Liberal Party Councillor Steve Radford is nominated for election to deputy chairmanship of the Independent Group of the Local Government Association


	Liberal Party Councillor Steve Radford was nominated for election to deputy chairmanship of the Independent Group of the Local Government Association. Below is Cllr Radford’s manifesto for this election.

Councillor Steve Radford
Whilst the LGA Independent Group counts the seats of all the English minority parties towards its share of positions, however it then portrays itself as a non-political independent group, as if we in the smaller parties do not exist. This is disingenuous and unjust.

Secondly, I fear the LGA Independent Group has been far too timid in representing distinctive views on many issues where independent Councillors, and those of us in smaller parties, should have common cause.

Standards Board
This institution has become nothing more than a device to silence Councillors making legitimate critical comments to council officers and leaders. I have seen at first hand how it is being used to harass opposition council groups. Voters elect councillors and it should either be up to them or the criminal law to turf them out. We should call for its abolition - nothing less!

Electoral Commission
This wasteful institution soaks up public money by vast amounts, its only real achievement has been to bring the electoral system into disrepute with its flawed postal voting; a system Mugabe would no doubt relish. We should call for its abolition and spend the money on real services.

Voting Systems
We should oppose the use of party lists which degrade the accountability of local councillors. Instead we should advocate STV in multi-member wards. This would open up the electoral system whilst retaining adirect linkbetween the electorate and the representative, thereby retaining individual accountability.
We should not combine local, national and Euro Elections on the same day.

Housing
This government, like others before it, rolls out national initiatives which may suit one part of the country but are disastrous in others. We should fight to enable each local authority to adopt a housing policy suitable for the housing market and conditions in their locality.

Stop the Centralisation
It is a disgrace the way the vast majority of councils in areas like Cheshire are being abolished and system imposed on those communities against the views of the vast majority of residents. We should be more vociferous in opposing the relentless government efforts to undermine Local Democracy.

Regionalisation
The erosion of powers from local councils up to remote Regional Assemblies must be challenged.

Councillor Steve Radford has been a Liberal Party Councillor in Liverpool for 29 years and served as Chairman of the city’s Environment Committee, Deputy Chair Housing Committee and is currently President of the Liberal Party.