It has been a good year for Lib Dems locally. Just look at how well we performed in the local elections here in Bassetlaw with an increase in our vote. We also have one of the fastest growing local parties in the region. We still have a long way to go but we are beginning to build momentum. One sign that we have the local Labour Party rattled is that they have taken to throwing insults at me rather than trying to debate issues.

We have been successful in our campaign for a bus station for Worksop although we still are waiting to see the detailed plans. We hope to repeat this success with our campaign for Town Councils in Retford & Worksop; even though the Labour party seem to think those that live in these towns do not have the intelligence to run them.

We are looking at running a full slate of candidates in the County elections in May so if you are willing to stand, please let Peter or myself know as soon as possible. If you can't be a candidate, we could use your help in other ways during the campaign so please get in contact, there will be something you can do to help

Nationally, as a party we are still need to up our game in the media although there are signs that the antipathy to us is beginning to change. We all need to work hard at reminding our friends of how much we have achieved in the last two and a half years as if we don't, no one else will. No one seems to notice that in local by-elections across the country we are winning seats from both Labour & Tories, which shows that ordinary people do understand how important it is to have strong Lib Dem groups on local councils.

The Tories, both nationally and locally, are now being seen to be in disarray. Nationally the Tories are scared of losing votes to UKIP, our own version of the American Tea Party (just as potty and with just as many unrealistic and downright dangerous policies). This has made Cameron not just veer to the right but seem to try to execute a sharp right turn and drag the coalition with him. Luckily the Lib Dems are able to stop most of the right-wing, dangerous, ideas but we are unable to block all of them.

Locally, here in Bassetlaw the Tory party is in complete disarray. Since being routed at the Council Elections in May, most of them seem to have taken a vow of silence and don't seem very capable of being an effective opposition to Labour.

As for Labour, until their national leadership is prepared to hold their hands up to the mistakes they made when in office, mistakes that directly led to the financial disaster that we have been suffering from for the last few years, mistakes the two Eds (Miliband & Balls) were directly responsible for when they were advisers to Gordon Brown at the Treasury, mistakes that Vince Cable pointed out to them at the time, then they do not deserve even to be considered as an alternative government to the Coalition.

In the years since the General Election, instead of putting forward constructive alternatives as to how to get the economy out of the mess the left it in ("..there is no money left" to quote Liam Burn, the last Labour Chief Secretary to the Treasury), all they have done is to oppose schemes that have tried to reduce the deficit while proposing schemes that will increase it.

Locally, we have seen a palace coup in the Labour Group to remove Graham Oxby as leader and replace him with Simon Greaves. Unfortunately, Cllr Greaves doesn't seem to be much of an improvement as the Labour Administration here in Bassetlaw still doesn't seem to be able to get a grip on many of the issues that affect local people.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and I look forward to working with you to help put Bassetlaw Lib Dems into County Hall

Leon Duveen

Treasurer & Campaign Manager - Bassetlaw Liberal Democrats