Stephen Robinson News

Friday 00:16

Figures uncovered by Lib Dem Stephen Robinson have revealed that taxpayers will have to pay nearly FOUR times the actual building cost of the Broomfield Hospital extension over the lifetime of the private sector contract. The actual building cost is £148 million but taxpayers will pay £678 million in rent and charges over the 30 year contract.

05-03-2010 03:57

School budgets across the board would be cut if the Conservatives are allowed to implement "unfunded" policies. The figures emerge from a report from independent think-tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson commented: "This report confirms the Conservatives' proposals would be disastrous for thousands of schools, wrecking opportunities for millions of children.

16-02-2010 19:05

Liberal Democrats in Chelmsford have set out plans to bring empty houses back into use, making homes available for people who need them and creating local jobs. Stephen Robinson, who is bidding to be the town's Liberal Democrat MP, commented: "Allowing houses to sit empty whilst families are waiting for a home is nothing short of a scandal. There are 1,551 empty houses in Chelmsford and 18,170 across Essex.

05-02-2010 14:04

Liberal Democrats in Chelmsford have set out plans to bring empty houses back into use, making homes available for people who need them and creating local jobs. Stephen Robinson, who is bidding to be the town's Liberal Democrat MP, commented: "Allowing houses to sit empty whilst families are waiting for a home is nothing short of a scandal. There are 1,551 empty houses in Chelmsford and 18,170 across Essex.

29-01-2010 10:59

Nearly 2,000 pensioners in Chelmsford eligible for special Cold Weather Payments due to the recent weather, are failing to claim the money, according to analysis of government figures by the Liberal Democrats.

21-01-2010 01:53

Traffic on White Hart Lane in Springfield / north east Chelmsford is certain to get worse before it gets better, if housing plans for the area get the go-ahead. The news emerged at a public meeting last night (18 January), following persistent questioning from local residents and Lib Dem campaigner Stephen Robinson.

19-01-2010 15:03

"Vindicated" is a word that describes how the residents of Critchett Terrace must be feeling at present, but that will doubtlessly feel hollow when they look out their bedroom windows. The re-development of the old Jeep Chrysler garage into 42 flats is now there for all to see. A new 5 storey high monster totally overpowers the attractive historic dwellings that now sit in its shadow.

11-01-2010 23:09

Fairness is the value that connects everything the Liberal Democrats want to achieve and will be at the heart of the Party's election manifesto, according to Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg. Chelmsford campaigner Stephen Robinson (aiming to become the local MP) explained that the Lib Dems have four priorities for a fairer Britain: fair taxes; a fair start for every child; fair, clean and local politics; and a fair, green economy with jobs that last.

31-12-2009 15:59

Today's British Medical Journal reveals there has been a large and worrying decline in children's fitness. Commented Norman Lamb MP (Lib Dem Shadow Health Secretary): "Ministers should ensure that the Olympic legacy will help to reverse this disturbing trend." Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson added, "As the parent of a Nintendo Wii fan, I am very aware of the need to limit use of games machines. It's not just about good physical health but also the mental health of the next generation."

12-12-2009 22:15

Commuters making the daily train trip from Chelmsford to London would rather work nearer home, even if that means taking a pay cut. That was the conclusion of research undertaken by Stephen Robinson and Chelmsford Liberal Democrats.

09-12-2009 15:02

Average earners in Chelmsford would receive a £700 a year tax cut, and 4 million people would be taken out of tax altogether, under radical plans published this week. The Lib Dem plans, backed by Chelmsford campaigner Stephen Robinson, would make the tax system fairer.

07-12-2009 13:02

The Government has announcement that National Express is to lose its East Anglia rail franchise three years early affecting services from Chelmsford going south to London and north to Norfolk. Stephen Robinson, Liberal Democrats parliamentary candidate for Chelmsford, said:

01-12-2009 23:10

Average earners would receive a £700 a year tax cut and 4 million people would be taken out of tax altogether, under radical plans published this week. The Lib Dem plans, backed by Chelmsford campaigner Stephen Robinson, would make the tax system fairer.

26-11-2009 14:00

Following the Supreme Court's decision to allow banks to continue charging people for going overdrawn on their accounts, local Liberal Democrat Stephen Robinson is calling for a change in the law to stop rip-off bank charges.

19-11-2009 18:07

This year's Queen's Speech is a political charade that should be dropped in favour of an emergency programme of political reform. It is the only job this rump of a parliament is fit for - according to Stephen Robinson and Chelmsford Liberal Democrats.

14-11-2009 01:51

Dr Vince Cable, Liberal Democrats deputy leader and Shadow Chancellor, has been hearing about the concerns of businesses in Chelmsford. Dr Cable was in Chelmsford to meet local business people together with local Lib Dem candidate Stephen Robinson.

21-10-2009 20:07

Chelmsford Liberal Democrats are one of the key local organisations backing a local Climate Change summit meeting coming up on 4th December. The meeting has a range of key speakers on the subject of what we can do in Chelmsford and is a prelude to the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen the following week.

30-09-2009 16:07

NHS hospitals in Chelmsford collected £1 million in car park charges last year (across Essex £3.5 million and £110m across the country), research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. Local Lib Dem campaigner Stephen Robinson and other residents raised the subject at last night's Hospital Trust AGM.

28-09-2009 11:58

Chelmsford Liberal Democrat Stephen Robinson backed a series of proposals at Lib Dem conference on Tuesday, to make children safer and ease the burden on social workers across the UK. The conference heard that the proposals would help failing authorities like Essex County Council improve their services for the most vulnerable in society.

24-09-2009 15:03

A proposal that Britain should better support its armed services has been passed at the Liberal Democrat conference. Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson persuaded colleagues to extend the commitment to include former service personnel in the proposal.

09-09-2009 17:06

The Government's planning inspector has backed Chelmsford Liberal Democrats and Moulsham Lodge campaigners, who all want to stop Essex County Council selling off the community centre as a private clinic. The inspector has today published his appeal decision, which says the building should be retained as a public hall.

09-09-2009 16:04

Moulsham Lodge residents are urged to write to the Government's planning inspector by 10 July - to urge him NOT to allow their community centre to be sold off. Chelmsford Liberal Democrat campaigner Stephen Robinson and the Moulsham Lodge Centre Action Group have written a letter with a leaflet to local residents across the area, urging them to respond by the deadline.

30-08-2009 19:07

Chelmsford's army of hard-working teachers, care assistants, librarians, social workers and other public servants is being asked to say where they think taxpayers' money can be saved. The Liberal Democrats have launched a website where people who work with taxpayers' money can submit suggestions on how to cut waste in the public sector. Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson has asked local people to get in touch.

30-08-2009 18:06

Senior Conservative MPs have called for a huge hike in MPs' salaries. Douglas Hogg (the MP who charged the taxpayers for "moat cleaning") has suggested a £100,000 salary and Sir Patrick Cormack suggested £130,000. Chelmsford Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Stephen Robinson has condemned the proposals.

05-08-2009 17:03

A fairer society that gives children the best start; creating green jobs; cleaning up politics. These are the top priorities for Chelmsford and Britain outlined today by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP. Stephen Robinson, the Lib Dem working to be Chelmsford's next MP, commented, "When I took Nick to Tanglewood nursery in north Chelmsford last October, he made clear his commitment to giving ALL children the best start in life and we are underlining the importance of that today."

16-07-2009 16:01

The Government's Draft Legislative Programme has been attacked as a big let down for Chelmsford and dishonest to everyone. Stephen Robinson, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, called on both Labour and the Conservatives to come clean about what they would cut to fill the black hole in the nation's finances.

27-06-2009 19:04

On Armed Forces Day, Chelmsford Lib Dem campaigner Stephen Robinson has paid tribute to our armed personnel but said they need action not just warm words. He said, "Our Army, RAF and Naval personnel deserve our respect but they also deserve the best possible support, service conditions and equipment. This applies in service and after they leave. [more...]

11-06-2009 20:33

Chelmsford Liberal Democrat Stephen Robinson is backing Leader Nick Clegg's call to keep MPs hard at work until they have fixed our political system. The Lib Dems are backing a radical reform package that could be enacted within 100 days - and is all about people Taking Back Power - www.takebackpower.org

05-06-2009 06:08

Liberal Democrats are celebrating winning all five county council seats wholly in the Chelmsford parliamentary constituency in the local elections held on 4th June. Councillors Tom Smith-Hughes, Mike Mackrory and Maureen Miller were re-elected, and Jude Deakin and Margaret Hutchon were elected to the county council for the first time.

01-05-2009 00:49

The Government proposal this week for a new prison at Runwell near Chelmsford will not cut crime says Chelmsford Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Stephen Robinson. "Locking up more and more people, only for them to come out and commit more crime, is madness," said Mr Robinson.

13-04-2009 22:00

The Government's VAT cut is benefiting the richest households the most, figures highlighted by the Liberal Democrats have revealed. The richest households will save around £1.2bn from the Government's VAT cut, while the poorest 10% will only save an estimated £360m. Said Chelmsford Lib Dem Candidate Stephen Robinson, "This just confirms that the tiny VAT cut was a waste of our money."

31-03-2009 01:23

The public enquiry into plans for a second runway at Stansted should be abandoned, as air traffic numbers through the airport continue to fall. That was the call from Lib Dem Shadow Transport Secretary Norman Baker MP when he visited the Essex Airport.

08-02-2009 17:12

Extra cash for schools in Chelmsford to boost the education and life chances of thousands of children would be on the cards if the Liberal Democrats get their way. It would mean £47.6 million extra for big improvements to Essex schools and teaching.

08-02-2009 15:10

Extra cash for schools in Chelmsford to boost the education and life chances of thousands of children would be on the cards if the Liberal Democrats get their way. It could be as much as £48,000 per school for big improvements to schools and teaching.

06-01-2009 14:39

The latest victim of the cutbacks in footpath maintenance is local Councillor Ros Webb. She tripped and injured herself on uneven block paving in Market Square, Chelmsford town centre.

04-12-2008 01:33

Chelmsford's train operator National Express East Anglia has announced that it is removing the restaurant car and call centre jobs from for its service in East Anglia. One of the Lib Dem MPs (who regularly uses the line) has joined Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson in attacking the decision. Norman Lamb MP said: "This line is already a second-class service in many respects."

02-12-2008 12:58

Following ATOC's announcement of a 6% increase in the cost of regulated fares for January 2008, the Liberal Democrats have demanded a freeze on rail fares and called for the planned rail fares increases for January to be abandoned.

01-12-2008 19:18

Opposition MPs locked up; massive database of all your personal details; ContactPoint - a database of all children in the UK; more CCTV cameras than any other country in the western world; and the DNA from millions of innocent adults and children stored on computer. "This is Labour's police state in Britain today," said Chelmsford Liberal Democrat Stephen Robinson, following the arrest of Damian Green MP "and only the Liberal Democrats can be relied upon to stand up for the British people's hard-won freedoms."

26-11-2008 16:38

The Chancellor should have cut income tax to make the tax system permanently fairer, say the Liberal Democrats. There is no VAT on food, children's clothes and some other things; it is low on domestic fuel and petrol duty has gone up. So the VAT cut has little impact on the least well off. "The UK tax system is already unfair and Labour have made it worse!", said Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson. Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable MP explains:

11-11-2008 11:48

Local Lib Dem candidate Stephen Robinson visited the Greenpeace ship 'Rainbow Warrior', when stationed at Southend. It was part of the campaign to persuade Gordon Brown to 'give coal the boot' by rejecting proposals for a new coal-fired station at Kingsnorth in Kent.

11-11-2008 11:48

Less than half of local residents are satisfied with the speed at which potholes are fixed or with the quality of the repairs. These are the findings of a review of Essex County council's highways maintenance initiative from the Conservative-led administration.

11-11-2008 11:48

Chelmsford Liberal Democrats' campaigning success has been recognised by the party at a regional level, as they picked up an award for Membership Development at the Liberal Democrats' East of England Liberal Democrat Conference. The local party in Chelmsford have increased their membership by around 20% since the start of the year, thanks to regular recruiting sessions.

11-11-2008 11:48

Stephen Robinson and Chelmsford Lib Dems were (for the fifth year running) the only political group present at the Anglia Ruskin Freshers' Fair. The Liberal Democrats picked up a lot of interest in their campaigns and youth & student group.

11-11-2008 11:48

The national campaign to end child poverty was joined last Saturday by Chelmsford Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Stephen Robinson. He took part in a campaign march to a rally in Trafalgar Square to back the aim of abolishing child poverty by 2020.

11-11-2008 11:48

Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson joined environment spokesman Steve Webb MP and other Lib Dems from around the country in the campaign against widespread use of plastic bags. This follows on from the petition launched by Stephen and the motion to the borough council from Cllr Chris Rycroft.

11-11-2008 11:48

Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable MP has called on the government to do more to protect those at risk of repossession in the current economic climate. Dr Cable's proposals include introducing regulated Mortgage Rescue Schemes. These would allow families struggling with repayments to sell all or part of the equity in their house, and then rent it back from a housing association or private firm to help keep them in their home

11-11-2008 11:48

Chelmsford residents have been contacting local Liberal Democrats to register their concerns over the future of the Post Office Card Account (POCA). The current contract runs out in 2010 and the Government will soon choose a successor, prompting fears that the Post Office will not be awarded the new contract.

31-10-2008 18:09

How can the European Union (EU) help resolve the economic crisis; and what does the future hold for the EU if the Lisbon Treaty is not approved? These issues will be addressed at a public meeting on Saturday 8th November at 4.00pm at the Millennium Centre, Baddow Road, Great Baddow, Chelmsford. It will be addressed by Bill Rammell MP and Stephen Robinson.

22-10-2008 13:38

Government plans to test children as young as three years old have been criticised by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP. He was visiting Tanglewood nursery school in Chelmsford with local Lib Dem candidate Stephen Robinson.

20-10-2008 19:02

Chelmsford Lib Dem candidate Stephen Robinson has welcomed the Lib Dem package of measures to help people in the current downturn. These include: significant tax cuts for low and middle earners; help for housing and people in debt; cutting energy bills, and an end to 'short-termism' in the city.