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The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.

Watford Parliamentary Constituency covers all of the Watford Borough Council area and a part of Three Rivers District Council. The Liberal Democrats currently control both Watford Borough Council and Three Rivers District Council with substantial majorities.

In 2002, Dorothy Thornhill was elected as the first directly elected Mayor of Watford. She was re-elected in 2006 with over 50% of the vote. At the 2005 General Election, Liberal Democrat Sal Brinton came within 1,100 of unseating the Labour MP and becoming MP for Watford.

The Liberal Democrats continue to campaign across Watford for local people. With more councillors than both Labour and the Conservatives put together, the Liberal Democrats are the clear challengers in the Watford constituency at this General Election.

Call us on 01923 606234 or email us at info@watfordlibdems.org.uk

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Recent updates

  • Constitutional Affairs Committee reiterates demand for electoral reform
    Article: Jan 26, 2012

    A pan-European constituency with transnational lists for European Parliament elections is among the proposals put forward by the Constitutional Affairs Committee on Thursday. MEPs called on the Council and the Commission to join in negotiations to reform the EU electoral system so as to boost voter turnouts.

  • MEPs elected on transnational basis would strengthen European democracy
    Article: Jan 26, 2012

    The Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) today adopted by a large majority (17 votes against 7 and 1 abstention) the report of Andrew DUFF (LibDem, UK) to amend the European electoral system. The symbolic element of the report consists of 25 deputies elected in a single European constituency on the basis of transnational lists.

    Andrew Duff, ALDE coordinator in AFCO, said: "This report is the result of a compromise but a compromise useful for the emergence of an EU-wide democracy. Now every citizen will have two ballots in hand. He can vote for his/her national list and for a transnational list to further strengthen his preference. This being said, I hope his preference will be for pro-Europeans MEPs. This system will also require a review of the allocation of seats in Parliament so that the demographic reality of the EU, calculated by Eurostat before each election, is given more consideration. "

    Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE group leader and member of the AFCO Committee, said: "Now the ball is in the Council's court. The election of transnational deputies clearly meets a need to further politicise the European debate. Europe needs politicians who are fully committed to the emergence of a political union. Member states have to take their responsibility: Do they want to see the emergence of a European participatory democracy or do they prefer to retain a system that promotes confrontation between nation states ? "

    After approval by plenary (possibly in March), the report amending the 1976 Act on Election of Members of European Parliament by universal suffrage will be forwarded to the Council under the relevant TEU Article.
  • Parliament Stalls On Czech Protocol On Charter Of Fundamental Rights
    Article: Jan 26, 2012

    Today in the Constitutional Affairs Committee a tied vote (11-11) meant that no decision was taken on Andrew Duff's report which recommended that the EU does not agree to the request of the former government of the Czech Republic to add a Protocol on the Charter to the Treaty of Lisbon.

    The Czech Protocol was conceived in 2009 in order to persuade President Klaus to sign the Lisbon treaty. Mr Duff argues that an identical Protocol signed by the UK and Poland is a spurious and futile instrument which sows legal uncertainty and political confusion. He is supported in this view by the European Court of Justice and by the Czech Senate which threatens not to ratify the Czech Protocol.

  • Parliament Asked To Reject New Czech Protocol To Lisbon Treaty On Charter Of Fundamental Rights
    Article: Jan 24, 2012

    In a report to be voted on by the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament this Thursday (26 January), MEPs are recommended not to agree to the request of the former government of theCzechRepublicto add a Protocol to the Treaty of Lisbon. The draft Protocol was agreed by the heads of government at the time of the ratification of theLisbontreaty in 2009 in order to persuade President Vaclav Klaus to drop his opposition to the treaty. The Czech Parliament never agreed to the Protocol.

  • Federalists to petition Parliament on fiscal union
    Article: Jan 23, 2012

    At meetings in Barcelona on Friday and Saturday (20-21 January), the European federalists took a stance on the emerging intergovernmental treaty on fiscal discipline.

    The UEF took note of the circumstances which led up to the drafting of a new treaty outside the framework of the European Union, but welcomed the fact that the British bluff had been called and their veto by-passed.

  • Duff calls for change to Parliament election procedure
    Article: Jan 18, 2012

    Andrew Duff (ALDE/UK), who is Parliament's rapporteur on electoral reform, has triggered a revision of the Parliament's own rules for its internal elections. He has written to newly-elected President Schulz to propose a change to the Single Transferable Vote (STV).

    In his letter to the President, Duff says:

  • EU rule breakers left with egg on their faces over battery hens
    Article: Jan 18, 2012

    Lib Dems have been given assurances from the European Commission that countries which do not comply with new welfare rules for laying hens will be closely investigated and, if appropriate, taken to court.

    Under intense political pressure from Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, the Commission confirmed its commitment to put in place infringement procedures as of January 2012.

  • Andrew Duff welcomes £800K EU investment in renewable energy infrastructure in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
    Article: Jan 17, 2012

    Andrew Duff, Lib Dem Euro-MP for Cambridgeshire welcomed the decision of the County Council to invest in the renewable energy infrastructure across the county. The EU grant of £800,000 will be geared to help provide over £18 million of investment across the County.

    The EU-funded project Mobilising Local Energy Investments in Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough will set up delivery vehicles to manage the scale of infrastructure delivery above, including an energy services company that can commission, design, build and manage new energy generating schemes (community scale and larger), and a special purpose vehicle to support delivery of large scale retrofit in public assets which will reduce their costs of operation.

  • Decision of BASF to move Scientific Research from Europe to USA 'A Strategic Mistake'
    Article: Jan 17, 2012

    BASF have announced that they are to relocate their plant science research hub from Europe to theUnited States. Lib Dem Euro-MP Andrew Duff says he regrets the decision of a leading European Science Companies to move to theUSA.

    Mr Duff said "Until we intensify research into GM we will be unable as a society to take informed decisions about the future of plant biotechnology. GM science offers the prospect of long-term solutions to problems of disease, drought, nutrition and food insecurity."

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