http://www.juliahayward.com/rss.xml Collected thoughts on the life, loves and frustrations of a St Neots Lib Dem councillor, by Julia Hayward http://www.juliahayward.com/ Eaton Socon's absentee councillor finally throws in the towel. Can we have our allowances back? http://www.juliahayward.com/20110316.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ St Neots Liberal Democrats launch their campaign with a survey of the town and a new Facebook group. Come and tell us what your priorities are. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110313.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ The suggestion of 10-hour school days and Saturdays, to squeeze a couple more percentage points on pass rates, is absurd and damaging to our kids' wellbeing. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110309.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ District Councils should not be handing out allowances specifically for party political posts at the best of times. Certainly not when finances are as ropey as HDC's. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110303.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ The town bus service is to be retimed to connect better with commuter trains, and a long lost bus link from Eaton Socon to Huntingdon is reinstated, bucking the trend. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110301.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ There is a growing movement to put up independent candidates in May's local elections. Will more non-aligned councillors be a good thing? http://www.juliahayward.com/20110226.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ We need a change in our politics. AV is not perfect but it's a big improvement. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110221.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ The Big Society is, although noone will admit to it, a full scale assault on democratically elected, accountable local government. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110214.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ St Neots Town Council regains its Quality status. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110203.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ Today the police launch their national crime map. Does it really provide the information we need? http://www.juliahayward.com/20110202.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ The solution to the A14's woes is to move freight back to the railways. After many years of campaigning, progress is starting to be made. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110130.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ The County Council's cabinet papers dropped a bombshell on anyone who travels by bus in our rural areas. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110128.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ Just a couple of topical links for you today... http://www.juliahayward.com/20110126.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ The abolition of the Standards Board: a great victory for localism, or a precursor of a free-for-all for badly behaved councillors? http://www.juliahayward.com/20110122.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ The media have done a pretty disgraceful hatchet job on local volunteers aiming to help the migrant community. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110120.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ Or is it? Work on the new cycle bridge linking Eaton Socon and Eynesbury was scheduled to start today... http://www.juliahayward.com/20110117.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ Once again it's time to set the budget for St Neots Town Council. It is very gratifying to be able to pass on a very healthy position to the council to come this May... http://www.juliahayward.com/20110113.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ Huntingdonshire has over 1,370 empty properties, many long-term. Why aren't they being brought back into use? http://www.juliahayward.com/20110107.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ When each fiefdom in the State is happy to sacrifice its colleagues' budgets to protect its own, millions are wasted. Can a fresh government change the status quo? http://www.juliahayward.com/20110105.aspx http://www.juliahayward.com/ The excesses of Christmas are fading into memory, daylight is in short supply and precipitation is plentiful, and it seems a long way to the next major stepping-stone in our collective awareness of time, the beginning of spring. Here's a bright thought to start the year. http://www.juliahayward.com/20110101.aspx