Opinion: James Ludley For Manor Ward

April sees the delivery of two of the key pledges made by the Liberal Democrats in our General Election manifesto. The personal income tax allowance is being raised by £1,000, which will particularly help those on low and middle incomes. Indeed, almost 1 million low earners will be freed altogether from paying income tax. The link between the state pension and earnings is also being restored, for the first time since Mrs. Thatcher abolished it in the early 1980s. In future, the basic state pension will have a “triple guarantee” – it will go up by the highest of earnings, inflation or 2.5% each year. In time, that will create a real boost to the value of the pension.

 Not only are the Liberal Democrats using our position in Government to deliver our policies – on pensions, tax, extra money for schools through the pupil premium, and a referendum on electoral reform – we are also ensuring that where there are proposals which are unfair or need rethinking, then there is a strong voice in the Government to ensure this happens. For example, in local news recently we have witnessed how Southport MP, Dr. John Pugh, is leading the charge with former Crosby MP and Lib Dem Peer, Baroness Shirley Williams (pictured), against the NHS Bill. A clear example of how the Liberal Democrats are keeping a check on the Conservatives in Government.

It is not just at a national level that Liberal Democrats are keeping a check on Coalition partners. On Sefton’s hung Council it is the Liberal Democrat Councillors who had to take the lead in forming a Council Budget last month, with Labour Cabinet Councillors abdicating their paid responsibility. I have Blogged many a time about this over the past few months, yet, there seems to be little shame or apology coming from the Labour camp.

Coalition at all levels requires us to make compromises – not all of which are welcome. Fairer voting would entrench the need to compromise, and that would be no bad thing for Britain.

Over the next month the Manor Ward Focus Team’s direction is firmly on the elections in our area – for our Council and for the referendum on a Fairer Voting System. Sefton deserves strong leadership; I want to see Liberal Democrats continuing to take the lead in Sefton and contributing to winning the crucial referendum on voting reform. Let us work hard together over these next few weeks to deliver those hugely important objectives.

On Thursday May 5^th vote Liberal Democrat and vote YES! to Fairer Votes.