Local people from Pennington to Pilley are ready for a new, positive Council – one that takes the views and opinions of local Councillors seriously.

After 20 years under a Conservative Council, you have a chance to replace this tired and out of touch administration with a better administration. In May, the choice is between a Conservative Councillor, who will defend the status quo, and Jack Davies, who will deliver Real Change and help to make Hampshire democratic again.

Local people want to see their values and priorities reflected in the decisions that the County Council takes, and the Liberal Democrats share that vision. The Liberal Democrat plan for Hampshire will see the Committee system of decision-making replace the undemocratic Cabinet system favoured by the Conservatives.

The current Leader and Cabinet system places all the power in the hands of a select few; taking power away from local people. Whereas a Committee System will give equal decision-making power to all Councillors.

For example, if a decision is to be taken on funding for Children’s Centres with a Leader and a Cabinet system, the Cabinet member for Children’s Services gets all the power to decide. Unsurprisingly, when the decision was made by Hampshire County County Council to scrap all but 1 of the New Forest’s Children’s Centres, that Cabinet member was Councillor Keith Mans, County Councillor for Lyndhurst. Mr Mans’ division of Lyndhurst, which did not have a Children’s Centre, was not affected by the decision.

With a Committee System, that decision would have been made by a group of Councillors representing many different areas of Hampshire. These Councillors would know how that decision would affect the people living within the communities they represent.

So on May 4th, you can help deliver Real Change in Lymington and Boldre by voting Liberal Democrat. You will make Hampshire’s leadership represent you again.