Today we return to the election campaign.
There is a fundamental truth in any general election and the democratic process involved.
It gives us all an opportunity to reflect on the nature of our society and to decide the future course of our country.
Let me tell you what I think is profoundly important about our society.
I believe that our country is richer and more vibrant precisely because it is multi-racial and multi-ethnic.
Let that be the starting point for any debate over immigration and asylum.
Where immigration and asylum issues are concerned, the challenge is for the politicians to make the systems work in the best long-term interests of the country.
It requires sensitivity and responsibility.
It is not an issue for political posturing.
Of course all parties are arguing for controlled immigration.
The Liberal Democrats want a quota and green card system based on an assessment of Britain's economic needs.
Many employers need to hire skills from abroad.
And we need to look at things like skills shortages in our health service.
So we need less political posturing and more concern for the real needs of our economy and our health service.
On asylum, let us not go down the route of declaring artificial limits.
This country has a proud history of opening its doors to generations of people fleeing personal persecution, civil unrest and war.
We must never surrender that track record.
That is the Liberal Democrat view as to the nature of British society.
Now let me spell out the Liberal Democrats plans for a fairer Britain.
Quality local public services - clean hospitals and good schools.
Putting patients first in the Health Service - not chasing central government targets and missing the whole point of proper quality health care.
More teachers and lower class sizes for our youngest children so they can get the best start in life.
An end to student tuition fees because access to higher education should not be based on the ability to pay.
10,000 more police on the streets, cutting crime and the fear of crime - not expensive Identity Cards.
Free Personal Care for the elderly - help with things like washing and feeding - when they get a long term illness like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
A 'Citizen's Pension' for the over 75s, with an extra £100 on the basic state pension and ending the scandalous discrimination against women in our pensions system.
A greener Britain living up to our responsibilities on the environment - cleaner energy, less pollution.
An end to the unfair Council Tax - we want a fair system of local tax based on income not on property prices.
And we say no hidden taxes - we have one tax raising measure which will affect one percent of taxpayers. One new tax on one percent of earners. And we should be proud of what that will pay for an end to tuition fees; providing free personal care for the elderly; and reducing the burden of local taxation.
Then we will redirect £5bn a year of existing Government spending to pay for priorities like pensions and more police.
This is about addressing with real solutions the problems that people in our country - in our constituencies - face every day of the week.
This is about giving people hope that things can change for the better.
Why?
Because Labour have wasted the opportunity given to them by the British people over these last 8 years.
Under Labour the poorest 20% of people are paying more of their income in tax than the wealthiest 20%.
So much for social justice.
When you break your promises over tax increases and 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.
People feel badly let down by Labour.
They're never going to regain the trust of the British people.
Britain is in so many ways a fortunate country - and a good country to live in.
We have principles of tolerance and social justice.
By international standards we are an affluent society.
But we can and must do better.
We're not in the business of talking Britain down.
In fact, quite the opposite.
We're going to talk Britain up.
We are ambitious for Britain.
There have been issues in this last Parliament where we Liberal Democrats have had to provide the real opposition to the Labour government;
over Iraq, over top-up fees, ID cards, the council tax.
On each and every one of these issues, the Conservatives have lined up with Labour or flip-flopped on the issue under dispute.
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.
That is why there are no limits to our ambition and there are no no-go areas for the Liberal Democrats.
We will take seats from both Labour and Conservative in each and every region and nation of the country.
And as Liberal Democrat MPs in a few weeks time after this historic general election, I'll be expecting you then to live up to the hopes of your constituents and to help us together to build the fairer Britain that is so long overdue.
Good luck.
See you on the campaign trail.
ENDS
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