Richard Brett's press statement - "LEEDS - A CITY TO ENJOY"

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 24th Apr 2010

Launching the Liberal Democrats' 2010 City Council manifesto on Saturday, 24 April, Group Leader Councillor Richard Brett said:

"We are publishing a formidable manifesto for this year's City Council elections. There is an understandable concern that the local elections will play second fiddle to the parliamentary struggle and we want to assert the importance to Leeds of who controls its City Council.

"The manifesto sees Leeds as a vibrant city with lively neighbourhoods, fantastic volunteering networks and a strong tradition of artistic expression, all of which are fostered by the Liberal Democrats' vision for Leeds. We believe that Leeds is a city for everyone to enjoy.

"The Liberal Democrats' leadership of the city has brought considerable advances in services despite the harsh economic pressures of recent years. Service centres under construction in Chapeltown and Harehills will bring together a wide range of local services, the leisure centres coming on stream in Armley and Morley will provide state of the arts services, five new schools have been opened in the past two years, considerable additional resources have been invested in social services, including the Independent Living Project, plans are underway for the first council houses for thirty years, the new City Museum has been a tremendous success and equal pay has been brought in for all council employees.

"This manifesto puts the case for a strong Liberal Democrat administration at the Civic Hall and I want every citizen to read it and to vote for Liberal Democrat candidates in every Leeds ward."

Copies of the manifesto are available from Leeds Liberal Democrat Headquarters, Wainwright House, 12 Holt Park Centre, Leeds LS16 7SR. Tel: (0113) 226 6519 or

info@leedslibdems.org.uk