At the recent Spring Conference in Harrogate a number of policies were updated and improved this included policy action on affordable housing, tackling crime, employment rights, Post Office closures, improving life for older people, council tax, Iraq, civil liberties, children, education and health.
On affordable housing in safer, greener communities the party supported the three main aims of the paper:
On action to reduce Crime, where the party supported the following steps:
On employment the party passed a policy motion on rights and responsibilities at work that would :
Post Office Closures is a problem that has hit the whole country and in particular Southampton Itchen this year. The party approved of the following measures to help Post Offices by :
Action to Improve Life for Older People is important for Liberal Democrats and the party approved of a policies which focuses on ways to financially help older people both through a better pension and improved employment rights.
The policy to scrap the council tax and replace it with local income was restated. Local Income tax is based on ability to pay and such systems operate efficiently in such varied environments as the US and Japan, Switzerland and Sweden. This policy was well proposed with a speech by Edward Davey MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
The parties opposition to the war in Iraq and support of the Iraqi people was demonstrated in the policy which has the following main points:
To prevent terrorism it is necessary to uphold basic humans and civil liberties, particularly in the area of criminal justice. The government’s recent anti-terrorism bill does not do this and so the party policy restated principles that have been part of the British justice system for centuries, namely that a person can not lose their liberty unless:
It is sad that at the start of the 21st centenary a major political party should have the need to re-state principles that are in the Magna Carta.
A range of measures were outline to help put the care of children first and party approved of the following measures :
Action to Improve Health is also required and a range of measure to improve the nations health were also outlined:-
The conference also saw a number of interesting key note speeches from :
Dr Vincent Cable MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, contrasted Liberal Democrat policies with the other two main parties, he said
In conclusion Vince Cable said :
Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, set out why the Liberal Democrats are the real alternative to Labour and the Conservative party are no real alternative.
Norman Baker MP, Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, tackled the area missed on Labour’s 2005 pledge card and Michael Howard’s I believe list i.e. the environment and in conclusion he said :
Phil Willis MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills, former local head Harrogate head teacher started is speech with a interesting quote from Nelson Mandela
And he finished his speech by saying:
Overall I found the conference very interesting and it underlined the strong policy base that the Liberal Democrat has.