Showing posts with label lib dems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lib dems. Show all posts
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
"It started with Iraq... But [the Lib Dems] have become the natural home for left-liberal Cookites"
Astonishing article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/09/labour-lib-dems-left-cookites) in today's Guardian by John Kampfner (former editor of the New Statesman) charting how massive a disappointment the Labour government of the last dozen years has been and how for anyone of a vaguely left/left-of-centre persuasion the Lib Dems are the NATURAL choice.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Labour has run out of ideas on child poverty
Figures released by the New Policy Institute show an increase in the number of children living in severe poverty since 2005.
It is clear that Labour has failed to tackle child poverty with its over-complex tax and benefit tricks.
We Lib Dems will invest more in education to give every child a fair start and break the link between poverty and low grades.
As for the Tories', they have huge gaping holes in their policies on poverty.
A hodge-podge of tax cuts for millionaires and tax bribes for marriage would do nothing to tackle severe poverty when most of these families are not even in work, let alone in a position to inherit more than £1m from their relatives.
It is clear that Labour has failed to tackle child poverty with its over-complex tax and benefit tricks.
We Lib Dems will invest more in education to give every child a fair start and break the link between poverty and low grades.
As for the Tories', they have huge gaping holes in their policies on poverty.
A hodge-podge of tax cuts for millionaires and tax bribes for marriage would do nothing to tackle severe poverty when most of these families are not even in work, let alone in a position to inherit more than £1m from their relatives.
Monday, 14 December 2009
40,000 child alcohol crimes in five years
Shocking stats that nearly 40,000 children have been fined, cautioned, or taken to court for alcohol-related offences in the last five years.
That's nearly one every hour!
The number has increased by over a quarter in that period, according to research by the Lib Dems.
The key points are:
* 39,714 children aged under 18 were fined, cautioned or taken to court for alcohol related offences between 2003 and 2007
* This includes 124 children aged 10-12 and 6,111 aged 13-15
* The number of under-18s fined, cautioned or taken to court for alcohol related offences has increased by 28%, 8,686 in 2007
Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said that this is a "shocking picture of how many children are being dragged into the criminal justice system through alcohol abuse".
As I have said before on this blog, we must stop alcohol being sold at pocket-money prices and start educating our children about the dangers of drink or these figures will continue to worsen.
Unless we change our drinking culture, we will condemn many of these children and adolescents to serious long-term alcohol-related illnesses or a life of crime.
That's nearly one every hour!
The number has increased by over a quarter in that period, according to research by the Lib Dems.
The key points are:
* 39,714 children aged under 18 were fined, cautioned or taken to court for alcohol related offences between 2003 and 2007
* This includes 124 children aged 10-12 and 6,111 aged 13-15
* The number of under-18s fined, cautioned or taken to court for alcohol related offences has increased by 28%, 8,686 in 2007
Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said that this is a "shocking picture of how many children are being dragged into the criminal justice system through alcohol abuse".
As I have said before on this blog, we must stop alcohol being sold at pocket-money prices and start educating our children about the dangers of drink or these figures will continue to worsen.
Unless we change our drinking culture, we will condemn many of these children and adolescents to serious long-term alcohol-related illnesses or a life of crime.
Monday, 23 November 2009
In defence of the poor
I'd like to congratulate our Keighley MP for supporting a Lib Dem Early Day Motion opposing the Government’s proposed cuts for the poorest tenants.
The people who would lose out under this proposal are poorer than those who would have been hit by the 10p tax debacle, and will be hit harder.
Worse still, the Government will not actually save any money by clawing back these payments. All they will achieve is switching the money directly from tenants to their landlords.
These unfair changes were sneaked through in the last budget and the Government clearly hoped they would be swept under the carpet.
They now have a fight on their hands, with many MPs and campaign groups, including the housing charity Crisis, opposing the plans.
This week, the leader of the Lib Dems challenged Gordon Brown directly over the issue at Prime Minister’s Question Time.
I would like to assure you that the Lib Dems will continue to do all we can to oppose this latest Government assault on some of the very poorest families in the country.
The people who would lose out under this proposal are poorer than those who would have been hit by the 10p tax debacle, and will be hit harder.
Worse still, the Government will not actually save any money by clawing back these payments. All they will achieve is switching the money directly from tenants to their landlords.
These unfair changes were sneaked through in the last budget and the Government clearly hoped they would be swept under the carpet.
They now have a fight on their hands, with many MPs and campaign groups, including the housing charity Crisis, opposing the plans.
This week, the leader of the Lib Dems challenged Gordon Brown directly over the issue at Prime Minister’s Question Time.
I would like to assure you that the Lib Dems will continue to do all we can to oppose this latest Government assault on some of the very poorest families in the country.
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Lib Dem Conference in York
Had a long and fun day at Lib Dem Regional conference in York today, elected Deputy Chair of the region, many thanks everyone who voted.
Very disappointed that Keighley Branch's motion on helping people with disabilities in the jobs market was defeated by ONE vote.
This evening was at St martin's Church in Brighouse for a wonderful gig by the Yorkshire Youth Choir. They were tremendous.
Should really comment on the fact that today is the anniversary of the glorious Oktyabrskaya revolyutsiya (October Revolution). I'll come back to that at a later date, I really must go to bed.
Very disappointed that Keighley Branch's motion on helping people with disabilities in the jobs market was defeated by ONE vote.
This evening was at St martin's Church in Brighouse for a wonderful gig by the Yorkshire Youth Choir. They were tremendous.
Should really comment on the fact that today is the anniversary of the glorious Oktyabrskaya revolyutsiya (October Revolution). I'll come back to that at a later date, I really must go to bed.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Can Lib Dems lead the left?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)