivals in the SNP (as well as the Liberal Democrats) to secure a Scottish parliament.

An update on Tessa Munt and her council tax, via the Daily Mail:

Barely weeks after winning the Somerset seat of Wells, Liberal Democrat Tessa Munt,52,  was facing her own accusations of sleaze amid claims that she improperly claimed council tax benefits on her constituency home … Mrs Munt tells me: ‘Inquiries into my claims for single person discount on my council tax began more than a year ago. I felt the inquiry was not progressing, was wasting taxpayers’ money and council resources.

‘Without any new request  from the council, I recently decided to pay the contested amount in full.

‘As I have said in a number of public meetings in Somerset, I did not claim or receive any benefits, with the exception of child benefit during my long campaign.’

And finally news from Redcar on the other big local issue:

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Redcar and Cleveland Council, Councillor Chris Abbott, confirmed that if they win control of the council in the May elections, they will abandon the controversial plans for an 80ft vertical pier on Redcar seafront.

Labour currently control the council with 25 councillors. There are 16 Lib Dems, 11 Conservatives, five Independents and two East Cleveland Independents.

The £1.8m building has polarised opinion since it was first announced in 2009. [The Gazette]

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