Sutton Coldfield and Erdington Liberal Democrats

There are local government elections across England and Wales this May and research by the Liberal Democrats has identified many examples of the way in which Labour councils in particular waste and misuse taxpayers' heard-earned money.

Speaking in Tyburn Ward recently, Liberal Democrat campaigner Ann Holtom spelled out some of the worst excesses of Labour local government spending.

In March 2010, just a few weeks before the last general election, I attended the Liberal Democrat spring conference in Birmingham as a local party representative. The talk was all about the coming election and the key policies we would put before the public. One of the issues I was most pleased to see go into the manifesto was the proposal that nobody should pay tax on the first £10,000 they earn.

It is the parrot cry of Labour politicians, local and national, that the Coalition is the rich man's friend. They can't stop telling us how the Coalition is giving their millionaire buddies and ex-school chums, thousands of pounds in tax relief. Don't believe it. It's fantasy. Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Ann Holtom explains why:

Talking to Liberal Democrats in Tyburn Ward after the party's spring conference in Brighton, local campaigner Ann Holtom asked: "Do you remember when Gordon Brown was prime minister? Happily it seems a long time ago but one thing Brown and the Labour Party did has stuck in my memory - the abolition of the 10p rate which raised taxes for the lowest paid. Labour always claims to stand up for the low paid but they should be judged by what they do, not what they say. Where were the Labour councillors for Tyburn Ward when Brown imposed this tax hike on the low paid? Speaking out against a tax rise for the most vulnerable in their area or loyally keeping quiet and towing the party line?

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has closed the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Brighton by calling on members to spread the message of the Party's commitment in Government to deliver a stronger economy and a fairer society.

In his keynote Leader's speech, Nick paid tribute to the work of the Party in winning the Eastleigh by-election, beating the Conservatives into third place and squeezing Labour while campaigning on the Lib Dem record of delivering in Government.

Birmingham Council have launched their online survey to find out what residents think about the introduction of wheelie-bins, who should be exempt, whether the cost of replacement bins will be charged to residents, potential rewards and many other questions to find out what you think. Whether you are a fan of whellie-bins or totally opposed the Liberal Democrats are encouraging as many residents as possible to tell the Council your views. They need to have the widest range of opinions to assist them get the key decisions right.

Tyburn Ward Liberal Democrat campaigner Ann Holtom has condemned Labour councillors for voting down a proposal to extend the help Birmingham Council gives to job projects for the long-term unemployed.

The Council has set up an initiative to subsidise training and apprenticeship costs in a bid to encourage firms to hire some of the city's 15,000 under-25s who are unemployed - 3,000 of those being out of work for more than a year. The Liberal Democrats support this move, in fact part of the funding for the scheme comes from the Coalition government through the National Apprenticeship Service and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Labour councillors in Tyburn Ward have been found guilty of playing with the truth when it comes to the information they have supplied to local residents about Wheelie Bins. They know that the introduction of Wheelie Bins is not proving popular and that people are worried they will be unsightly and difficult to move about - especially if you live in a terraced house or a flat. So, as they always do when they can't think of a proper response, they blamed the Coalition government for "making" them introduce Wheelie Bins.

Birmingham's Labour councillors have voted to impose a 20 per cent council tax charge on the city's poorest households. A few months ago Labour was calling this charge 'the new poll tax'. But the grotesque thing is that this charge - to be levied on some of the most vulnerable Birmingham residents - is unnecessary. The council is not required to make the charge and worse, Labour turned down a grant of £2.1 million from the Liberal Democrat-Conservative Coalition government offered to help prevent the tax from being imposed.

The last twelve months have been lit up by moments that will stay with us forever. When Mo Farah approached the final stretch of the 10,000m final, who wasn't up on their feet, screaming at the TV?

When Nicola Adams beamed at the crowd after winning the first ever women's Olympic boxing, who didn't smile back? I was lucky enough to be there, and that's one I'll never forget.