Fairness, freedom and justice

October 2005

It is probably good for all politicians to have “nonsense” shouted at them from time to time! So the manhandling of a veteran Labour member out of their conference for doing just that, despite their apologies, is very disturbing.

With dodgy dossiers and “control freak” tendencies, it is no wonder many are put off politics by Tony Blair!

Debate though is alive and well in the Liberal Democrats as we discuss how we take our policies forward to respond to Government actions and world events based on our key values of fairness, freedom and justice.

For example, we say it would be fairer to abolish the “poll tax on learning” that is university tuition fees.

And on pensions, we say that it would be fairer to have a decent basic state pension. While the pension credit has helped some, up to a quarter who are entitled to it, don’t claim it and many more who have made a very modest provision for themselves are penalised by the system.

Increasingly pensioners are also finding it hard to find the money to pay their council tax. Councils run by all parties across the country have had to increase their tax as Government grants that make up 80% of their funding are effectively cut. But this hits pensioners and others who at best get an inflation increase hard. That’s why we say it would be fairer to move a local income tax. A pensioner couple on £14,000 would pay nothing and after that 3.75p in the pound up to £100,000.

And we would end the scandal of scanners lying idle in the NHS and people unable to find a dentist.

In all these policies, we are aware that there is no such thing as a free lunch and some people would be losers. For example, we said at the last election that incomes over £100,000 would be taxed at 50% rather than 40% and low-priority programmes and bureaucracy would be cut.

People may shout “nonsense” at us from time to time! I hope it will only be occasionally but I along with the Lib Dems will listen so that together we can improve this great country of ours.