Sevenoaks Liberal Democrats Home Page Freedom Fairness and Trust  
News is available as a XML/RSS feed RSS Feed

Bringing the nation's finances under control

The biggest challenge for the next government will be sorting out public finances. It’s a challenge neither Labour or the Conservatives are fit to take on. Total national debt could hit £1.2 trillion next year – that is £20,000 for every man, woman and child in Sevenoaks and Swanley.

The Lib Dems have already identified big areas where substantial long-term savings can be made. Cutting down Labour’s centralised state to size. Abolishing Labour’s expensive and illiberal ID card scheme. Cutting the cost of politics by changing our electoral system and having 150 fewer MPs. Reforming tax credits so they go to the people who really need them. Spending less on defence procurement by scrapping Trident.

Young people are bearing too much of the burden of this savage recession. So we are making a new promise to young people that they will not be unemployed for longer than 90 days before we find them work or training. We would cancel Labour’s VAT cut and use the money to invest in young people’s futures. We would pay for 10,000 more university places and 50,000 more college places this year. And we would introduce a new Paid Internship scheme to give people real job experience, with an allowance of £55 a week. If it’s between 15 pence off a cinema ticket and a decent future. I know what I would choose.

We currently lose as much as £40 billion a year to tax dodgers. That’s why the Liberal Democrats are going to reinvent the tax system to make it fair. Not changing the amount we raise, but changing who pays. We will raise the income tax threshold to £10,000, funded by closing loopholes that the wealthy exploit. Under a Liberal Democrat government, millions of people will find themselves with an extra £700 in their pocket, and up to four million low earners and pensioners will pay no income tax at all.

After the expenses scandal, people are crying out, rightly, for something different at Westminster. Both Labour and the Conservatives have betrayed them. Only the Liberal Democrats will clean up Westminster, reform expenses, end big donations and elect the Lords. Only the Liberal Democrats will give people the right to sack MPs who are found guilty of serious wrongdoing. And only the Liberal Democrats will secure, once and for all, fair votes for everyone.


The next general election will be the beginning of real change in Britain. That is why I am asking the voters of Sevenoaks and Swanley to choose the Liberal Democrats.


Dr Alan Bullion, Lib Dem PPC for Sevenoaks

Start of a headline

Live News From LibDems





 
Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:00:00 GMT
Davey: Blair must come clean on torture or quit as MidEast envoy

Reacting to the allegations that Tony Blair knew about secret interrogation guidance for British intelligence officers who became aware of the torture of suspects, Edward Davey said; "Surely Tony Blair cannot hold the position of Middle ...
view the full story


Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:00:01 GMT
Oakeshott: George Osborne dodged £55,000 tax bill by 'flipping'

George Osborne avoided £55,000 in capital gains tax by 'flipping' his second home allowance, figures calculated by the Liberal Democrat treasury team have revealed.

Mr Osborne claimed his second home allowance on a London property for ...
view the full story


Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:00:38 GMT
Lamb: Government sleepwalking into an NHS disaster

In his speech to the NHS Confederation discusses the need for a fundamental change to the way the NHS currently works.

The , will accuse the Government of ignoring the scale of the dangers facing the ...
view the full story


Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:00:03 GMT
Clegg: PM must cancel Recess to implement political reform

The Prime Minister today outlined a range of urgent measures to clean up Parliament. Nick Clegg described the reforms as a "deathbed conversion to political reform". ...
view the full story


Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:00:56 GMT
Clegg: The torch of progress has passed to us

Labour has run out of steam and of ideas. Its supporters are turning to the Liberal Democrats.

Last week at Prime Minister's Questions I suggested to Gordon Brown that the real choice in British politics is ...
view the full story


Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:00:35 GMT
Chris Fox named as Interim Chief Executive

Following this month's announcement that we will be appointing an Interim Chief Executive I am pleased to say that following a selection process Chris Fox has been appointed to this important role. ...
view the full story


Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:00:19 GMT
Brooke: Big fall in number of childminders will leave parents struggling

The number of registered childminders has fallen significantly since 2007, the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

The figures, given in a Parliamentary answer, show that the number of carers looking after under-8s has declined by nearly 10,000 ...
view the full story


Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:00:10 GMT
Davey: Iraq inquiry must be about more than Gordon Brown's woes

has written to David Miliband to demand genuine cross-party consultation on any Iraq inquiry which the Government brings forward.

The call comes in response to media reports that an inquiry could be announced this week and ...
view the full story


Sun, 07 Jun 2009 17:00:25 GMT
Election results 2009

The latest results from the local and European elections, as well as reaction from Nick Clegg.


Nick Clegg visited Bristol to congratulate council leader Barbara Janke and the local Liberal DemocratsEuropean elections results from across the ...
view the full story


Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:00:44 GMT
It's time to get personal... just go Mr Darling

The future of Britain's car industry now seems a sideshow compared with the sordid details of the Great Expenses Scandal.

One MP's claim for refurbishing his servants' quarters and another's creative approach to family living arrangements ...
view the full story


Mon, 25 May 2009 13:00:21 GMT
Davey: Farage must explain UKIP’s missing millions

Edward Davey is writing to UKIP Leader Nigel Farage challenging him to publish his MEPs' expense claims and to account for their shameful record of voting for perks and secrecy in the European Parliament. ...
view the full story


Fri, 22 May 2009 17:00:58 GMT
Federal Executive Statement on Parliamentary Expenses

Federal Executive acknowledge the strength of feeling amongst the public and our members and activists concerning the way in which Members of Parliament have been reimbursed for expenses and the revelations about the misconduct of particular ...
view the full story


Thu, 21 May 2009 14:00:50 GMT
Clegg: Government decision great victory for Gurkhas

Reacting to the Government's announcement that all Gurkha veterans with four years' service would be allowed to move to the UK, Nick Clegg said he was "absolutely thrilled". ...
view the full story


Thu, 21 May 2009 14:00:37 GMT
Chris Rennard’s personal letter to members

Chris Rennard has made the following personal statement to members and staff of the party.

Dear All,

First, I'd like to thank all members for everything that you are doing to help our candidates in the European ...
view the full story


Wed, 20 May 2009 14:00:09 GMT
Clegg: Party leader talks see progress on expenses reform

Speaking after meetings between all party leaders to discuss reform of MPs' expenses, Nick Clegg said: "Today's talks saw more progress in a single day than we have seen over many decades. ...
view the full story


Wed, 20 May 2009 14:00:23 GMT
PMQs: The way we do politics must be transformed, says Clegg

Nick Clegg highlights the unique opportunity facing MPs to completely change Parliament.

At Prime Minister's Questions Nick Clegg warned that incremental changes to Parliamentary rules are not sufficient as he urged the Government to fully embrace ...
view the full story


Tue, 19 May 2009 14:00:25 GMT
Europe 2009: British criminals would walk free under Tory plans

More than 300 dangerous criminals would have walked free under the Conservatives' policy on Europe, according to research by the Liberal Democrats.

Conservative MEPs voted against the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), which has slashed extradition times ...
view the full story


Tue, 19 May 2009 14:00:17 GMT
Lamb: Double the number of patients dying from prescription drugs

The number of patients dying after having adverse reactions to prescription drugs has more than doubled since 1998, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. ...
view the full story


Thu, 14 May 2009 14:00:16 GMT
PMQs: MPs taxpayer-funded mortgages should be banned, argues Clegg

Nick Clegg urges Prime Minister to reform MPs expenses

In the week that revelations of MPs expenses dominated the news, Nick Clegg challenged the Prime Minister on his ideas for reform of the expenses system. ...
view the full story


Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:31 GMT
PMQs: MPs taxpayer-funded mortgages should be banned – says Clegg

Nick Clegg urges Prime Minister to reform MPs expenses

In the week that revelations of MPs expenses dominated the news, Nick Clegg challenged the Prime Minister on his ideas for reform of the expenses system. ...
view the full story



Join the Liberal Democrats Party
 
Join the Liberal Democrats mailing list
 

Search this site


  

Contact Us
Any Problems?
Contact us

You can make the text on this site bigger or smaller using your web browser's text size controls.
  Bobby WorldWide Approved AAA


Printed and hosted by HCI Data Ltd, Well Hill Lane, Orpington BR6 7QJ who are not responsible for any of the contents of the site. Published and promoted by Alastair Macpherson on behalf of the Sevenoaks Liberal Democrats, all at 44 Well Road Otford TN14 5PT .