Steve Gilbert MP

Over 20 million working people will be better off next year after Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government delivered the biggest ever increase in the income tax personal allowance in the Budget. The massive £3.5bn tax cut for working people delivers: The biggest ever single uplift in the tax threshold A personal allowance of £9,205 in April 2013 21 million working people getting an extra £220 tax cut Brings the total tax cut for basic rate tax payers to £550 Brings the total number of people lifted out of tax to 2 million. The Liberal Democrats have ensured this is a budget for the millions not for the millionaires. That's why the biggest move in this Budget is a tax cut for ordinary workers, going further and faster towards the Liberal Democrat goal of making the first ten thousand pounds you earn tax-free. From a pledge on the front page of our 2010 manifesto directly to the pockets of working people. Thanks to the Liberal Democrats, people working full time earning the minimum wage will have seen their income tax bill cut in half. We have delivered on Nick Clegg's pledge to go "further and faster" on the personal tax allowance. This means that 21m basic rate taxpayers will get an extra £220 cut in their income tax bills and a further 840,000 people will be taken out of paying income tax altogether. Last years announcement that Child Benefit would be withdrawn from higher-rate tax payers caused many people to question the rules - especially for one earner familes. The budget today introduced a higher limit before the benefit is withdrawn and a "taper" to make the scheme. The Liberal Democrats were also commited to making sure that this was a budget that saw those earning most paying their fair share. New taxes on the very richest will raise FIVE times as much from the super-rich as next years cut on the top rate of tax from 50p to 45p will cost: Stamp duty increased to 7% for multi-million pound homes New 15% tax on companies buying property over £2m Crack-down on tax avoidance for the richest To stimulate the economy, there are new measures to help businesses across the country: Reducing red-tape on business taxes for small business Cutting corporation tax to help British business Getting more money from the banks to loan more to British businesses Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said: "As part of the Coalition budget deal, we agreed to reduce the top rate of tax to 45p - but only after securing a series of new taxes on the wealthy that pay for it five times over. "Labour's 50p rate turned out not to work effectively. By introducing taxes that do work, like a tycoon tax, raising stamp duty, blocking stamp duty avoidance, and getting non-resident companies to pay capital gains tax on their residential property, we have secured real progress on the taxation of wealth. This is a budget for the many, not the few. "We've stuck to our tough but necessary plan to deal with this country's financial problems. Britain can't afford unfunded giveaways - unlike the last Labour government, we have made sure everything is paid for. "The Budget shows real progress on our commitments to infrastructure - on roads, railways, and renewable energy. Tougher green taxes on company cars will help cut emissions as well as raising money. "We've also secured new support for our creative and aerospace industries, technology investment and getting the best new ideas from our Universities into production. This, and further business tax simplification, means that we have delivered a budget for growth as well as fairness." Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg used his speech to the Party's Spring conference in NewcastleGateshead to call for the forthcoming budget to be a "budget for fairness" and pledged that it would help working familes. The Deputy Prime Minister pledged that by 2015 Britain would have seen an end to control orders, the first gay marriages and the first elections to the House of Lords. Nick Clegg's conference speech in full: This year will show the best of Britain. The Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee, a nation proud of our past, but with our face to the future. A nation that treasures liberty, honours hard work and values fair play and fair chances. That is the character of our country: strong, confident, united. And our character as a nation is being tested, because even in this year of celebration families are under pressure, worrying about paying their bills, about keeping their jobs, about the future. The road to full recovery for our economy will be long, and it will be hard. Anybody who says there is a quick or easy way out is kidding themselves. So the Coalition Government is working hard to clean up after the financial storm of 2008. Sweeping up Labour's mess and keeping our economy safe. At times like these, we must pull together. Not let ourselves be pulled apart. Pull together as one nation. A liberal nation because that is the spirit of Britain. Some people think there is something slightly un-British about liberalism. But this country, our country, is the home of liberty. And we Liberal Democrats are heirs to the great, British liberal cause. I am proud that now, in this Coalition Government, Liberal Democrats are repairing Labour's industrial-scale destruction of liberty. Reversing 28 days of detention without trial, destroying the DNA records of innocent people held by the state, ending the illiberal nonsense of ID cards. British liberties restored by British liberals. Before 2015, because of us there will be: the first gay marriage - and an end to child detention the first bank levy - an end to huge tax loopholes for the rich the first elections to House of Lords - an end to Control Orders the first coalition government in our lifetimes ...and an end to the myth that Liberal Democrats can't govern. We are governing to fix our economy. We are governing to fight for fairness. We are in government - and we are on your side. So yes, these are hard times. But this will be a good year for a great nation. A good year for Britain. But let me tell you, this will be a good year for British liberalism too. Our biggest challenge is to rescue our economy. We need to sort out the financial mess Labour left us. But we need economic reform too. We need a new economy that serves not one square mile, but one nation. Not creative accounting, but creative industries. Not the City, but all our cities. Healing the divide between North and South. That's why our Regional Growth Fund - that Ian Wrigglesworth has helped to lead - is investing £2.4 billion. Creating more than 300 hundred thousand jobs in the areas that need them most. And we will bring sanity and responsibility to our banking sector. That's why we've put up the bank levy. And why we are protecting high street banks from risky investments. We will free our cities. That's why we are striking deals with our biggest cities: Sheffield and Manchester Liverpool and Leeds Bristol and Birmingham Nottingham and Newcastle Giving all of these great cities new powers and new opportunities, to be the engines of growth again. And we will rebalance power in the workplace. That's why I want us to build a 'John Lewis' economy, where workers have a real stake. Not capital versus labour, bosses versus workers but modern enterprises built on shared endeavour and shared profit. An old liberal idea to build a new liberal economy. And a sustainable economy, one that protects the environment. Tackling climate change, green jobs for the future, green apprenticeships and a Green Deal to cut energy bills. Some say we have to choose between boosting growth and being green. What a load of rubbish. Going for growth means going green. The race is on to lead the world in clean energy. The new economic powerhouses - China, India, Brazil - are competing. So the choice for the UK is simple: wake up, or end up playing catch up. Going green is not a luxury for the good times. It is the best road out of the bad times. Our party is the green party of government. We have always been a green party. And let me tell you this: we always will be a green party because we need an economy fit for the future to pull us out of this economic downturn. And in these hard times, we have to look out for each other. That's why I fought so hard for benefits to be increased fully in line with inflation. The biggest cash rise ever in the basic state pension because we promised to look after pensioners. And we will. Benefits for the unemployed were protected, too. Not everyone agreed with me on this, if you believed some of the stories. You would think these benefits are unlimited handouts for so-called "scroungers". But these are benefits for ordinary people. Many of them laid off through no fault of their own and who strive to get back into work. Most people who claim Job Seekers Allowance are off benefits within three months. They don't all sit there waiting for the next welfare cheque. That is a dangerous myth, that dishonours those down on their luck. A friend of mine recently shared his memories of his father becoming unemployed. His Dad signed on but every day, he set the alarm for the same time as he had done for his job. He got up, shaved, put on a shirt and tie and sat at the kitchen table, working to get a job. And my friend said: "I've never been more proud of my Dad". So let's never forget. Unemployment benefits are benefits for people who fall on hard times and hard times are not the moment to slash them. But if you are on benefit, you owe it to the nation, to yourself, and to your family to strain every sinew to find a job. To get up every day, just like my friend's Dad at the kitchen table and work at finding a job. That's why I am such strong supporter of the basic idea driving the Coalition's welfare reforms to make work pay, boost independence and give real help finding a job rather than leaving people stuck on the dole, enslaved by poverty. That is why, in a few weeks time, I will be launching the new Youth Contract. A Liberal Democrat drive for youth jobs: 20,000 more apprenticeships, 160,000 new jobs and 250,000 work experience places. A £1 billion scheme to get every jobless youngster earning or learning, getting all our young people earning or learning. Because no matter how hard things may be we will never, ever leave our young people behind. That includes encouraging work experience. There's been some controversy about this policy but I make no apology for it because we are doing the right thing. Labour's benefit rules actually penalised unemployed youngsters for getting work experience. So thousands of them ended up on the sofa, glued to the TV, cut off from the world of work, wasting time and losing hope. Our policy means young people can get up and get on, keep their skills alive, keep up the habits of a working life and improve their chance of landing a job. Because let me tell you this: there is nothing liberal about leaving our young people to waste away on the dole. So: we all have a part to play, a duty to the nation, and this duty is greatest of all for those with the greatest means. Those with the broadest shoulders should carry the heaviest burden - that is basic justice, Liberal justice. But that is not how it feels today. Too often, rather than paying their dues the wealthy pay their accountants to get them out of it. Avoiding tax, minimising the amount they have to contribute - that's the name of their game. Boasting about the latest wheeze for moving an asset here, a property there and a loophole everywhere. All to make the tax bill lower. Let me tell you, few things make me angrier as the unemployed struggle to find work, as ordinary families struggle to make ends meet, as young people struggle to get on the housing ladder: the sight of the wealthiest scheming to keep their tax bill down to the bare minimum is frankly disgraceful. Multi-millionaires avoiding tax by moving their money around. So: we will call time on the tycoon tax dodgers and make sure everyone pays a fair level of tax. We've already raised capital gains tax, cut tax reliefs for the wealthiest, clamped down on tax avoidance at the top and we will go further because the Liberal Democrats have a crystal clear approach. A philosophy of tax as old as our party, described by Mill, pursued by Gladstone, implemented by Lloyd George: tax wealth, not wages. That is why we will raise the income tax threshold to £10,000. A radical tax policy. Our tax policy. From next month, 25 million people will have more money in their pocket and over a million low-paid workers will have stopped paying income tax altogether. Just think about that for a moment: a million more workers with no tax bill because of us, because of you. That's what it means to be a Liberal Democrat: real tax cuts at a time of real need. But we have to do more. That is why the Budget in ten days time must offer concrete help to hard-pressed, hard-working families: a big increase in the income tax threshold, further and faster towards £10,000. Help we promised, help we must deliver in Government, today. I want the Budget to show how we are anchoring this Government in the centre ground. Credible - but fair. The last Labour budgets led our nation to the economic precipice. Fantasy budgets issued by a party in denial - out of ideas - and abdicating responsibility. This month's Coalition budget will show the determination of both parties in Government to repair the public finances. Keep our economy safe and help working families. The last big tax-cutting budget was in 1988. Nigel Lawson cut billions from the tax bills of the highest-paid workers: a budget for the few, not for the many. But this year's Coalition Budget must be a budget for fairness - not an 80s Lawson budget but a modern liberal budget. Because we need a tax system for a nation pulling together: not being pulled apart. More important now than ever, when the forces of division are so strong. In dark economic times, people can turn inwards, close their doors, look for scapegoats. Fear can breed resentment and division: divisions between north and south between the nations of the UK, between different races or religions, between rich and poor, between the generations. Britain has a proud record of diversity and tolerance but we cannot be complacent. When the economy weakens, prejudice can breed. So let's fight it, in every corner of our nation. We are bringing forward proposals for gay marriage, already provoking debate. Let me just say, if you are a young gay person, your freedom to love who you choose is a fundamental right in a liberal society - and you will always have our support. Let's also fight for liberalism in London where just one more Liberal Democrat member of the Assembly would ensure the BNP gets kicked off. What a great moment for British tolerance that would be. Let's wipe away the ugly face of racism and reaction. I call on all Londoners - vote for Brian Paddick, vote Liberal Democrat and kick out the BNP bigots. And let me also say a word or two about Scotland. I want the Scottish people to have much more power for over Scottish affairs. The Liberal Democrats are, after all, the party of home rule. But I also know that, as nations in a United Kingdom, we are better together than we would be apart: richer, safer and stronger. Alex Salmond wants to break up the nations of the United Kingdom. I want to keep them together. He says this is a time for division - I say it is a time for unity. He wants to split us apart - I want us to pull together. It is our job, as liberals, to fight against the forces of division. Fight for our vision of an optimistic, open and tolerant nation: a nation confident enough to face outwards to the world. Arguing, as I will be, at the Rio+20 Summit for green growth to create jobs, engaging with emerging nations to drive free trade, supporting President Obama's drive, in Korea this year to keep nuclear material out of the hands of terrorists and becoming the first major economy to hit the UN's 0.7 per cent target for foreign aid. Real help for the poorest in the world, promised by us and the Conservatives in opposition - delivered by us together in government. This is a time that demands a better politics. A politics of the national interest. That's why I am proud of this Coalition Government. We have shown that two parties, two very different parties, can govern together. Never again will the political Luddites be able to say that coalitions don't work. Coalition is working, it is has been tested and it has passed the test. Take NHS reform. Controversial, yes. Difficult, yes. But the value of coalition has been proven because this is a coalition Government. The health bill was stopped in its tracks and rewritten because this is a coalition Government. Competition will be the servant of health care, not the master because this is a coalition government. This is a bill for patients not profits. It is not a Liberal Democrat health bill but it is a better bill because of the Liberal Democrats, a better bill because of you. A better bill because of Shirley Williams - Shirley: thank you. So: I am proud of how Coalition is working but I am even more proud of us, of you. The Liberal Democrats are once again a truly national party of government. The only party of the centre ground, not of the left or right, of north or south, rich or poor but doing the right thing for the whole nation. The other parties are bound and gagged by vested interests. We are not. The other parties are hemmed into certain parts of the country. Look at the electoral map: blue seats in the south, red ones in the north. Look at where the money comes from: trade unions on one side, City financiers on the other. That is why we can say today: the Liberal Democrats are the only true one nation party. A one nation party of the radical centre, representing all regions and nations. Seeing not what divides us - but what unites us. Sound on the economy, passionate about fairness: doing the right thing and battling vested interests. Challenging the status quo. For this is the timeless liberal mission: taking on the establishment when it fails the people. A more urgent challenge today than for generations because the old establishment has failed. The two square miles - the City and Westminster have failed. Failed the ordinary people of this country and must not be allowed to fail them again. Now that we're in Government, people might ask if we can still be the party that challenges the establishment. The answer to that is an emphatic yes. I may be Deputy Prime Minister but let me tell you: I am as much of a radical as ever. Jo Grimond decried the conservatives of all parties, those who he said showed a 'sentiment in favour of things as they are': Things as they are means an economy for executives not ordinary workers Things as they are means a bank system that bankrupts our economy Things as they are means life chances being crushed by the fortunes of birth Things as they are means a tax system that hurts ordinary working families Things are they are means a House of Lords stuffed with machine politicians Things as they are means political parties kow-towing to media moguls Things as they are just won't do any more And we are in politics to change them. We are the pioneers of British politics: our eyes on the horizon. By 2015, we will have done a lot but we will have plenty left to do. Take education - a touchstone issue for this party. We will have changed the landscape by the end of this parliament, spending £2.5 billion a year on our pupil premium to strengthen our schools and create new opportunities for our children. But that is just the beginning. So I want our ambitions for education to be at the very heart of our manifesto in 2015. Education that delivers on the liberal promise: that every child can go as far as their talent will take them. That is what we Liberal Democrats will fight for. So: 2015 is not the destination. 2015 is a staging post. This country will be a more liberal nation but we will just be beginning to tackle the deep problems that cramp the lives of our citizens and hobble our economy. Because let me tell you this: in 2015 we won't be looking back, asking people to thank us for what we have done. We will be looking forwards and asking for their support for what we can do together in the future. We won't have finished the job in 2015. We will just be getting started, just getting started on making this nation. Stronger. Fairer. Greener. Freer. A more liberal Britain with every passing year: that's the prize. Let's get out there and fight for it. Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

In his keynote speech to the Liberal Democrat Conference, Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has outlined his goals for the Government and the country over the coming years. He reiterated his commitment to liberal values on the environment and human rights and his determination to ensure a fair chance for every child, saying "every child can do good things, great things, if only we give them the opportunities they deserve." Speaking at the Birmingham ICC at the end of the Liberal Democrats' Autumn Conference, he said: "Liberal Democrats, we have now been in Government for 500 days. Not easy, is it? None of us thought it would be a walk in the park, but I suspect none of us predicted just how tough it would turn out to be. We've lost support, we've lost councillors, and we lost a referendum. I know how painful it has been to face anger and frustration on the doorstep. "Some of you may have even wondered: Will it all be worth it in the end? It will be. And today I want to explain why. "But above all I want to pay tribute to you. Your resilience. Your grace under fire. I have been genuinely moved by your spirit and your strength. Thank you. Thank you, above all, for never forgetting what we are in politics for. After the May elections, Alex Cole-Hamilton, one of our defeated candidates in Edinburgh said that if losing was part payment for ending child detention then, as he said: 'I accept it, with all my heart.' "That is the liberal spirit and that is something we will never lose. The spirit that gave birth to our party a century and half ago, that kept us alive when the other two parties tried to kill us off. The spirit that means however great our past, our fight will always be for a better future. "Down in Westminster we've been vilified like never before. The Left and the Right didn't like us much in opposition. They like us a whole lot less in Government. The Left accuse us of being powerless puppets, duped by a right wing Conservative clique. "The Right accuse us of being a sinister left wing clique, who've duped powerless Conservatives. I do wish they'd make up their mind. "So yes, it has been hard. And adversity tests the character of a party just as it tests any person. We've shown - you've shown - immense strength. After being hit hard, we picked ourselves up and we came out fighting. Fighting to keep the NHS safe. Fighting to protect human rights. Fighting to create jobs. Fighting for every family. Not doing the easy thing, but doing the right thing. Not easy, but right. "And as for all those seats we lost in May, let me tell you this: I won't rest, we won't rest, until we've won every single one of those seats back. "These may not be easy times for us as a party. But much more importantly: These are not easy times for the country. Economic insecurity. Conflict and terrorism. Disorder flaring up on our streets. Times like these can breed protectionism and populism. So times like these are when liberals are needed most. Our party has fought for liberal values for a century and half: justice, optimism, freedom. We're not about to give up now. "This conference centre is on the site of the old Bingley Hall where William Gladstone stood a hundred and thirty years ago to found the National Liberal Federation. Gladstone observed that day that Birmingham had shown it was no place for 'weak-kneed Liberalism'. No change there then. "So we are strong. United. True to our values. Back in Government and on your side. In Government you're faced with hard choices every day. The question is how you make them. Some ask 'how can we get a market to work here?' Others 'how can this win us more votes?' A few 'what will the press think?' For liberals, the litmus test is always the national interest. Not doing the easy thing. Doing the right thing. "And that takes a certain kind of character. One which we've seen on display over the last few months. And indeed the last few days here in Birmingham. Brave. Principled. Awkward. Resolute. Optimistic. Unstoppable. No I'm not just talking about Paddy Ashdown. I am talking about everyone in this hall. "But I think people still need to know more about the character of our party. Not just how we govern, but why. We proved something about ourselves last year, when we faced a historic choice: Whether or not to enter Government in coalition with the Conservatives. "The easy thing would have been to sit on the opposition benches throwing rocks at the Government as it tried to get control of the public finances. It might even, in the short run, have been more popular, but it would not have been right. At that moment, Britain needed a strong government. "Alistair Darling's recent book is called 'Back from the Brink'. In reality Labour left us on the brink. Teetering on the edge of an economic precipice. So we put aside party differences for the sake of the national interest. People before politics. Nation before party. And while other countries have been riven by political bickering, we have shown that a coalition forged in a time of emergency could be a different kind of government, governing differently. "Because let me tell you this: You don't play politics at a time of national crisis. You don't play politics with the economy. And you never, ever play politics with people's jobs. "Our first big decision was to clear the structural deficit this parliament. To wipe the slate clean by 2015. This has meant painful cuts. Agonisingly difficult decisions. Not easy, but right. Because handing control of the economy to the bond traders: that's not progressive. "Burying your head in the sand: that's not liberal. Saddling our children with the nation's debt: that's not fair. "Labour says: the Government is going too far, too fast. I say, Labour would have offered too little, too late. Imagine if Ed Miliband and Ed Balls had still been in power. Gordon Brown's backroom boys when Labour was failing to balance the books, failing to regulate the financial markets, and failing to take on the banks. The two Eds, behind the scenes, lurking in the shadows, always plotting, always scheming, never taking responsibility. At this time of crisis what Britain needs is real leadership. This is no time for the back room boys. "Labour's economy was based on bad debt and false hope. Labour got us into this mess. But they are clueless about how to get us out. Another term of Labour would have been a disaster for our economy. So don't for a moment let Labour get away with it. Don't forget the chaos and fear of 2008. And never, ever trust Labour with our economy again. "Government has brought difficult decisions. Of course the most heart wrenching for me, for all of us, was on university funding. Like all of you, I saw the anger. I understand it. I felt it. I have learned from it. And I know how much damage this has done to us as a party. By far the most painful part of our transition. From the easy promises of opposition to the invidious choices of Government. "Probably the most important lesson I have learned is this: No matter how hard you work on the details of a policy, it's no good if the perception is wrong. We can say until we're blue in the face that no one will have to pay any fees as a student, but still people don't believe it. That once you've left university you'll pay less, week in week out, than under the current system, but still people don't believe it. That the support given to students from poorer families will increase dramatically, but still people don't believe it. "The simple truth is that the Conservatives and Labour were both set on increasing fees, and in those circumstances we did the best thing we could. Working tirelessly to ensure anyone who wants to go to university can. Freeing part time students from up front fees for the first time. Ensuring fairer repayments for all graduates. But we failed to properly explain those dilemmas. We failed to explain that there were no other easy options. And we have failed so far to show that the new system will be much, much better than people fear. "So: lessons learned. But the most important thing now is to get out there and show that university is for everyone. We should all take a leaf out of Simon Hughes' book - who has been busting a gut as the Government's Advocate for Access. Travelling the country, explaining the new system and finding ways to get young people from all backgrounds to apply to university. Simon didn't like the decision we made, and for reasons I respect. But rather than sitting back he has rolled up his sleeves and got on with making the new system work. Simon, thank you. "Right now, our biggest concern is of course the economy. The recovery is fragile. Every worker, every family knows that. There is a long, hard road ahead. In the last few days alone we have seen a financial storm in the Eurozone. Rising unemployment. Falling stock markets. "So we were right to pull the economy back from the brink. It is clearer now than ever that deficit reduction was essential to protect the economy, to protect homes and jobs. Deficit reduction lays the foundations for growth. But on its own it is not enough. That's why we're already: investing in infrastructure, reducing red tape, promoting skills, getting the banks lending. But the outlook for the global economy has got worse. So we need to do more, we can do more, and we will do more for growth and for jobs. "Because we're not in politics just to repair the damage done by Labour, to glue back together the pieces of the old economy. We are here to build a new economy. A new economy safe from casino speculation. That's why a Liberal Democrat business secretary is putting a firewall into the banking system. "Protecting the people who have worked hard and saved. A new economy that safeguards the environment. That's why a Liberal Democrat environment secretary is creating the world's first Green Investment Bank, spending three billion pounds to create green jobs. "A new economy where the lowest-paid get to keep the money they earn. That's why a Liberal Democrat chief secretary to the Treasury has put two hundred pounds into the pocket of every basic rate taxpayer and taken almost a million workers - most of them women - out of income tax altogether. "A new economy based on skills. That's why one Liberal Democrat minister is creating a quarter of a million new apprenticeships, and another is investing in schools and early years education. "A new economy that works for families. Where men and women can choose how to balance work and home. That's why Liberal Democrats are bringing in shared parental leave and more flexible working. "And a new economy run for ordinary people rather than big finance. After the so-called masters of the universe turned out to be masters of destruction instead. Which is why when we come to sell those bank shares, I want to see a payback to every citizen. Your money was put at risk. Your money was used to bail out the banks. And so the money made by the banks is your money, too. An economy for everyone: In Scotland, Wales, in every part of the United Kingdom. For women and men. Young, old. Town, country. North, South. A new economy for the whole nation. "Because as Liberal Democrats we act for the whole nation. In our long, proud liberal history, we have never served: the media moguls, the union barons or the bankers. We do not serve, and we will never serve, vested interests. We are in nobody's pocket. That's why we can make decisions in the national interest: Not easy, but right. "That's why we speak up, first and loudest, when the establishment lets the people down. In the last three years, we've seen establishment institutions exposed one by one. The City of London, shattered by the greed of bankers. The media, corrupted by phone hacking. Parliament, shamed by expenses. "I was brought up to know that it is not polite to say 'I told you so'. But I'm sorry: We did. In 2006 when Vince Cable warned that 'bad debts were growing' and that bank lending levels were 'recklessly irresponsible'. In 2002 when Tom McNally said: 'The Government must guard the public interest as assiduously as Mr Murdoch guards his shareholder interests.' And in 1996 when Paddy said that Parliament had become 'A rotten mess ... a dishevelled, disfigured old corpse of what was once called the Mother of Parliaments.' Free to tell it like it really is because we are in nobody's pocket. "Of all the claims Ed Miliband has made, the most risible is that his party is the enemy of vested interests. While we were campaigning for change in the banking system, they were on their prawn cocktail offensive in the City. While we've led the charge against the media barons, Labour has cowered before them for decades. The most shocking thing about the news that Tony Blair is godfather to one of Rupert Murdoch's children is that nobody was really shocked at all. "And today Labour is in hock to the trade union barons: After their government stipend, 95% of Labour's money comes from unions. Most of it from just four of them. Let me be clear: The values of trade unionism are as relevant as ever. Supporting workers. Fighting for fairness at work. But I don't think the unions should be able to buy themselves a political party. Ed Miliband says he wants to loosen the ties between Labour and the union barons who helped him beat his brother. Let's see him put his money where his mouth is. Let's see if he'll support radical reform of party funding. Every previous attempt has been blocked by the vested interests in the other two parties. "We are all stuck in a system that we know is wrong. We've all been damaged by it. But if we learned anything from the expenses scandal. It is surely that if the system's broken. We should not wait for the next scandal. We should fix it and fix it fast. "So whether it is securing the economy, sorting the banks or cleaning up politics, we are making the big, difficult decisions. Not easy, but right. That's what it means to be a party of national government again. Not just making arguments, making change. "In a coalition, we have two kinds of power: The power to hold our coalition partners back and the power to move the government forwards. So we can keep the government to a liberal path. Anchor the government in the centre ground. "We were absolutely right to stop the NHS bill in its tracks. To ensure change on our terms. No arbitrary deadlines. No backdoor privatization. No threat to the basic principles at the heart of our NHS. "We are right to stand up for civil liberties. No retreat to the illiberal populism of the Labour years. We are right to insist on keeping the tax system fair. Asking the most of the people who have the most. And we will always defend human rights, at home as well as abroad. The European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act are not, as some would have you believe, foreign impositions. These are British rights, drafted by British lawyers. Forged in the aftermath of the atrocities of the Second World War. Fought for by Winston Churchill. So let me say something really clear about the Human Rights Act. In fact I'll do it in words of one syllable: It is here to stay. "So we will always hold the liberal line. But much more important is the positive power of government: Not just stopping bad things but doing good things. "Last year I walked through the door of No 10. But we all walked through a kind of door together. To being, once again, a party of national government. So we must move now beyond the reflexes of opposition to the responsibilities of government, and the opportunities of government, too. New social housing. Criminal justice reform. Fixed term parliaments. Keeping our Post Offices open. House of Lords reform. Better mental health care. Safer banks. Income tax down for ordinary workers. Capital gains tax up for the rich. Compulsory retirement scrapped. Pensions protected by a triple lock. ID cards: history. Child detention: ended. "Just look at what we've announced in the last five days. After decades of campaigning, and thanks to Lynne Featherstone: Equal marriage, straight or gay. More power for consumers over the energy companies. Calling time on rewards for failure in boardrooms. Investing in education for girls in developing countries. New powers to turn empty homes back into family homes. A five hundred million pound investment in growth. Liberal achievements from a liberal party of government. "And we have stood by our commitments to act on the environment. The pollsters tell us that climate change has dropped down people's list of worries. That people have more immediate concerns. I understand that. So the politically convenient thing would have been to put this off to another day. Instead we have acted immediately. Not easy, but right. Ambitious carbon targets. Energy market reform. Councils generating renewable energy. A Green Deal to make bills lower and homes warmer. Carbon capture and storage. Green buses, trains and trams. The world's first ever green investment bank. Green achievements. From a green party of government. "I've learned quite a bit in the last 500 days. About the responsibilities of government. About the resilience of our party. The integrity of our members. About our determination to do the right thing. "In government, every single day brings hard choices. You can quickly lose your way unless you are certain of your cause. Of why you are there in the first place. Every one of us in this hall has strong political convictions: Civil liberties. Internationalism. Human rights. Political reform. Responsible capitalism. Fighting climate change. But every one of us has a political passion too. The fire inside that drew us to politics in the first place. Let me tell you what I care most about. My passion is ensuring a fair start for every child. I have a simple, unquenchable belief: That every child can do good things, great things if only we give them the opportunities they deserve. "Equal opportunity. It sounds so simple doesn't it? Everyone agrees with it. But then we allow prejudice, tradition and class to crush a million hopes and dreams, watch young children's lives go off track even before they go off to school, sit idly by while talent goes to waste. I know I have had all the advantages - good school, great parents. I was lucky. But it shouldn't be about luck. "On Saturday I met a group of young people working with a charity called UpRising, here in Birmingham. All from really difficult backgrounds. One young woman, Chantal, told me that she only started to thrive when she found someone who believed in her. I want every child to believe in themselves. In terms of opportunity, we are a nation divided. "Children from a poor background a year behind in language skills before the age of five; more young black men in prisons than at Russell Group universities. And within one city, two nations: In Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, more than half the children leaving state schools head to a good university. Just thirty minutes east - down the district line to Tower Hamlets - and just 4 percent do. Odds stacked against too many of our children. A deep injustice, when birth is destiny. That's why I've been leading the charge for social mobility - for fairer chances, for real freedom. "People keep telling me that it's too hard. That it's futile to push for fairness into the headwinds of an economic slow down, or that it will just take too long. And that I should find some politically convenient 'quick wins' instead. I've also encountered fierce resistance from those who do so well out of the status quo. But for liberals the only struggles worth having are the uphill ones. Allowing schools to move poorer children up the queue for admissions. Making universities open their doors to everyone. Making firms work harder to get women on their boards. Breaking open internships. All controversial. All difficult. Not easy, but right. "So I'm not backing down. I'm not slowing down. Because this will not be a liberal nation until every citizen can thrive and prosper, until birth is no longer destiny, until every child is free to rise. "This summer, we saw the consequences of a society in which some people feel they have no stake at all. Nobody could fail to be horrified by what we saw during the riots. These weren't organised campaigns for change. They were outbursts of nihilism and greed. I'll never forget the woman I met in Tottenham, who told me the clothes she stood in were all the possessions she had left in the world after her home was torched. "But in every city where trouble broke out, most people did the right thing. So many more people went out to clean up the streets than went out to trash them. In Manchester I met a café owner who boarded up her broken windows and started serving tea and coffee straight away to the people who were helping clear up. And here in Birmingham the community stood together in the face of disorder and tragedy. Or emergency services, our police and our courts all rose to the challenge. "But we have to ensure that the offenders become ex-offenders for good. Three out of four had previous convictions. So we have to push ahead with the Government's rehabilitation revolution: Punishment that sticks, that changes behaviour. An end to the corrosive cycle of crime. And I want the criminal to look their victims in the eye to see the consequences of their actions, and to put it right. That's why there will be community payback projects in every city affected. Why we are investing in drug recovery wings in our prisons. Tackling gang culture. Tougher community penalties. Effective justice. Restorative justice. Liberal justice. "But let me say something else: The rioters are not the face of Britain's young people. The vast majority of our young people are good, decent and doing the best they can. Don't condemn all of them because of the actions of a few. You know what really struck me? How so many of those who did join in the riots seemed to have nothing to lose. It was about what they could get, here and now. Not what lies in front of them, tomorrow and in the years ahead. As if their own future had little value. Too many of these young people had simply fallen through the cracks. Not just this summer but many summers ago, when they lost touch with their own future. So often the people who have gone off the rails are the ones who were struggling years earlier, not least in making that critical leap from primary to secondary school. So today I am launching a new scheme to help the children who need it most. In the summer before they start secondary school. A two-week summer school helping them to catch up in Maths and English, and getting them ready for the challenges ahead. We know this is a time when too many children lose their way, so this is a £50m investment to help them along the right path. "And that is why we have found the money, even now, to invest in education. Protecting the schools budget. A two and a half billion pound Pupil Premium by the end of the parliament. More investment in early years education: 15 hours for all three and four year-olds. New provision for the poorest two-year-olds. All steps towards a society where nobody is 'enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity'. Towards a liberal society. These are investments that will take years or even decades to pay off. By the time the two year-olds we help next year come to vote, I'll be 60. So why are we doing it, when it costs so much and takes so long? Because investing early makes such a huge difference, especially for the poorest children: Not easy, but right. "So hold your heads up and look our critics squarely in the eye. This country would be in deep trouble today if we had not gone into Government last year. And Britain will be a fairer nation tomorrow because we are in Government today. Never apologise for the difficult things we are having to do. We are serving a great country at a time of great need. There are no shortcuts, but we won't flinch. Our values are strong. Our instincts are good: Reason not prejudice. Compassion not greed. Hope not fear. "After the summer riots, message boards sprang up. They became known as 'peace walls'. "And on the peace wall in Peckham there was a note that simply read: Our home. Our children. Our future. Six words that say more than six hundred speeches. Our home. Our children. Our future. "Britain is our home. We will make it safe and strong. These are our children. We will tear down every barrier they face. And this is our future. We start building it today." Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

On 5th May you have a choice. You can keep the discredited First Past the Post system to elect our MPs, or you can choose a new and fairer system - Alternative Vote (AV). Back the campaign for change at www.YesToFairerVotes.org AV is a small change that makes a big difference. Saying YES! to Fairer Votes Means: MPs working harder to earn - and keep - our support Your next MP would have to aim to get more than 50% of the vote to be sure of winning. At present they can be handed power with just one vote in three. They'll need to work harder to win - and keep - your support. A bigger say on who your local MP is Ranking candidates gives you more say - in who comes first and who comes last. If your favourite doesn't win, you can still have a say. It's as easy as 1,2,3… Tackling the 'jobs for life' culture Too many MPs have their 'safe seats' for life. Force complacent politicians to sit up and listen, and reach out to the communities they seek to represent. AV keeps what works with our current system, and eliminates many of its weaknesses. It's a long overdue upgrade to make a 19th century system fit for the politics of the 21st century. Our parliament will better represent our communities. MPs will have to have a better view of what your community thinks - and that's because they will have to listen harder to your views. It's simple. If someone wants to represent your community they need the votes of the majority of the community. That's what making every vote count really means. Sign up to say YES2AV Back the campaign on Facebook Follow on Twitter Learn More about Alternative Vote What is AV? Myths about AV Fix a broken system Why a referendum? Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

The Agenda for the Devon & Cornwall AGM is now available and can be downloaded by clicking on Download Conference Papers and Booking Forms menu item on left. Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

The Workshop Timetable is now available and can be downloaded by clicking on Download Conference Papers and Booking Forms menu item on left. Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

South East Cornwall are holding a Sunday Lunch at the Cheesewring Hotel, Minions on 21st November. There will be an opportunity to say farewell to Colin Breed, who represented South East Cornwall, for 13 years until he decided to step down at the last election. Lunch of two courses and coffee will cost £12.50. Please contact Edwina Hannaford on 01503 264160 or email edwinahannaford@btconnect.com for tickets Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

The Proposed Joint Regional Conference Standing Orders are now available and can be downloaded by clicking on Download Conference Papers and Booking Forms menu item on left. Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

The Full Agenda for the Devon & Cornwall and Western Counties Joint Regional Conference is now available on this site, and shows an exciting range of debates, presentations and speakers. Download it by clicking on the Download Conference Papers and Booking Forms menu item on the left. Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

pdf Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

There has never been a better time to get involved There are many ways of getting involved in local politics. If you would like to know more why not send an email to the Campaigns Officer. Devon & Cornwall Campaigns Officer - Steve Jolly at stephenjolly@googlemail.com Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Andrew George, MP for St Ives and the Isles of Scilly Click on the image to visit to Andrew's website Andrew George Stephen Gilbert, MP for St Austell and Newquay Click on image to view Stephen's website Nick Harvey, MP for North Devon Click on the image to visit Nick's website Nick Harvey Dan Rogerson, MP for North Cornwall Click on the image to visit Dan's website Dan Rogerson Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay Click on the image to visit Adrian's website Adrian Sanders Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

In conjunction with the Devon & Cornwall and Western Counties Regional Conference, Plymouth Liberal Democrats would like to invite you to View 2, located on Plymouth's Historical Barbican on Friday 19th November 2010 from 8.00pm - midnight. Our special guest for the evening will be Baroness Ros Scott - President of the Liberal Democrats. Places at this special event are limited - bookings will be taken on a "first come first served" basis. Tickets are available at £15 (to include one welcome glass of wine, a buffet suitable for every taste and live entertainment). Please complete details on our booking form (see Menu options on left) and send your payment (cheques payable to Plymouth Liberal Democrats) to: Dr Rebecca Trimnell, Top Floor Flat, 2 Northumberland Terrace, West Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DD. For further details, please contact Rebecca on 07749 020 520 or Richard on (01752) 265442. Directions to this centrally located venue will be sent with tickets on receipt of payment. Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

To be held at Legacy International Plymouth International Hotel (formerly Novotel Plymouth), Marsh Mills, Plymouth, PL6 8NH Your chance to take part in Policy Debates, participate in exciting training and meet kindred spirits from the two Regions Top speakers and Government Ministers! Gala dinner on Saturday night with Lord Teverson as guest speaker All prices are given on the Registration Form (see Menu options on left), but save money by booking on or before 15th November. Accommodation: The Legacy International are honouring all bookings made with Novotel and are continuing to offer competitive rates, but rooms are going quickly. Either go to their web site: http://www.legacy-hotels.co.uk/ or call them on 01752 221422 and ask for Victoria Spurdle, telling her you are with the Lib Dem Conference. The Premier Inn Plymouth East (www.premierinn.com) is also within easy walking distance. The Hotel Ibis (http://www.accorhotels.com) is a short drive away. Further information can be obtained from Plymouth Tourist Information: Tel 01752 306330 or www.visitplymouth.co.uk More details from: Devon & Cornwall: Val Cox: val.cox3@btinternet.com Western Counties: Judith Cole: judithcole@cix.co.uk Related Links Registration Form Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY

Last night was the final of the three televised Leaders' debates. Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, debated with Gordon Brown and David Cameron about the economy. Subjects discussed included breaking up the banks, creating more jobs and reinvigorating the British economy. Most post-debate polls scored this final debate to David Cameron, but again put Nick Clegg clearly ahead of Gordon Brown. An analysis by pollsters Angus Reid of previously undecided voters who watched the debate gave Nick Clegg 37%, David Cameron 25%, Gordon Brown 22% and Not sure 16%. Angus Reid found that 32% of undecided voters say they are now more likely to vote for the Liberal Democrats after watching the final debate, with just 18% Conservative and 15% Labour. In his closing statement at the final leaders' debate, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: "Everything I've said during these three television debates is driven by my simple belief that if we do things differently this time, we can create a fairer, better Britain. "As you decide how to cast your vote, of course you'll be told by these two, that real change is dangerous, that it can't be done. "Don't let anyone scare you from following your instincts. Together next week we can change Britain for good. "Just think how many times you've been given lots of promises by these two old parties - only to discover when they get into Government that nothing really changes. "We can do so much better than that this time. "Of course I can't guarantee that every problem you face will be solved overnight. But I can guarantee that I will work tirelessly to deliver greater fairness for you. "Fairer taxes, so that you pay less but people at the top pay their fair share. "A fair start, smaller class sizes, for your children. "A different approach to the economy. "And open, decent politics which you can trust once again. "I believe all this can happen. This is your election. This is your country. "When you go to vote next week, choose the future you really want. If you believe like I do that we can do things differently this time, then together we will really change Britain. "Don't let anyone tell you it can't happen. It can. This time, you can make the difference." Published and promoted by Devon and Cornwall Liberal Democrats, 3 Charles Street, Truro TR1 2PQ Printed (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY