Some of the speeches at the Lib Dem conference were really inspirational. You can view them on the Lib Dem website www.libdems.org.uk
I am certain after being in Glasgow that with the Tories shifting to the right to try and appeal to UKIP voters and Labour lost without any understanding of how to run the economy, that the only solution in this country is to firmly lock in a government in the centre ground of politics.
Without a fairer society, we cannot ever change our country for the better. Without a stronger economy we can never hope to protect those on the lowest incomes.
UKIP are a party which wants to privatise the NHS. They are run by an ex-banker who has received millions in expenses in the European Parliament but done nothing to promote opportunity. On many issues they are more right wing than the Tories and want to isolate us from the rest of the world. They also want to slash taxes for millionaires whilst our public services take the strain.
The Tories have no direction other than to become even more nasty. They want to sort out the financial problems in the country by taking money away from the poorest. And they propose this with a smile on their faces . After years of the Lib Dems reigning them in, they have reverted to type as the nasty party.
Labour have about as much clue about how to fix our economy as a cuckoo in a cloud. They think that taxing people out of existence is the way to address our problems. A search for “france economy” on Google today comes up with An ‘atomic bomb’ is hovering over France’s economy France’s socialist government shows you all you need to know about the future disaster with Red Ed Milliband. This is the prospect for the UK – a return to the bad Labour days when the politics of envy destroyed the economy – back in the 70’s Labour’s highest tax rate was 83%!!!!! Labour whether in County Durham or in any other corner of the country seek to keep the poor poorer whilst destroying entrepreneurship.
Compare all this with the first time the Lib Dems are in government:
State pension up £800
Tax cut of £800 for low and middle income earners
Billions of pounds of extra funding for education of those from the poorest backgrounds
Largest ever number of students from poorer backgrounds attending university
2 million more jobs
Nearly 2 million new apprenticeships
Human rights protected, ID cards scrapped
Doubling of renewable energy production
Equal marriage
Free childcare
Free school meals
Child detention scrapped
Taking millions of low paid workers out of paying tax altogether
Turning around the public finances
If all of his had been achieved in a time of prosperity it would be astonishing. Do do it whilst having to deal with the catastrophic mess left by Labour is incredible. To do it whilst having to challenge the Tories every day, day in, day out is a miracle!
Our proposals going forward will see further tax cuts for 25 million workers, especially cutting tax further for the poorest, extending childcare, extending free school meals, protecting the NHS, helping end the apartheid faced by mental health patients. Continuing to promote apprenticeships, engineering and a sustainable green future where we do not destroy our environment. Cracking down on tax avoidance and ensuring that the richest help bring down the debts of the country rather than the poorest.
Sensible liberal policies. NOT the policies of hate which UKIP promote. NOT the headless chicken approach of the Tories and Labour pandering to the “fear agenda”.
The rise of the far right early in the last century should be a warning to all of us. A wake up call. When times are bad it is oh so easy to blame someone else for the problems we face as a country. The Lib Dems will NOT let this country down we will fight against this culture of hate and division.
I was proud to be a Liberal Democrat after our party conference. The only party staying in the middle ground of politics fighting for a stronger economy and a fairer society.
Take a look at some of th things we discussed, debated and agreed at www.libdems.org.uk