Lib Dems launch Environment manifesto

The Liberal Democrats have set out radical plans to protect the environment and set the economy on a path to a zero carbon Britain.

The proposals include a £3.1bn green economic stimulus package, plans to slash energy use and improve energy efficiency, and a UK Infrastructure Bank to embed green investment for the long term.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

“This election is not like any other. Climate scientists tell us that the next government will be the last that can stop dangerous climate change.

“That is a huge responsibility for the party that wins this election. But it’s an even bigger responsibility for the voters that will choose them on May 6.

“So my message is this: don’t settle for a Labour party that has had thirteen years to deliver on the environment and has failed. Don’t settle for a Conservative party that talks the talk on green issues, only to align themselves with climate change deniers in the European Parliament. And don’t give your vote to a Green Party that cannot make a difference in Westminster.

“Instead, choose the only party that was taking a stand on saving the planet well before it became fashionable. The only party that has led the way on tackling climate change, from championing the 10:10 campaign in our councils, to setting out radical plans in Parliament to cut Britain’s carbon emissions. Choose the only party that in the wake of the economic crisis is setting out a credible vision for a new and sustainable economy.

“Something really exciting is happening in British politics. This is a huge opportunity to set Britain on the road to a prosperous and green future. “We should seize it.”

Do you agree with Nick?

Last week saw Nick Clegg go head-to-head with the Labour and Conservative leaders in a home affairs debate on ITV1. Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, debated with Gordon Brown and David Cameron about domestic affairs. Subjects discussed included immigration, healthcare and education.

After the first TV debate, more and more people say they agree with Nick and the Liberal Democrats.

Can you help us with the campaign in Bury? There is loads to do in the next couple of weeks and every bit of help is much appreciated. Get in touch.

If you didn’t see the debate , you can watch it online here.in the next couple of weeks and every bit of help is much appreciated. Get in touch.

If you didn’t see the debate , you can watch it online here.

Liberal Democrats Local Election Candidates

Nominations are now in for the local elections for Bury Council on 6th May 2010 (the same day as the General Election.

The Liberal Democrats are fielding a full slate, including two candidates in the Pilkington Park ward, where following the resignation of a Conservative Councillor, there are two vacancies.

Bury
East: Linda Arthur
Moorside: Nissa Finney
Redvales: Tim Bowden
Elton: Robert Sloss
Church: Jim Eagle

Prestwich
Holyrood: Tim Pickstone
Sedgley: Andrew Garner
St Mary’s: Donal O’Hanlon

Radcliffe
Radcliffe North: Kamran Islam
Radcliffe East: Mike Halsall
Radcliffe West: Lynne Molloy

Ramsbottom, Tottington and North Manor
Ramsbottom: Paul Jenkins
Tottington: David Foss
North Manor: Ewan Arthur

Whitefield and Unsworth:
Pilkington Park: Wayne Burrows and Joanne O’Hanlon
Besses: Julie Baum
Unsworth: Theo Tymczyna

CHANGE THAT WORKS FOR YOU

THE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MANIFESTO

clegg-and-cable.jpg

This is a manifesto you can trust. We have stripped our priorities back to the essential, fundamental changes that Britain needs to make it fair:

  • Fair taxes that put money back in your pocket
  • A fair chance for every child
  • A fair future, creating jobs by making Britain greener
  • And a fair deal by cleaning up politics

These are deliverable, practical plans to make your life better, and they are right there on the front cover of our manifesto. Instead of rhetoric and razzmatazz, we are saying what we will do and how we will pay for it.

Elections should be a competition of ideas, not marketing budgets. They may have the bigger budgets but we have the bigger ideas.And you can trust us to deliver because unlike the other parties, we have spelt out, line by line in the manifesto how every single policy is paid for, and how we will reduce the deficit.

We have set out £15bn of details spending cuts and just £5bn a year of new spending, meaning £10bn for the deficit every year. We are the first party to put detailed spending plans into a manifesto.

Four key pledges

  1. Fair taxes: We will ensure no-one pays income tax on the first £10,000 they earn. Most taxpayers will get a tax cut of £700 a year. We’ll pay for it by closing loopholes that unfairly benefit the rich, a new tax on mansions worth over £2m, a crack down on tax avoidance and higher aviation duty.
  2. A fair start for all our children: We will get every child the individual attention they need by cutting class sizes. We will spend an extra £2.5bn on schools, targeted at children who need the most help. The average primary school could cut class sizes to 20. An average secondary school could see classes of just 16.
  3. A fair future: a rebalanced, green economy: We will break up the banks and rebalance the economy away from unsustainable financial speculation. We will be honest about where savings must be made in government spending to balance the books and protect our children’s future. And we will create new jobs with a £3.1bn green stimulus and job creation plan in our first year in office, fully funded by cut backs elsewhere.
  4. A fair deal from politicians: We will introduce a fair voting system. We will ensure corrupt MPs can be sacked by their constituents and stop non-doms from donating to parties or sitting in Parliament. We will take power from Westminster and give it to communities, with local power over police and the NHS, and introduce a freedom bill to protect and restore civil liberties.

We also have the following commitments:

  • Protect front line NHS services. We will help the NHS work better with the money it has and protect front line services by re-investing the savings we find back into healthcare
  • Recruit 3,000 more police officers to keep our streets safe and scrapping ID cards
  • Scrap student tuition fees to reduce the burden of student debt immediately and eliminate fee debt altogether over 6 years
  • A pay rise for our brave service men and women together with cut backs of bureaucrats and top brass officers in the Ministry of Defence
  • Uprate the basic state pension in line with earnings immediately so that pensioners do not fall further behind when the economy starts to grow again

YOU CAN READ NICK CLEGGS MANIFESTO LAUNCH SPEECH HERE

YOU CAN READ OR DOWNLOAD A COPY OF OUR MANIFESTO HERE: libdem_manifesto_2010.pdf

ALTERNATIVELY YOU CAN VIEW OUR MANIFESTO IN FULL OR SECTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE HERE

£13 Billion Tory VAT Bombshell

Analysis of the Conservatives’ proposed tax cuts or reversals shows that they will cost over £13.5bn a year in 2011-12 prices – yet just £100m has been specifically identified to fund them.

This leaves a £13.4bn black hole, equivalent to a 3% rise in the standard rate of VAT. This would mean an extra tax of £389 on the average household.

The Liberal Democrats have fully-costed plans to raise the starting threshold for income tax to £10,000 – this would put £700 back in the pockets of the vast majority of people, and lift around 4m of Britain’s lowest earners out of paying tax altogether.

It would be funded by ensuring the very well-off pay their fair share, through measures including:
taxing capital gains as income

a mansion tax on properties worth over £2m

giving tax relief on pensions only at the basic rate

tackling tax avoidance
Commenting, Nick Clegg said:

“Liberal Democrats have costed, in full, our proposals for tax cuts. We can tell you, penny for penny, pound for pound, who pays for them.

“We will not have to raise VAT to deliver our promises. The Conservatives will. Let me repeat that: Our plans do not require a rise in VAT. The Tory plans do.

“Their tax promises on marriage and jobs may sound appealing. But they come with a secret VAT bombshell close behind.

“So if you’re on an ordinary income, you have a choice. If you want your taxes to rise: vote Labour or Conservative. If you want your taxes to fall: choose the Liberal Democrats.”

Bury Liberal Democrats launch General Election campaign

Bury Liberal Democrats have launched their campaign for the General Election on 6th May.

Long-serving local Councillor Vic D’Albert will be the party’s candidate in Bury South. Vic has been a Prestwich resident all his adult life, and has served as a Bury Councillor for Holyrood ward since 1991.

In Bury North, Cllr Richard Baum will be the Lib Dem candidate in the General Election. Richard represents St Mary’s ward on Bury Council and is the only candidate in the election to already be serving the people of Bury on the Council.

There are also local elections on May 6th, with the Liberal Democrats hoping for gains with candidates in every ward in Bury.

The Lib Dems promise fairer taxes by making the first £10,000 you earn free of income tax. We promise a fair start for children with a £2.5bn investment in schools. And we want to clean up politics with a new voting system and a reduction in the number of MPs.

If you’d like to get involved in helping the Lib Dem election campaign in Bury, please get in touch using the contact details on this website.