Yesterday's Derbyshire County Council decision was a disgrace" says Cllr Paul Holmes, Leader of Chesterfield's Lib Dem Cllrs. "Conservative Council bosses are fighting like ferrets in a sack as they try to grab more power."

"Derby City have launched a bid to take over their neighbours and create a huge Council of up to 600,000 people. The County Council are talking of a rival bid to take over all of Derbyshire, creating a vast, remote and out of touch Council of up to a million people."

Today the Trussell Trust has released a report Lockdown, Lifelines and the Long Haul Ahead revealing how coronavirus has affected food bank use, with a huge rise in people needing to use a food bank in its network for the first time. The Trussell Trust's records also show that families with children are being hit the hardest during the crisis.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

MP for Kingston & Surbiton.

Several stepping stones have been removed from the Whitecotes Field play area - leaving three potentially dangerous fixing posts exposed.

The crime has been described as 'yet another blow' for the friends of Whitecotes Field group which has worked hard over the last few years to raise money to improve facilities in the park, off Hazel Drive.

Liberal Democrats are fighting to give NHS and care staff from other countries the right to stay in the UK.

Like the rest of our wonderful NHS and care staff, hundreds of thousands of people from other countries are on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, putting themselves in harm's way to make sure we get the care we need.

Three months ago today, George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds

His death rocked the world. It sparked overwhelmingly peaceful Black Lives Matter protests. It demanded of all of us that we look at what we can do to tackle racial injustice.

Chesterfield Cycle Campaign recently wrote to us following a report on the BBC News website which suggests that nationally the Lib Dems are urging the government to 'get cars off the road' and expressing interest to learn more about the Chesterfield Lib Dems official policy. Tom Snowdon, Chair of Chesterfield Lib Dems, welcomed the opportunity to respond, allowing us to clarify the position of Liberal Democrats in Chesterfield. His response is reproduced in full below.

During the recent spell of exceptionally hot weather there were large social gatherings in Somersall Park that went on until the early hours; the noise and, at times, anti-social behaviour proved very disruptive to residents.

Local councillors raised the issue and the Police and members of the local Community Safety Team agreed with the suggestion put forward by some of the local residents, when visited to ask for their views, that lighting should not remain on all night. For a trial period lighting will now cease at 9.30pm and resume at 5am - in order to discourage late night gatherings. Notices have now been posted in the park to advise the public.

Much of Chatsworth Road has been classified as a conservation area and rightly so. From the listed buildings at Walton Works to St Thomas's Church there are many features of historical importance and industrial heritage, But alongside these giants lies a little, more hidden remnant of history - the Coronation Gardens.

The Liberal Democrats are warning that overstretched Police in the Derbyshire Force Area are struggling with a surge in knife crime, and are calling for extra funding for Community Police Officers.

According to the most recent ONS figures, the number of offences involving knives or sharp objects has increased in our County to 838 in the year ending March 2020, a 78.4 % rise since 2015.