The Polling Station for residents in and around Angel Meadow needs to be changed.

Currently residents have to walk up Rochdale Road to Abbot Community Primary School to vote. This acts a disincentive to vote and consequently Angel Meadow, and its surrounding streets have one of the lowest turnouts across the whole city at around 12%.

Manchester City Council have recently announced spending of £9.1million to 'upgrade' Great Ancoats Street but completely ignores the desires of residents, communters, and visitors who want safe cycling routes along and across this major road. It also ignores the promises Labour made in their 2018 manifesto to implement Chris Boardman's Made to Move report to prioritse integrated walking and cycling https://tfgm.com/made-to-move/publications

The prospect of opening up the NHS to American business practice is just another reason to fight to remain in the EU!

American President, Donald Trump, has stated at a news conference with the Prime Minister today that in any post Brexit trade negotiations everything, including the NHS 'will be on the table.

Manchester Liberal Democrats environment spokesperson, Dr Jackie Pearcey, has welcomed moves today led by Liberal Democrats MP Wera Hobhouse calling for an end to fracking because of its adverse impact on the environment and its incompatibility with tackling the climate crisis.

After gaining her PhD Jackie Pearcey took part in a project to work out what would happen with long-term nuclear waste repositories under various points in the North of England and told us that "The problem was that the ground water would always get in and would always get up to the surface. Fracking will contaminate the groundwater and this will get to the surface."

Graham Stringer last night voted with Theresa May's government to prevent parliament from taking steps to prevent a no-deal Brexit by extending the article 50 negotiating period in order to agree an alternative deal with the EU. The former Manchester City Council Leaser joined with other veteran Eurosceptics Kate Hoey, and Dennis Skinner and 11 other Labour MP's in voting down Yvette Cooper's amendment by 321 votes to 298.

Liberal Democrrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Blackley and Broughton, Iain Donaldson, has again slated the Constituency's Labour MP for once more backing Theresa's May's worst option deal on Brexit.

Iain told Manchester FOCUS that "Despite oppinion polls showing that remain has substantially overtaken Brexit in Blackley and Broughton, Mr Stringer still clings to his belief that Brexit is good for Britain."

Manchester Opposition Leader John Leech has slammed Jeremy Corbyn's claims that he will tackle the Syrian refugee crisis as Labour's flagship council continues to reject them.

I was always tempted to have a first-hand experience of the LibDem national party conference, and this year I finally made it.

My overall verdict is: my schedule during those 2 days became so packed, and I got more than what I anticipated.

It was a dynamic and busy weekend with a lot going on. The guidebooks filled with all sort of events. There are a lot of things going on: debates on policies, fringe sessions, trainings and others. On top of it, there are Easter eggs in the conference because there are a lot of events which are not mentioned in the guidebook/agenda.

Yesterday was Bi Visibility Day. Our Chair, Jennie, wrote a piece for Liberal Democrat Voice, reproduced here:

Today we are marking the twentieth annual Bi Visibility day, which aims to raise the profile and visibility of bisexual people within our society - a society which so often overlooks them. Whilst great progress has been made in advancing rights and acceptance for gay and lesbian people (although of course, there is more to be done), bisexual people often suffer from assumptions based on the gender of their current (or last) partner and the prejudices of their peers. Media portrayals can trivialise their experiences, treat them as curiosities, or suggest that their sexual appetites are greedy and promiscuous. In such a climate, young bisexuals can feel pressured to "pick a side" and this is part of the reason why bi people suffer from far worse rates of mental illness than either gay or straight people. On top of this, the needs of bisexuals are often overlooked in the provision of health and social services.

I'm often asked why I first joined the Liberal Democrats and I have often answered with the word 'Brexit'. But whilst it was true that devastating result of the EU Referendum in 2016 was the catalyst for me joining the party, it really encompasses many wider issues that I wish to make a stand against.