Monday, September 24, 2007
The Environment - action now!
The central theme of the recent Liberal Democrat conference was “The Environment – Action Now”. With the policies in our climate change paper we have become the first major British party to map out the route to a carbon neutral Britain. Running through all our policies is a green thread that signals our commitment to combating climate change. Under our proposals, the UK would set the green standard for others to reach.
Recent scientific evidence suggests that the target of 60% cut in emissions is on the low side, and Lib Dems will continue to press for a more ambitious but realistic target of at least 80% by 2050. Our ‘Zero Carbon Britain’ paper, including a commitment to work towards a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, is the most ambitious proposals on climate change of any political party. If this is to be achieved, annual targets of at least 3 per cent will be necessary. The Government has the opportunity to provide genuine international leadership in the fight against Climate Change, yet the current bill is simply weak in too many key areas, such as the exclusion of shipping and international aviation emissions. The failure to address these emissions would simply allow them to grow and they must be included in the final bill.
Beyond the Climate Change Bill, we need both the Conservative and Labour parties to be as bold as the Liberal Democrats have been in proposing measures to promote, support and reward efforts to combat climate change. Our ‘Zero Carbon Britain’ paper includes proposals such as our Green Tax Switch campaign that switches the tax burden from good things like work, risk and effort to bad things like pollution. We need fairer and greener taxes, not more taxes.
[Watch our 'Environment: Act Now' video]
Recent scientific evidence suggests that the target of 60% cut in emissions is on the low side, and Lib Dems will continue to press for a more ambitious but realistic target of at least 80% by 2050. Our ‘Zero Carbon Britain’ paper, including a commitment to work towards a 100% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, is the most ambitious proposals on climate change of any political party. If this is to be achieved, annual targets of at least 3 per cent will be necessary. The Government has the opportunity to provide genuine international leadership in the fight against Climate Change, yet the current bill is simply weak in too many key areas, such as the exclusion of shipping and international aviation emissions. The failure to address these emissions would simply allow them to grow and they must be included in the final bill.
Beyond the Climate Change Bill, we need both the Conservative and Labour parties to be as bold as the Liberal Democrats have been in proposing measures to promote, support and reward efforts to combat climate change. Our ‘Zero Carbon Britain’ paper includes proposals such as our Green Tax Switch campaign that switches the tax burden from good things like work, risk and effort to bad things like pollution. We need fairer and greener taxes, not more taxes.
[Watch our 'Environment: Act Now' video]
Friday, September 21, 2007
Lib Dem Leader Sir Menzies Campbell MP - Conference speech
The cosy Labour/Tory consensus
In his speech to the Liberal Democrat conference, Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell MP highlighted how on so many of the major political issues there is a two-party consensus between Labour and Conservatives – comfortable, cosy and complacent. On the environment, taxes, pensions, nuclear power, tuition fees, Iraq.
Meanwhile, Gordon Brown hasn’t taken the tough decisions to tackle climate change, he hasn’t scrapped ID cards, he hasn’t brought the troops home from Iraq.
As Chancellor over the last ten years with unparalleled influence over government, he has to take responsibility for the Government’s policy mistakes on issues such as: Iraq, civil liberties, the environment, nuclear power, council tax, and student fees.
The full speech is on the Liberal Democrat website, and you can comment on it on http://www.mingcampbell.org.uk
Successful conference in Brighton
Local Liberal Democrats have just returned from a very successful party Conference in Brighton. In the Chingford & Woodford Green group were Anne Crook (Monkhams ward representative on the Chingford & Woodford Green Lib Dems' Executive committee) and Geoff Seeff and Cllr. John Beanse (Vice-Chair & Chair respectively).
All made contributions to several fringe meetings on a wide variety of topics, and were also actively involved in voting on important issues in the main Conference hall.
All made contributions to several fringe meetings on a wide variety of topics, and were also actively involved in voting on important issues in the main Conference hall.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Back the call to bring our troops out of Iraq
Lib Dems have called again for troops to be brought home from Iraq.
As Sir Ming Campbell said: "It is time to recognise that British troops can do no more in Iraq. Their professionalism and dedication has been outstanding and their courage has been beyond belief.The Government is failing to answer the fundamental question about the military purpose they are serving and the political objective they are achieving by their continued presence.The level of casualties is unacceptable. We have a moral obligation to the young men and women of our armed forces. We should now set a framework for their withdrawal from Iraq."
PETITION
You can back the call by signing the special petition. Please click here on http://www.ourcampaign.org.uk/iraq
As Sir Ming Campbell said: "It is time to recognise that British troops can do no more in Iraq. Their professionalism and dedication has been outstanding and their courage has been beyond belief.The Government is failing to answer the fundamental question about the military purpose they are serving and the political objective they are achieving by their continued presence.The level of casualties is unacceptable. We have a moral obligation to the young men and women of our armed forces. We should now set a framework for their withdrawal from Iraq."
PETITION
You can back the call by signing the special petition. Please click here on http://www.ourcampaign.org.uk/iraq
Friday, September 14, 2007
Health Campaign
SOS for the NHS !
Information about the Liberal Democrats' major campaign to protect our NHS can be found by clicking on www.nhssos.com . PLEASE SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION !
Liberal Democrats are campaigning to:
1. Stop the cuts. Local hospitals are under threat, staff made redundant and services slashed. It's no way to run the NHS and the cuts should be halted.
2. Cut the waste. While services are being cut the Government is spending millions on computer systems that have yet to deliver and botched reforms which don't help patients.
3. Give us back our NHS. Under Labour it is Government Ministers that have ALL the say while local people have NO say. The Lib Dems want to see more control of the NHS in the hands of local people.
Liberal Democrats are campaigning to:
1. Stop the cuts. Local hospitals are under threat, staff made redundant and services slashed. It's no way to run the NHS and the cuts should be halted.
2. Cut the waste. While services are being cut the Government is spending millions on computer systems that have yet to deliver and botched reforms which don't help patients.
3. Give us back our NHS. Under Labour it is Government Ministers that have ALL the say while local people have NO say. The Lib Dems want to see more control of the NHS in the hands of local people.
Green light
The Liberal Democrats have been identified as the greenest of the three main political parties in an audit by Britain's environmental groups published on 12th September. The groups include Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, Greenpeace, the National Trust, the RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts, the Woodland Trust, WWF-UK and Camaron. The Conservatives came out the worst in the audit leading the green organisations to comment there was a "stark" gap between the party's aspirations and its limited policy commitments. Labour scored one "green light" whilst the Liberal Democrats scored three.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Down the tube
Liberal Democrats are arguing strongly that passengers should not pay the penalty for the Labour Government’s and the Mayor of London’s tube refurbishment disaster.
Meanwhile tube strikes are currently creating misery for passengers.
Metronet, the company who were refurbishing most of London's Underground network under Gordon Brown’s Public Private Partnership (PPP), has gone bust. Transport for London is having to pour in hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to enable urgent work on the tube to continue.
Meanwhile tube strikes are currently creating misery for passengers.
Metronet, the company who were refurbishing most of London's Underground network under Gordon Brown’s Public Private Partnership (PPP), has gone bust. Transport for London is having to pour in hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to enable urgent work on the tube to continue.
Don't let the PPP (Public Private Partnership) become Passengers Pay the Penalty.
The Lib Dems are organising a petition to the Mayor of London (included in some FOCUS leaflets) across the capital which reads as follows:
"Following the disaster of Gordon Browns PPP on the tube where Metronet failed and London Underground were unable to manage contracts on time and on budget, we hereby call on the Mayor to set up sustainable business and
financial arrangements so that Londoners will not pay any additional penalty for PPP failures.In addition, essential capacity upgrades, modernisation of the tube network and new passenger lifts for step free access must be introduced no later than as set out in the original timetables. Furthermore, on no account should staff levels at tube stations be reduced. Underground staff must be available to help passengers during all operational hours."
financial arrangements so that Londoners will not pay any additional penalty for PPP failures.In addition, essential capacity upgrades, modernisation of the tube network and new passenger lifts for step free access must be introduced no later than as set out in the original timetables. Furthermore, on no account should staff levels at tube stations be reduced. Underground staff must be available to help passengers during all operational hours."
Read all about it and sign the petition online by clicking here on: http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/tubepenalty
