All those confirmed as currently sleeping rough in Chelmsford have been offered accommodation during the second lockdown period. Lib Dem-led Chelmsford City Council is working with other agencies in Essex to ensure that no-one has to sleep rough.
The City Council is ensuring that advice and support - not just accommodation - are provided to those who need it at any stage in this process. Staff are helping all confirmed rough sleepers to make a homelessness application to the Council. To ensure that priority is given to this group, districts identified all those known to be sleeping rough in their area on Friday 6 November. In Chelmsford, that was 16 people.
Priti Patel is on the warpath, next week she is deporting 50 Jamaican people, mid-pandemic and might be breaking the law.
In Essex, we know Priti Patel is a terrible person. She bullied civil servants, she was fired for taking secret meetings with a foreign government against the wishes of Theresa May, and she opposed equal marriage.
An overwhelming amount of entries have been received for Chelmsford's 2020 Christmas card competition, hosted by the Mayor of Chelmsford, Councillor Jude Deakin.
The Mayor called on Chelmsford residents of all ages to create a piece of artwork, or write a poem, inspired by her 2020 theme of 'family and wellbeing' to be used in her official Christmas card. Over 100 colourful and creative drawings, poems and photographs were submitted, highlighting some of the talent in Chelmsford and the winners have now been chosen.
Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to support carers by raising Carer's Allowance by £1,000 a year, now.
Unpaid carers are doing a remarkable and important job in very difficult circumstances. They deserve our support.
But many carers are facing extreme financial hardship.
900,000 full-time unpaid carers rely on Carer's Allowance - but at just £67.25 a week, it's just not nearly enough.
It is the lowest benefit of its kind - another example of how carers are too often an afterthought for many politicians.
Many unpaid carers have been struggling for months, often relying on foodbanks to feed themselves and the people they care for.
We've got to do better
Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to immediately raise Carer's Allowance by £1,000 a year, the same as the uplift in Universal Credit.
Three weeks ago I asked the Prime Minister to support unpaid carers by increasing the Carer's Allowance by £20 a week.
He didn't do so. When he's found millions to hand out to Conservative Party cronies in contracts, why can't he do a little more to help unpaid carers? #PMQspic.twitter.com/hdsI4iAu1K
Carers face big challenges every single day; challenges that have been made even harder by coronavirus. A recent survey by Carers UK found that most are having to spend more time looking after loved ones during this pandemic.
Most haven't been able to take a single break since it started. Most are simply exhausted.
And now they are worried.
Liberal Democrats will stand up for carers
Worried about their own mental health, worried about what will happen if they themselves fall ill - because there's no one to take over - and worried about whether they can cope in a new lockdown.
We must do far more to support our wonderful carers.
The Liberal Democrats will stand up for carers and lead the way to a more caring society as we emerge from this pandemic.
By Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon
Now more than ever, we need a compassionate approach to homelessness.
With coronavirus putting the most vulnerable in our communities at risk, we must ensure no one is left behind. 2020 has seen a sharp rise in rough sleeping. Without a home to stay in, these people are at a higher risk of catching the virus and have no way to self-isolate.
Support grants for businesses legally required to close (as a result of the national lockdown) can now be accessed on the Chelmsford City Council website: www.chelmsford.gov.uk/businessgrants
The available grants are payable to cover 28-day periods of lockdown and vary according to a business's rateable value. As the latest national lockdown is going to last for at least 28 days, the City Council is making payments in advance to cover the period up to 2 December 2020.
Join campaigns professionals to find out how the US Democrats pulled off the US election result and beat incumbent President Donald Trump.
At this event our panel will discuss what lessons the Lib Dems can learn from the US elections, how we can adopt their winning ways and how they managed to galvanize voters in key states.
As Brentwood Council seeks a new operator for the Brentwood Leisure Centre, we have asked that the facility becomes easier to access for those with mobility issues.
The current blue badge spaces are situated at the end of a long path to the centre's entrance, with further treks inside to access facilities. It is probable that when these were put in place some years ago, consideration was only given to wheelchair users and gave adequate space for those people to use their equipment but, although that is certainly essential, around 80% of disabled people are not wheelchair-dependant and so, spaces right outside the centre's doors are required.
By Callum Robertson for Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
Oregon is a quiet and beautiful state in the North West of the USA, solidly Democrat leaning it has voted for Democratic Candidates in every Presidential Election since 1988, 2020 was no exception with it coming in strongly for Biden.
In many ways, it shares many characteristics with Essex. It is a mixture of urban and rural, with pockets of prosperity and deprivation. It also has a real sense of community, something it shares with us from Clacton to Chelmsford.
