On Sunday 4th June, I completed The Walk of Life with my friend Adam Hutchins, writes Peter Gwizdala.

We walked from Basildon Hospital to Southend Hospital - a distance of 13 miles - in four and a half hours. We wanted to raise awareness of the campaign to save Southend A&E. And it certainly did that. If you don't know me by now, you soon will. I don't give up. We're doing it again on Sunday 13th August at 10.00 am and everyone is very welcome.

As part of the Tories' cuts to welfare spending they have tightened the rules for Motability vehicles.

Under the old rules the test was being unable to walk for 50 metres without help even if this was difficult and painful for you. But this has been cut to just 20 metres and has meant that about half the disabled people who used to get Motability vehicles have lost access to them.

The good news is that there will continue to be a Post Office in the centre of Leigh. Fears spread by the Labour Party and trade union supporters that there would be no Post Office have turned out to be scare-mongering.

But Lib Dems are worried that the new Post Office will be too small and queues will stretch on to the street and block up the convenience store.

We MUST save Southend Hospital's A&E Department

Norman Lamb MP, the Lib Dem spokesman on health, has been invited by Cllr Carole Mulroney to see for himself the dangers that will arise if our A&E is downgraded and to talk to local protesters and health workers.

In her letter, Carole describes the proposal to send all emergency accident patients to Basildon and says:

'Downgrading' Southend Hospital unit will put lives at risk... Lib Dems support fight to save this precious resource

By Peter Gwizdala

Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman

Southend Hospital's A&E department is to be 'downgraded' in a raft of government cutbacks.

What this means is simple: If you have an emergency and an ambulance is sent, that ambulance will take you to Basildon Hospital instead of Southend - an extra distance of 13 miles.

Back in 2013 Lib Dem Councillor Peter Wexham moved a motion in Southend Council calling for all planning permissions for new flats to require sprinklers to be fitted.

Peter represented Southend on the Essex Fire Authority and he was reflecting the advice of fire brigade chiefs across the country.

Although Peter's resolution was seconded by two Tory Councillors and received all-party support, the Cabinet's response was that without Government backing, this planning rule would be unenforceable, so nothing was done.

Council's urgent checks after horror blaze

By Carole Mulroney Lib Dem Council Group Leader

We watched in absolute horror at the tragic fire in Grenfell Tower.

Our hearts naturally go out to those who lost loved-ones or whose own lives have been devastated by this horrific event.

The emergency services were, as usual, magnificent. They must get all the support they need.

It is without doubt that our accident and emergency department is in danger.

Southend Lib Dems originally looked at the proposals for Southend's A&E from a clinical perspective and concerns regarding infrastructure.

However, the published proposals by STP are deeply flawed, and so we are now supporting the Save Southend A&E campaign 100%. You can follow their progress on Facebook.

A letter from Cllr Carole Mulroney to the Echo:

Lib Dems will invest £38m to protect school funding in Southend on Sea

The Liberal Democrats have announced that they will invest £38 million more in schools and colleges in Southend-on-Sea over the next parliament.

The funding for Southend would reverse cuts to frontline school and college budgets, protect per pupil funding in real terms and ensure no school loses out from changes to funding arrangements.