Essex County Council's recycling target of 60% by 2021 is not ambitious enough, says the opposition Liberal Democrat group. ECC is consulting the public on the Waste Disposal Document and the Lib Dems are calling for a minimum recycling target of 70%.

The Lib Dems claim that the Conservatives' lower figure of 60% means that the massive waste management factory at Basildon will have a larger capacity than is necessary. The Lib Dems say that the need to feed the factory will remove the incentive to increase recycling.

The Lib Dems also raise concerns about the environmental damage and highway congestion caused by the huge number of journeys across Essex made by large lorries transporting all the residual waste to Basildon.

Cllr. Mike Mackrory, Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems, said, "We have consistently argued over the years that the recycling rates were not set high enough and each time we have been proved right. The Council must be more ambitious with its target and alternatives for transporting waste - like rail - must be considered. Otherwise real damage will be caused to the environment."

Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg has today urged his Government colleagues to cut taxes for low and middle earners faster than planned. In a speech today he said that "the pressure on family finances is reaching boiling point".

The Liberal Democrats believe you should keep more of the money that you earn. The tax-free threshold should rise to £10,000 from £7,475, saving working people £700 a year since the Lib Dems came to Government, and making sure millions of the lowest paid workers don't have to pay any income tax at all.

The future of post offices across the country has been secured by Government action, funding and a new agreement between Royal Mail and the Post Office. Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson, who campaigned alongside Cllr. Tom Smith-Hughes and others to save local Post Offices welcomed the news. He said, "This demonstrates the Lib Dem commitment to ensure a sustainable future for Royal Mail and Post Offices.

"Post Offices are a vital part of our communities and are visited by over 20 million people every week. Under past Conservative and Labour governments the service suffered, with thousands closing. Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government have stopped closures and put Royal Mail and the Post Office on a secure footing."

Vince Cable MP has announced plans to curb excessive pay amongst top company bosses. Lib Dem Dr Cable, the Secretary of State for Business, said that Government shareholders will be given more powers to block excessive pay proposals and payments for failure. Companies will also be encouraged to increase diversity on their boards, and will have to justify high salaries. Details here.

New rules to tackle the growing mountain of hazardous electronic waste have been voted through by Euro-MPs. TVs, mobile phones, computers and other electrical equipment are the UK's fastest growing waste stream, with more than one million tonnes generated annually.

Despite already existing EU laws, only about one third of e-waste is currently disposed of in an accountable and sustainable way. The rest is either dumped in landfills or shipped - often illegally- to non-EU countries.

UK Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies, who negotiated the original EU legislation on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), said:

This morning, Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg spoke of a growing consensus that we need a more sustainable economy; a more balanced economy, where rewards are proportionate and relate to real success. In his speech at Mansion House he said:-

That consensus, emerging among the political parties, has attracted a little cynicism.

Has Labour joined the real world or not? Labour's leader and their Shadow Chancellor appear to now be backing Government plans for spending cuts. But are they? Stephen Williams MP, Lib Dem backbench Treasury spokesman, commented, "Ed Miliband is confused and inconsistent. He now says that he supports Government cuts, having spent the last 18 months opposing and voting against almost every single one.

"He says he wants to clamp down on vested interests while his party is bankrolled by the unions, and end crony capitalism when it was his Government that let the banks run riot and allowed corporate pay to spiral.

"But most notably he still refuses to admit that Labour got it wrong on the economy.

"While Ed Miliband talks, Liberal Democrats are cleaning up Labour's mess and delivering in Government what we championed for years in opposition.

"We're cutting taxes for the lowest earners, protecting pensioners and giving every child a fair start through the pupil premium, whilst targeting unfairness at the top by clamping down on tax avoidance, corporate pay and hitting the banks with a £2.5bn bank levy."

Liberals in Government from across Europe met in London this week at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. He asserted the importance of European countries working together. Attendees included Government Leaders, Ministers, Party Leaders and European Commissioners from Liberal Democratic parties across Europe.

Labour leader Ed Miliband spoke today about the need to 'deliver fairness in tough times'. Lib Dem President, Tim Farron MP commented, "While Ed Miliband talks about it, Liberal Democrats have been doing it.

"Labour hit the poorest workers by scrapping the 10p tax rate; Liberal Democrats have lifted a million of the poorest workers out of tax altogether and given 23m workers a £200 tax cut.

"Labour insulted pensioners with the 75p pensions rise; Liberal Democrats raised it by £4.50 this year and will raise it by £5.30 next year.

"Labour let the banks do as they please; Liberal Democrats hit them with a £2.5bn a year tax.

"But the most unfair thing Labour did was wreck the economy and Ed Miliband is still in denial about it. Liberal Democrats in the Coalition are determined to do the right thing by cleaning up Labour's mess and making Britain a fairer, greener and more liberal country."

The Prime Minster has stated his aim of clamping down on pay for company bosses. The Lib Dem Backbench spokesman on Business and Skills, Lorely Burt MP said: "I'm very pleased the Prime Minister has come on board with Liberal Democrats plans to clamp down on executive pay. Liberal Democrats have been calling for action against this explosion in salaries and bonuses for years. Now we are delivering on it in Government.

"People who work hard, pay their taxes and play by the rules are rightly outraged that those at the top can pay themselves as much as they like, whether their company is doing well or not. It is unfair, unacceptable and has been allowed to continue under successive governments for too long.

"Vince Cable has already made clear that he would like to see more action on this, such as giving shareholders a binding vote on pay packets. We look forward to the Coalition doing the right thing and bringing forward concrete proposals to ensure an end to these unethical practices once and for all."