Today, here in Manchester, we are launching our manifesto for Urban Britain.
Across Britain more and more people are looking to the Liberal Democrats to provide a real alternative to Labour and the Conservatives.
But in our cities, especially our great northern cities, the Conservatives are out of the race.
It is the Liberal Democrats that are challenging Labour in its urban heartlands.
In the last local elections the voters in Newcastle chose the Liberal Democrats to run their city.
We run Liverpool too.
We are challenging in Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff.
The Conservatives have scarcely any councillors in these places.
In Britain's cities, the Liberal Democrats are the real alternative to Labour.
One of the stories of this campaign will be how the Liberal Democrats are taking on Labour in our cities - and winning.
We have a clear vision for our towns and cities - green, clean, safe and affordable places where people want to live.
At their best, our cities are vibrant and prosperous, confident in their diversity, and in control of their own destiny.
But too often the spirit of urban community is undermined by crime and vandalism, by poverty and pollution.
Our manifesto for Urban Britain sets out plans to reinvigorate our towns and cities - real solutions to the problems people face every day.
More police on the streets;
Quality affordable housing;
Fair local taxation;
More sustainable green living;
And local people with the power to determine their own priorities for their own communities.
Here in Manchester and the North West we will be campaigning hard.
At this election with Liberal Democrat MPs Jon Pugh, Patsy Calton and Andrew Stunell and with our other candidates across the region, in places like Westmoreland and Lonsdale with Tim Farron, in Rochdale with Paul Rowan, in Oldham East and Saddleworth with Tony Dawson, we will be setting out our positive message.
Manchester is one of the biggest university cities in the UK.
Many of the 28,000 full-time students who live and study here will be voting for the first time.
Current polling already suggests that the Labour vote in our colleges and universities has collapsed.
According to a Poll published in the Times Higher Education Supplement in March, 39% of students are planning to vote for the Liberal Democrats. The Labour vote has fallen to 28%,and the Conservatives are on 23%.
The Lib Dem Candidates here in Manchester, including John Leech in Manchester Withington, will be campaigning for every vote.
Britain is in so many ways a fortunate country - and a good country to live in. By international standards we are an affluent society.
But we can and must do better.
We want a fairer Britain.
In the fair society that the Liberal Democrats want everyone should have the opportunity to make the best of their talents.
That is why we would scrap tuition fees and top-up fees for students.
We should not be saddling our young people with huge debts as they start out in life.
And people from low-income backgrounds should not be put off university because of the costs.
Higher education should be based on the ability to learn not the ability to pay.
So we will be campaigning hard in Bolton West against Education Secretary Ruth Kelly.
The Liberal Democrats lead Bolton Council.
We have 15 Councillors in Bolton West - Labour have only 2.
Just like in Liverpool, the people of Bolton are turning to the Liberal Democrats.
People feel badly let down by Labour.
When you break your promises over tax increases and imposing student top up fees people don't forget.
Nor will people forgive the fact that Tony Blair lined up with George Bush and we were misled into the Iraq war.
The Liberal Democrats have been principled and consistent on all these matters during the last parliament.
The Conservatives just can't offer credibly the fresh alternative that the country is looking for.
They are a party of the past, not the future.
It's time for something different. Liberal Democrats are the real alternative.
Ends
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