Election Launch: Ten Good Reasons to Vote Liberal Democrat

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Ten good reasons to vote Lib Dem

Charles Kennedy sets out the positive Liberal Democrat election campaign based on real solutions to the real problems people face everyday.

Today the Liberal Democrats are launching our poster campaign for the election.

We are promoting a positive agenda for Britain.
It is different from the approach of the other parties.
I am determined that we will fight a campaign which concentrates on real solutions to the real problems that people face in Britain everyday.

Our advertising sets out a ten point package which will create more fairness in our country.

We will put patients first in the NHS.
We will scrap the targets that interfere with hospitals being cleaned.
We will also put an end to hidden waiting lists so you find out as quickly as possible what is wrong and treatment can start.

We will bring down the huge levels of student debt.
We will abolish student tuition fees which discourage our young people from going to university.

We will ensure a better start in life for our children by reducing class sizes in infant schools.

Instead of expensive, compulsory Identity Cards, we will put 10,000 more police on the streets – and give them the tools to spend more time tackling crime and less time filling in forms.

We will treat older people with dignity.

We will introduce free personal care for the elderly.
Those suffering long term diseases like Alzheimer’s would get help with dressing, washing, and feeding.

We also want to end means testing and the scandalous discrimination against women in our pensions system.
We will raise the pensions by over £100 a month for all pensioners over 75.

Fair taxes should be based on people’s ability to pay.
We will scrap the unfair Council Tax.
Under the Liberal Democrats’ Local Income Tax a typical family will pay £450 less.
And 6 Million pensioners will pay no local tax at all.

The Liberal Democrats are the greenest of the major parties.
We take climate change and the environment seriously.
A green thread runs through the whole of our programme for Britain.

Our promises are credible, costed and affordable.
We are straightforward about tax.
We say no hidden tax rises.
We propose one income tax increase.
We will raise the top rate of tax for 1% of our richest citizens.
A 50p rate on every pound earned over £100,000 will mean an end to student tuition fees, free personal care for the elderly and holding down local taxes.

We will also spend Government money differently.
We will switch £5bn a year of current Government spending onto our priorities.
This means no compulsory ID cards, no ineffective baby bonds, fewer government departments.
The benefits are better pensions, lower class sizes, lower NHS charges, and more police.
It all adds up, the balance sheet is balanced.

A vote for the Liberal Democrats is a positive vote for these principles.
We have shown that we can stick to our principles.
We opposed the war in Iraq.
There were no weapons of mass destruction.
We were misled by Tony Blair and George Bush.
We say never again.

These policies will make Britain better, fairer, safer.
What they demonstrate is that the Liberal Democrats are the real alternative to Labour and the Conservatives.
Increasingly, I believe it’s an alternative that people really want.
ENDS

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