Derby City Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrats in Derby are celebrating after winning more seats and more votes in this year's local elections than they did in 2011.

Derby Lib Dems won 3 wards compared to two last year. They missed out on winning a 4th seat in Arboretum ward by just 14 votes.

Leader of Derby Liberal Democrat councillors Hilary Jones said "These results show the Liberal Democrats are still a major force in Derby politics.

"Morale amongst Lib Dem members was much higher this year and our campaigners worked hard for every vote."

Amongst the positive results for the Lib Dems this time were; winning Mickleover with a majority of 326, a ward won by the Conservatives last year.

The Lib Dems secured huge swings of over 10% from Labour in the Abbey and Normanton wards compared to last year.

The Lib Dems also tripled their vote in the Labour stronghold of Derwent going from 9% and fourth place last year to 27% and second place this year.

A leading Derby Liberal Democrat has welcomed news that action is being taken to tackle rising energy bills.

Millions of people are facing increasing energy bills but the confusing number of different tariffs mean the best deal is difficult to find. To help people make the right choices, Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has announced a landmark deal with the major energy suppliers so they let people know every year what the cheapest deal is.

Local Liberal Democrats have welcomed the launch of the £1bn Youth Contract today.

The Youth Contract was announced last year by Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg to tackle youth unemployment.

The Youth Contract aims to ensure that all jobless young people are earning or learning again before long-term damage is done.

In Derby 2,745 18 to 24-year olds are currently in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance and would stand to benefit from the Youth Contract.

The Youth Contract will provide at least 410,000 new work places for 18 to 24-year olds into work over the next three years. This includes 160,000 wage subsidies and 250,000 new work experience placements.

A new programme to will help 16 and 17-year olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs).

This will help the most disengaged of the 6,000 Neets in the East Midlands get back to school or college, onto an apprenticeship or into a job with training.

In addition, there will be at least 20,000 more incentive payments to encourage employers to take on young apprentices in England .

Commenting, Leader of Derby Liberal Democrats Cllr Hilary Jones said:

"In these difficult times Liberal Democrats are doing the right thing and making sure we help those who need it most.

"If young people are out of work, the consequences of that will be felt for a long time afterwards. We have to ensure that the young people of today do not have a false start to their careers.

"The Youth Contract will help those who need it most through advice, support, training and by giving people in Derby the experience necessary to be successful in the work place.

"While we're clearing up the economic mess that Labour left behind, the Coalition Government is ensuring that our children do not bear the consequences of Labour's mistakes.

"As a Liberal Democrat, I am proud that the Coalition Government is doing the right thing to prevent another lost generation."

Commenting further, Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg said:

`"Youth unemployment is a slow-burn social disaster and an economic waste.

"We can't lose the skills and talent of our young people - right when we need them most. We need the next generation to help us build a new economy.

"The aim of the Youth Contract is to get every unemployed young person earning or learning again before long-term damage is done, giving them the skills for a lifetime of work.

"This is a £1bn package and it will get young people into proper, lasting jobs."

Liberal Democrats in Derby have welcomed today's budget announcement that from next year, the Income Tax threshold will be raised further, ensuring that no one pays any Income Tax on the first £9,200 they earn.

In Derby that means that from next year 6,580 people in Derby will have been lifted out of paying Income Tax all together since 2010. It will also mean more than 87,000 people in Derby will receive a £220 Income Tax cut next April. This is on top of Income Tax cuts of £200 last year and a further £130 Income Tax cuts coming next month.

Over 20 million working people will be better off next year after Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government delivered the biggest ever increase in the income tax personal allowance in the Budget.

The massive £3.5bn tax cut for working people delivers:

• The biggest ever single uplift in the tax threshold
• A personal allowance of £9,205 in April 2013
• 21 million working people getting an extra £220 tax cut
• Brings the total tax cut for basic rate tax payers to £550
• Brings the total number of people lifted out of tax to 2 million.

Cllr Hilary Jones, the Liberal Democrat's leader on Derby City Council, has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne urging him to cut Income Tax for people on middle and low incomes.

Hilary Jones has joined with Liberal Democrat council group leaders across the country to urge the Chancellor to speed up raising the Income the tax threshold, so that people do not have to pay Income Tax on the first £10,000 they earn.

In Derby, 10,863 homes received free loft or cavity wall insulation since 2008, figures reveal.

Under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) energy companies are obliged to help households in Englandand Wales reduce their use of electricity and gas to lower their carbon emissions.

Suppliers are required to concentrate at least 40% of their activity on vulnerable and low-income households, such as people over 70.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg used his speech to the Party's Spring conference in NewcastleGateshead to call for the forthcoming budget to be a "budget for fairness" and pledged that it would help working familes.

The Deputy Prime Minister pledged that by 2015 Britain would have seen an end to control orders, the first gay marriages and the first elections to the House of Lords.