Cllr Russell Field has expressed his disappointment that Parliament has agreed to extend pre-charge detention for terror suspects to 42 days, with the votes of the Democratic Unionist party.

Russell said, “The government has not yet made the case for 28 day detention, why is this needed?  They are playing games with civil liberties and it is not acceptable.   It is crazy that in the UK people can be detained for 6 weeks without charge when France, Spain, Germany, Russia and the United States do not see the need for such laws in their countries.”

Russell has welcomed David Davies’s decision to resign and fight a by-election and that Nick Clegg has pledged not to oppose him on this occasion.  He said, “It will help keep this issue in public view and make sure the public are fully aware of what is at stake here.  If it is acceptable to hold terrorists for 42 days, why not allow it for all major crimes?  Passing extremist laws only encourages extremism around the world.”

Over 200 people have signed Russell Field’s petition calling for the Morris Common (officially Stoke Heath Common) to be improved and developed. Russell said, “I would like to thank everyone who has signed the petition. We will need a lot more if the Council are going to listen. I would really like to get over 500, maybe even 1000 signatures, before I present it.”

If you would like to sign the petition, or could help collect signatures in your area, please contact Russell on 7661 2689.
Email: russell.field@covlibdems.org.uk.

The Council is to receive around £100,000 ’section 106′ money from the Liberty Park development, which is most likely to be spent on children’s play facilities on the Common. However, Russell would like the Council to take this opportunity to draw up a plan to develop the whole of the Common, including dealing with the drainage and other surface problems, provide proper changing rooms and sports facilities, as well as making the area into a proper park for residents to use. Russell said, “It will be a big undertaking but I think that Stoke Heath needs it and the Common has gone to waste for far too long.”

At present, my duties on Coventry City Council include:

Representing the Upper Stoke ward and voting on issues at full Council meetings.

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group. (It’s just me at the moment though!)

Non-voting representative at the Cabinet.

Vice-Chair of the Children, Learning and Young People’s Scrutiny Board. (Scrutiny Board 2). This is the Committee I chaired for two years during my previous term on the Council.

Member of the Audit Sub-Committee.

Member of two Advisory Panels: Supporting Members (to consider how much help the Council gives to individual Councillors) and Electoral Arrangements (to look at how elections are conducted in Coventry).

I have also agreed to attend the Children, Learning and Young People’s Consultative Forum when I can.

I will be avoiding taking on anything else at the Council, as I think that is enough to keep me busy and I have lots of local issues in the Ward to work on as well as my keeping down a full time job.

I am also currently Chair of Coventry Liberal Democrats, which involves me in a certain amount of political work too.

Hello and thank you for visiting my new website.

I intend to use this site to keep local people aware of my activities as Liberal Democrat Councillor for Upper Stoke.  I will include my activities on the Council, larger local issues in my area and any other Coventry or national issues I am concerned about.

You will be hearing much more from me in the future.

Regards,

Cllr Russell Field