"The tragic loss of 72 lives in the Grenfell fire was a dark moment for our country and the cladding scandal that emerged emboldened me to stand up for the rights of all those living in unsafe buildings," writes Lib Dem Peer Kath Pinnock.

That event also was a lightning rod for the wider public and put a sharp focus on the quality of housing that many people live in - particularly in more densely populated urban areas.

A call for real action in Essex (especially in schools) to combat violence against women and girls has been rejected. Essex Lib Dems tabled a motion at the County Council meeting on 13 July. The Conservatives pushed through an amendment that patted themselves on the back for (limited) actions to date, added vague generalities and removed all the action points that would affect education.

Conservative MPs - including Children's Minister and Chelmsford MP Vicky Ford - have broken their 2019 manifesto pledge by voting to cut overseas aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of national income. Former Conservative Prime Minister John Major criticised the decision, saying, "The Government has blatantly broken its word, and should be ashamed of its decision."

On Thursday 17 June the Liberal Democrats gained a 25% swing in Chesham and Amersham to elect Sarah Green as MP. On that swing, the Lib Dems would easily win in Chelmsford.

The Lib Dems struck at the heart of the Conservatives' blue wall and took one of their safest seats. Liberal Democrats showed that they are a force to be reckoned with and a serious and credible opposition to this Conservative Government.

The planning application for a Lidl supermarket in Springfield has been refused, protecting the land from development. The proposal came as a shock to local residents and councillors alike, because the land is designated as Open Space in Chelmsford's recently-adopted Local Plan.

Members of the Planning Committee unanimously accepted all reasons for refusal outlined by officers and noted that development would breach Local and National Planning Policy. They agreed that loss of open space on the scale proposed and the impact of development would be devastating to biodiversity and could not be compensated for elsewhere.

Imagine a train pulls into Chelmsford station one evening. It's late, people are tired after a long day.

A white man leaves the train and starts walking home. He's thinking to himself about what he might have for dinner, listening to some music.

Next to him, a black man walks home. He knows people who've been stopped and searched by the police. Is he going to get to go straight home, or will he get held up, searched and questioned?

Essex Liberal Democrats have been campaigning alongside local residents to support our local community libraries.

After a massive campaign in 2018, Conservative-run Essex County Council put their plans to close a third of Essex libraries on hold. The county council pledged not to close any more libraries for five years.

Roads and pavement repairs need a radical overhaul. Too many people risk injury and discomfort because of the way Conservative-run Essex County Council manages our highways.

Lib Dems have long campaigned for action to repair roads and pavements. They voted to amend the budget to invest more in pavement repairs. However, the Conservatives instead voted to CUT the maintenance budget by £2.5 million for 2021-22.