The popular children's play area in the corner of Badger Recreation Park In Chesterfield is under threat. After a notice placed on the railings was spotted by a resident, Brockwell Cllr, Katherine Hollingworth, immediately contacted Chesterfield Borough Council only to learn that the play equipment is unsafe and needs to be removed.
Responding to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Report 'Misinformation in the COVID-19 Infodemic', Liberal Democrat spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:
"The pandemic has brought home how fundamental it is that we stamp out dangerous misinformation on social media, and how important it is that the public can trust information online. This report is clear that the Government must do more to tackle misinformation and the Liberal Democrats strongly support its calls for greater transparency.
Three canal activists, who are also Borough Councillors, have launched a petition that calls on Chesterfield Borough Council to embrace the opportunities presented by the ongoing restoration of the Chesterfield Canal.
Cllr Ed Fordham said "I am a canal boat owner myself and an enthusiastic supporter of the Canal restoration - I wanted an opportunity for residents to show their support too. This petition is good timing as the final application for Chesterfield Borough Council to determine has been submitted and the opportunities for improved cycling, walking, water transport and the dynamic of becoming a canal town again must not be missed
Cllr Shirley Niblock, who represents West Ward said "Paul and I have been members of the Trust for over 35 years and are delighted to see the steady progress that has been made by so many volunteers giving up their time and their resources. we pay tribute to the trust and we hope that this petition will mobilise the support of local residents and unlock the many benefits of the canal as a working waterway."
The Trustees of the Chesterfield Canal Tust are aware of the petition and are supportive, recognising that such an intiative will open up the debate on the massively positive impact a restored canal will have on Chesterfield and its economy.
At Wednesdays Chesterfield Borough Council meeting this week Councillors Paul Niblock and Keith Falconer are calling on Derbyshire Pension Fund to take urgent action regarding its investments. At the moment the fund has £200Million invested in fossil fuel companies. This is despite the growing clamour for action on climate change issues.
Countless families are facing serious financial hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis. More than a million people have lost their jobs and many more are worried about losing theirs in the weeks and months ahead.
We are also facing big challenges in deep-seated inequality and the climate emergency.
Kate Smith, Lib Dem Candidate for Police and Crime Commissionerwrites
Derbyshire's PCC Hardyal Dhindsa recently highlighted how slowly justice is moving in the county at the moment. But it's not just because of Coronavirus.
Even before the virus crisis, delays of up to 2 years in both Magistrates' and Crown Courts were common. "Hardyal's right, but only up to a point", says Kate - "Covid apart, court resourcing has fallen in real terms by 18 % over the last few years."
So Derbyshire County Council has closed Crow Lane to encourage people to cycle to the hospital. And they have decided to close South Place and Corporation street to vehicles though it is not clear why.
Did you know Derbyshire County Council received funding from the government to support the promotion of cycling and walking facilities. They received £443,000 from the governments Emergency Active Travel Fund to support the installation of temporary projects for the COVID-19 pandemic and a further £1,773,000 for the current financial year for the creation of longer-term projects. I think it would be good to know what and where DCC intend to spend this.
This moment demands not only greater awareness of racial injustice, but swift action.
George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis a month ago today.
Seeing his last few moments and hearing his final words broadcast across the globe has sparked a renewed revulsion at continuing racial injustice and focused attention on the Black Lives Matter movement.
For those of us who do not have to confront racism and discrimination every day in anything we do it has been a long overdue wake up call that we still have work to do to wipe out inequality in this country.
We must make sure we turn this moment into lasting change. It is time to raise awareness, to pursue swift, effective action to end racial injustice.
The government has announced it will hold a review into race inequality. But that is not enough. We need action. We need a Race Equality Strategy for the whole of the United Kingdom - a strategy that does not avoid injustice, but tackles it head on, and defeats it.
We must build a fairer, more equal society. To do that Liberal Democrats will have to take the fight into every area of our society. As we learn more and the campaign grows so too will our policies and the list of actions we need - we defeat racial injustice wherever it lurks in modern Britain.
Ending Suspicion-less Stop and Search
On too many occasions stop and search seems to mean being black is enough to suspect someone of being a criminal.
Based on the latest Home Office figures, a black person is 47 times more likely to be stopped and searched under Section 60 than a white person.
Suspicion-less stop and search not only doesn't work, but the disproportionate impact of these laws undermines police officers' relationships with the communities they serve - the very relationships needed to prevent crime. The Liberal Democrats have introduced a Bill to scrap this flawed, unjust law.
Action for BAME communities being hit hardest by COVID-19
The disproportionate effect that the coronavirus pandemic is having on BAME communities had shone a stark spotlight on racial injustices in Britain today.
The Government must act urgently to address this disproportionate impact on BAME communities, and to solve the deep-seated inequalities and injustices they face.
It is appalling that the Conservatives' discriminatory Hostile Environment policies and their refusal to suspend the 'No Recourse to Public Funds' rule are preventing migrants and other BAME people from accessing the healthcare they need during this pandemic. We have been pushing since the start of the pandemic to get the government to change course on this issue, and provide greater clarity on steps they are taking to support those most vulnerable.
Campaigning to end the Hostile Environment
The Windrush Scandal demonstrated how shamefully people who have every right to live in the UK - disproportionately people from BAME communities - are treated under the Conservatives' Hostile Environment.
Discriminatory government policies wrongly deny people access to NHS treatment, housing and other services.
Innocent people have been made homeless, detained and even deported. The police share personal data with the Home Office, deterring victims and witnesses from coming forward. This has to stop.
The Windrush Scandal should have put an end to the Hostile Environment once and for all. It hasn't. Liberal Democrats will work night and day until we change it.
The Windrush Scandal laid bare the horrifying cruelty of the Conservatives' Hostile Environment.
People who have every right to live in the UK were wrongly denied access to NHS treatment, housing and other services simply because they don't have the right documents to prove it. Many were wrongfully detained and even deported. The way the Government has treated the Windrush Generation - as well as other immigrants and people from BAME backgrounds - is shameful. It is the direct consequence of cruel, discriminatory policies and the toxic culture at the Home Office. Both of those must change.
Pride was spearheaded by black and trans women who put their lives at risk for others.
On the morning of June 28 1969, police raided an underground gay bar in New York city called Stonewall Inn. The raid wasn't unusual but that morning the response was.
This time, as the police got violent, the people in the Stonewall Inn fought back.
