A message from Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills:

As families face more of a squeeze, today Liberal Democrats are arguing for greater tax cuts for hard working people.

Between now and the Budget, Nick and Danny and I will be arguing for faster tax cuts, giving you a reward for hard work. And Nick will be setting out our case in a speech today.

Given the budget constraint we have to raise money for the tax cut elsewhere and have plans to raise an equivalent amount from the wealthiest taxpayers.

At the last election the Liberal Democrats promised to raise the personal allowance for ordinary taxpayers to £10,000. I am proud that the Coalition has committed to doing so over the course of this Parliament.

For millions of ordinary hard working people, that means paying £700 less in income tax each year. Low earners, mostly women will benefit from being lifted out of tax altogether.

But times are tough and quite simply, Liberal Democrats in Government want to help families who are currently being squeezed by moving more quickly.

Whether it's targeting an extra £7bn from tax evaders and avoiders, taking an extra £2.5bn every year from the banks in a balance sheet tax, or the announcement I made on Monday to curb the excesses of executive pay, this Coalition is taking important steps to deliver a fairer economy.

We are building a new economy, one that benefits the whole country, not just bankers in the City of London. Making the tax system fairer is crucial to that. This is a huge task that will make Britain a fairer and more liberal country for generations to come.

Bedford Borough Council's Pothole Hit Squad service is celebrating its first birthday this month as new figures show they filled more than 5,000 potholes during 2011 - nearly three times the number repaired in 2010.

The Pothole Hit Squad service was launched in January 2011 to provide a quick response service which was able to carry out permanent repairs to potholes in the borough.

Mayor Dave Hodgson is calling on all Councillors in the Borough to back him in asking the Chief Executive of Bedford Borough Council to write to fuel retailers and suppliers in Bedford to ask them to reduce the price of their fuel for residents in Bedford Borough.

Mayor Hodgson said, "Fuel prices change all the time but despite going up and down I want to know why Bedford Borough residents always have the highest prices locally. At its worst there have been days when the lowest price in Bedford is higher than the highest price in a nearby town. This is wrong and must be addressed by fuel retailers and suppliers."

Commenting on Chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten's speech at the Oxford Media Convention, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Don Foster said:

"Lord Patten gets the final word and with it he says what we've all been thinking.

"The BBC won't improve itself by stripping away some of its most valued work. Seven million people listen to BBC local radio across theUKand it is a lifeline for older people and the disabled.

Councillor Tim Hill, Liberal Democrat Elstow and Stewartby ward, has been contacted by a growing number of Elstow residents concerned at the increasing levels of noise and nuisance from the Red Lion on the High Street.

Cllr Hill commented, "We all want local businesses to thrive but it can not be at the expense of local residents' quality of life. There have been complaints about noise, litter and general rowdiness around the pub and this has to be curbed if the both the Red Lion and their neighbours are to live happily side by side.

Liberal Democrat Home Office Minster, Lynne Featherstone has today announced enhanced checks for taxi drivers and private hire vehicles to ensure greater security and peace of mind for all taxi users, especially vulnerable people and women travelling alone. Commenting, Lynne Featherstone said:

"Taxi drivers provide a valuable service for people in all walks of life, transporting some children to and from school, and lone women home after a night out.

Commenting on the announcement that the Transport Secretary is giving the go ahead for High Speed 2, Co-chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Transport, Julian Huppert said:

"This is excellent news. The Liberal Democrats were the first party to call for the high speed rail link - as far back as 2004. It will make life easier for passengers and bring huge benefits to the country as a whole, generating economic growth and creating jobs.

"This project will also improve national capacity for rail freight. Finally rail can be seen as a realistic alternative to the road for moving freight. This has the potential to take heavy goods vehicles off our major routes, easing congestion and cutting carbon emissions.

"This project will also improve connections further north and up toScotland, so it is important that the Government starts planning for the next phases soon.

Responding to Ed Balls' speech on the economy, Liberal Democrat Party President, Tim Farron said:

"After nearly two years of opposing every saving the Coalition Government has made at least Ed Balls has finally admitted there is a deficit problem.

"However, he still refuses to take any responsibility for Labour's 13 years in power where they failed to balance the books and get to grips with reckless behaviour in the City, even when he was City Minister.

"Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government are doing the right thing, taking the difficult decisions to protect Britain from the same fate as some euro zone countries while at the same time pursuing progressive policies such as reducing taxes for the lowest earners, making sure pensioners get a fair deal and providing a fair start for every child through the pupil premium.

"Ed Balls' admission is better late than never, but he and Labour still owe Britain an apology for 13 years of poor government and 18 months of lies in opposition."

A roadside car seller, who was repeatedly caught illegally selling cars, has been ordered to pay £5,797 at Bedford Magistrates Court on Thursday 19^th January.

55-year-old Stuart Houghton of Seaton Drive,Bedford was prosecuted by Bedford Borough Council under Section 3 of The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 for 'advertising vehicles for sale on a road'. Between October 2010 and May 2011, Mr Seaton had attempted to sell cars seven times on Seaton Drive.