Central Devon Payliamentary Spokesperson Phil Hutty reflects on the effects of a fire in Crediton.

When a devastating event such as a fire affects a community, I am always astounded at how people and organisations both big and small, swing into action.

The recent fire in Crediton proved that the town is a tight-knit supportive community. Within hours of the tragedy which made a number of residents homeless, all of them had been found accommodation either with friends, relatives or neighbours. Local churches threw open their doors and the town council set up a disaster fund to help the families greatest hit to get them back on their feet again.

Mid-Devon Liberal Democrats have rejected calls by for station closures by the North Devon Public Transport Users Group. The Users Group proposed the closure of eight of the eleven stations on the line which they believe could cut 15 minutes of the current journey Barnstaple toExetertime of 65 to 70 minutes.

Over 20 million working people will be better off next year after Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government delivered the biggest ever increase in the income tax personal allowance in the Budget.

The massive £3.5bn tax cut for working people delivers:

• The biggest ever single uplift in the tax threshold
• A personal allowance of £9,205 in April 2013
• 21 million working people getting an extra £220 tax cut
• Brings the total tax cut for basic rate tax payers to £550
• Brings the total number of people lifted out of tax to 2 million.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg used his speech to the Party's Spring conference in NewcastleGateshead to call for the forthcoming budget to be a "budget for fairness" and pledged that it would help working familes.

The Deputy Prime Minister pledged that by 2015 Britain would have seen an end to control orders, the first gay marriages and the first elections to the House of Lords.

Fairer taxes, promoting green jobs, protecting your civil liberties - these are just some of the achievements of the Liberal Democrats in government.

We're building a freer, greener and more liberal country - and stopping some of the worst excesses of the Conservatives. Find out more in this infographic.

First of all may I wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year.

In Nick Clegg's new years message he outlined our parties successes. We have taken nearly a million of the poorest workers out of paying tax altogether and given a £200 tax cut, not to the rich but to 23million working people. We gave children extra support to stop them falling behind in school and pensioners the first meaningful rise in the state pension since Thatcher abolished the earnings link.

Residents and supporters fromCentral Devonhad the opportunity to quiz Devon County Council Group Leader Brian Greenslade at Tedburn St Mary at the Local Party AGM in November.

Answering questions from the floor Cllr Greenslade said that there were many similarities in dealing with Tory controlled County Hall as Nick Clegg has to in the coalition government. Many of the policies and decisions such as the unpopular 'on-street' parking charges in small market towns such as Crediton would have been forced through and implemented by now if it hadn't been for Liberal Democrat opposition. Mr Greenslade emphasised the importance of protecting services, something the Conservative leadership seem intent on cutting. Expanding on this issue, the former County Council leader deplored the attitude of many cabinet members, who are happy to 'pass the buck' on difficult decisions by holding inconclusive and simplistic vox-pop surveys around the county and then claiming they have universal support for their unpopular policies.

David Laws MP was guest speaker at the Central Devon Lib Dems Pasties & Politics evening held in Crediton. One of the architects of the present government coalition pact, he pulled no punches in his answers on the Economy, Health, Transport, Tuition fees and Job losses.

Asked about how to deal with redundancies in an area reliant on one or two big employers, he stated that the closure of Bristow's was very sad, adding that in these circumstances help should be requested from the governments 'regional growth fund' which he explained had been helpful in reducing the effect on job losses in his own constituency in Yeovil.

It's that time of year again when political activist pack up their anoraks and make their way to conference venues in exciting places like Liverpool Manchester and, as in my case, Birmingham.

Once upon a time there were photo opportunities for sea side walks (remember Neil Kinnock's walk and fall on the beach?) now we gather behind security fences and extremely bored Policemen. But even though I lament the passing of the good old days, behind the "ring of steel" conference continues on pretty much the same way as others did in the past.

In his keynote speech to the Liberal Democrat Conference, Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has outlined his goals for the Government and the country over the coming years. He reiterated his commitment to liberal values on the environment and human rights and his determination to ensure a fair chance for every child, saying "every child can do good things, great things, if only we give them the opportunities they deserve."