22/03/05 - Lib Dems Real 10 Point Plan

  1. Oppose tough punishments for criminals. Lib Dems would scrap mandatory sentences for murderers and repeat rapists (Lib Dem Policy Paper 51, Justice and the Community, June 2002, p. 42).
  2. Propose higher council tax. Lib Dem councils talk more, cost more and deliver less and their local income tax would cost a typical hard-working couple in England £630 a year more than even today’s council tax (Local Government Precepts, Band D 2004-5, ODPM Press Release, 25 March 2004; correlated with Party control at March 2004).
  3. Propose 40 higher taxes. Lib Dems have already pledged to raise taxes 40 times to help pay for their own 100 spending commitments. And they have no way of filling the ‘black hole’ in Mr Blair’s financial plans, so they will be forced to raise taxes even further. They have even admitted this, saying ‘Our slogan at the next election will be “Trust us, we will put your taxes up”’ (Andrew George on Radio 5 Live, Simon Mayo Show, 19 January 2005).
  4. Oppose controlled immigration. Lib Dems would give Europe control of our immigration system and would oppose any limit on numbers (Lib Dem Policy Development Paper, Safe Havens, September 2004, p. 11).
  5. Propose abolishing good schools. Lib Dems want to abolish faith schools, grammar schools and specialist schools – the types of school that are doing well and where discipline is good (Phil Willis, Speech to Lib Dem Party Conference, 9 March 2002).
  6. Propose more tax on transport. Lib Dems would impose new congestion and parking taxes on drivers and new taxes on air travel for hard-working families (Lib Dem Press Release, 15 October 2003 & Lib Dem Policy Paper 46, Transport for People, August 2001, p.26).
  7. Propose health plans that don’t work. Lib Dems want to rename and ring-fence National Insurance Contributions to fund the NHS (Lib Dem Policy Paper 53, Quality, Innovation, Choice, September 2002, p. 53).  This would leave a shortfall of £15 billion by 2007-8.  So to avoid jeopardising NHS funding, they would therefore have to increase their renamed National Insurance every year.
  8. Oppose extending home ownership – and impose unwanted development against local people’s wishes (Lib Dem Internal Briefing Document, Housing Full Portfolio Briefing, August 2002, p. 13 & Lib Dem Press Release, 6 February 2001).
  9. Propose handing control of our defence to Europe. Lib Dems think we should rely on Europe to provide Britain’s defence (Lib Dem Policy Paper 47, Defending Democracy, 2002, p. 16).
  10. Propose handing over more powers to Europe. Lib Dems would scrap the pound and join the euro (Lib Dem Policy Briefing 34, Policies on Membership of the Single Currency, May 2004), and give unelected judges and bureaucrats more control of our lives by signing the European Constitution (Lib Dem Press Release, Britain should do everything it can for EU Constitution, 28 November 2003).

 

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