http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from Highland Liberal Democrats en-GB Highland Liberal Democrats http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2010 Highland Liberal Democrats 2010-03-11T18:42+00:00 United Kingdom http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000267/banks_need_to_act_with_the_grain_of_society_to_create_a_sustainable_society_thurso.html Speaking today at the Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference, John Thurso MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Business called for a radical change in the way the UK economy works with an end to the economy's unsustainable reliance on finance for economic growth. 2010-03-06T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000265/kennedy_backs_move_for_sleeper_booking_overhaul.html Ross, Skye & Lochaber MP today urged party colleagues at their annual conference gathering in Perth to support moves to secure the future of the sleeper, and to improve the flawed booking system which makes it 'virtually impossible' for many 2010-03-06T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000268/thurso_leads_criticism_over_rescued_banks.html Far North MP and Liberal Democrat Business spokesman John Thurso led a wave of criticism from all parties over the Government's failure to secure credit from the rescued banks at BIS questions today stating: 2010-03-04T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000264/alexander_presses_minister_for_fair_fuel_deal_for_highlands.html Local MP Danny Alexander today joined other Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs in pressing DECC Minister David Kidney for desperately needed help for households in remote and rural areas struggling to pay their fuel bills. 2010-03-03T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000263/opening_of_the_byre_furniture_shop_breathes_new_life_into_strothers_lane.html Inverness MP Danny Alexander today carried out the opening of The Byre, a quality independent furniture shop on the city's Strothers Lane. 2010-02-26T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000261/government_must_get_banks_lending_for_firms_to_invest_in_recovery_says_thurso.html "Banks are failing to meet their lending commitments, starving businesses of capital needed for investment," said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Business Secretary. 2010-02-25T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000260/kennedy_urges_sense_over_gaeltec_liquidation_threat.html Ross, Skye & Lochaber MP Charles Kennedy has today urged the Secretary of State for Scotland to intervene in the case of a Dunvegan-based business, Gaeltec Ltd, facing liquidation at the hands of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. 2010-02-24T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000262/mp_slams_high_handed_actions_of_lloyds_banking_group_as_it_ends_charities_deal.html Local MP John Thurso accused Lloyds Banking Group of "intimidation on a grand scale" today as the bank announced it intends to end the funding deal with the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland which has distributed millions of pounds to Scottish charities over the years. 2010-02-24T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000259/superfast_broadband_cannot_be_left_to_market_alone__alexander.html Local MP Danny Alexander has criticised today's BIS Select Committee report on broadband which argues that the focus should be on providing basic broadband for all and allowing markets to deliver higher speed broadband - rather than putting a funding mechanism in place to support superfast broadband roll-out in rural areas. 2010-02-23T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000258/lib_dem_candidate_questions_rationale_behind_locations_for_rural_affairs_committee.html Highland Liberal Democrat Candidate Alan MacRae has written to the Maureen Watt (SNP) the chair of the Rural Affairs Committee asking why the west of Scotland has no scheduled meetings of the committee to consider the Crofting Reform Bill. 2010-02-18T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000257/highland_lib_dems_urge_action_over_loch_ness_layby.html Highland Lib Dems today called for urgent action by Transport Scotland to reinstate a Loch Ness side lay-by and view point. 2010-02-18T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000266/climate_needs_to_be_fought_at_a_community_level_too__thurso.html Local MP John Thurso was delighted to be invited to visit the Alness Transition Town Group this week during Parliament's recess. The group is involved in tackling climate change by reducing our carbon foot print at a community level. Projects include anything from making people aware of how they can save their fuel bills by improving the insulation on their homes to using allotments to grow produce locally and educate people on the carbon foot print of their food wherever it is grown. 2010-02-17T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000255/forum_shows_city_unity_in_demand_for_bypass__alexander.html A community wide forum on the Inverness bypass, hosted at the Town House last night by local MP Danny Alexander, showed that the City is united in demanding that the bypass be completed. 2010-02-16T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000256/macrae_calls_on_snp_transport_minister_to_get_a_grip_on_transerv.html Highland Liberal Democrat candidate Alan MacRae has called on Scotland 's Transport Minister to get a grip of TranServ and to force it to abide by the terms of its contract. 2010-02-15T00:00+00:00 http://highlandlibdems.org.uk/news/000254/mp_welcomes_government_concession_on_rural_fuel_investigation.html After pressure from Highlands and Islands MPs in a Commons debate this morning, the Treasury agreed that officials will carry out a formal study of the operation of fuel duty discount schemes in other countries. 2010-02-10T00:00+00:00