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The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society. |
“The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.
We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience and their right to develop their talents to the full. We aim to disperse power, to foster diversity and to nurture creativity.
We believe that the role of the state is to enable all citizens to attain these ideals, to contribute fully to their communities and to take part in the decisions which affect their lives.”
Policies and Campaigns.
Some of our key policies and campaigns, locally and nationally, are:
Scrap the Council Tax, and replace it with a Local Income Tax
Abolish student tuition fees and top-up fees
Safe, reliable travel – a decent transport system is fundamental to an equitable and environmentally sustainable society. We will work to build an integrated transport system throughout the country that is safe, reliable and affordable.
Post Office closures – campaigning against the planned closure of 3,000 Post Offices
Environment: Tackling Climate Change – campaigning for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. The Liberal Democrat Election Manifesto in 2001 was commended by Friends of the Earth for its’ environmental policies.
Fighting Pensioner poverty - we plan to increase the basic state pension by £5 a week for all pensioners, with bigger increases of up to £15 a week for older pensioners, instead of the current complicated means tested benefits.
At the time of the General Election our policies are fully costed and we are open and honest about what our plans would cost to implement. Any policy proposals involving taxation or Government spending will be paid for using savings from elsewhere (such as scrapping the Labour Government's national ID card scheme).
Internationally, we were opposed to the war in Iraq, wanting the UN inspection process to be given the required time to complete its’ work.
Locally in the past few years we have campaigned on many issues including:
improvements to recycling schemes
improved street cleaning
better facilities for young people
more police
improved cycle lanes
a better bus service
For further information on Liberal Democrat policies visit our national website via the links page.
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