The Budget – the Lib Dem view…

Today the Labour Party confirmed that they have run out of ideas and have condemned us to years of unemployment and a decade of debt. Their pick-and-mix budget of recycled announcements will do nothing to get us out of this recession and nothing that will help the poorest who are being hit hardest by it.

A Liberal Democrat budget would deliver practical help.

It would take 4 million people out of paying tax all together and would cut the majority of people’s income tax by £700. Paid for by cutting loophole and exemptions that benefit the richest individuals and big business. We would cancel the pointless VAT cut and invest in important green projects that create jobs right now.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are planning swingeing cuts at the very time that the country is expected to be gradually starting to recover.

We would take big choices about what government should and shouldn’t do. With a shocking deficit this year of £175bn we need a national debate about what the state can and cannot afford in the future.

That is the responsible way – the honest way – to reduce spending in the years ahead and avoid painful higher taxes.

The country deserves something better – a Liberal Democrat government, Vince Cable as Chancellor and a tax system that has everybody paying their fair share.

Chancellor’s budget must ‘axe beer tax’

Bath MP Don Foster has joined Liberal Democrats at Downing Street to campaign against the rise in beer duty that is due to be announced in tomorrow’s budget.

Don said,

Rises in beer duty are only hitting the responsible drinker and the local pub, and destroying communities across the country. Pubs are closing daily across throughout Britain, including some calling ‘time’ for the final occasion here in Bath.

A number of Bath landlords and many residents have written to Don Foster opposing this measure, which shows just how important the local pub is to the community.

It is time the Chancellor realised that this rise in duty will do more harm than good.

Don calls for tax cuts for Bath residents

Thousands of people in Bath will be taken out of income tax altogether by new tax proposals launched by the Liberal Democrats. And thousands more will see their income tax bill slashed by £700 a year.

The plans were launched by Party Leader Nick Clegg on 20th April who said that they would boost family budgets battered by rising food, power and transport prices. The plans call for the personal tax allowance to be raised to £10,000

Bath MP Don Foster said,

Thousands of families on low income in Bath will benefit from this tax cut. They will be lifted out of income tax altogether. People earning over £10,000 will pay £700 less income tax a year, paid for by ending the loopholes and tax avoidance schemes used by the wealthy and big corporations.

Ordinary people are struggling because of the recession. Now is the time to make a far reaching and permanent change to the tax system that benefits those on low and middle incomes. Liberal Democrats want to see more money left in the pockets of ordinary people rather than taken away by the Government.

Here in Bath, Liberal Democrats will be going into the general election committed to a lasting income tax cut.

How we will make the tax system fairer

A letter from Nick Clegg MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats:

Vince Cable and I have this morning briefed the press about what we want to see in Wednesday’s Budget. I thought you would like to know what we have been saying.

It is clear that this recession demands a radical overhaul of the British tax system. It remains scandalous that the richest in our country pay a lower share of their wealth in tax than the poorest. We are demanding that both sides of this distorted equation be changed.

We are renewing our call to close the loopholes exploit by big business and the powerful and wealthy. And today, after working with our colleagues in Parliament and across the Party, we are announcing that the Liberal Democrats will fight the next general election with a pledge to cut income tax bills by £700 for people on low and middle incomes.

We will promise to raise the income tax personal allowance to £10,000 by closing tax loopholes exploited by big businesses and the wealthy. This will mean 4 million of the lowest paid people not paying tax at all, including many earning just the minimum wage.

It is a radical and progressive package that will form a key part of the pre-manifesto document that will come to our party conference in Autumn. This policy marks us out as the only party in British politics dedicated to changing our tax system to make it fairer.

Best Wishes,

Nick Clegg MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Burglary on Moorfields Road – Help us catch the thieves

In Moorfields Road, three persons have forced entry to a residence, possibly by breaking a rear kitchen window, and removed property. This offence occurred between 2.40 and 3.40pm on Thursday April the 19th.

If you have any information regarding any of these incidents, please contact the Police on 0845 456 7000. Alternatively you could contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Visit the Force website where you can also sign up to receive local news and alerts, Crimestoppers appeals and job details, direct to your inbox.

If you have information about any crime, phone the police on 0845 456 7000 or you can call anonymously to the independent charity CRIMESTOPPERS 0800 555 111. For general information about Neighbourhood Watch nationally vist their website.

Council must be responsible landlord

Following their visit to ‘The Common Room’ on Thursday, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable MP has backed Bath MP Don Foster’s call for the Council to be a responsible landlord to small businesses.

Don said,

It is quite clear that a rent rise of over 60% is just not acceptable at this time. While businesses must pay a fair rent, many will have to close if they are hit with such a substantial rise.

Small businesses are an important part of the fabric of Bath, and the Council must realise that it cannot simply impose massive rent hikes on businesses that are struggling at the current time. The Council is at serious risk of driving people out of business.

Vince Cable said,

The owners of this bar have told me that they run another premises owned by a private landlord, where the rent has been reduced this year. It is clear that private landlords are realising the value of keeping hold of their customers and I would expect councils to be thinking the same way.

Government names 11 sites for new nuclear power stations

The Government has named 11 potential sites in England and Wales for a new generation of nuclear power plants.

The sites have been nominated by energy companies who are interested in building the plants, and by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which owns some existing sites. A month-long public consultation has now begun.

Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, said

A new generation of nuclear power stat¬ions will be a colossal mistake, regardless of where they are built. They are hugely expensive, dangerous and will take too long to build. There is a real danger that the government is becoming too close to the big energy companies. The best answer to Britain’s needs is a massive expansion of renewable energy. If billions of pounds are wasted on new nuclear sites, the money simply won’t be available to do this.

You can read the full story in the Guardian: http://tr.im/iYr0

Car crime at the Oval – Do you know anything?

At some point on Wednesday April the 15th, unknown persons have caused damage to a motor vehicle parked on the road in The Oval by smashing the passenger side window.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Police on 0845 456 7000. Alternatively you could contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Visit the Force website where you can also sign up to receive local news and alerts, Crimestoppers appeals and job details, direct to your inbox.

If you have information about any crime, phone the police on 0845 456 7000 or you can call anonymously to the independent charity CRIMESTOPPERS 0800 555 111. For general information about Neighbourhood Watch nationally vist there website.

DNA expert criticises database

The pioneer of genetic fingerprinting, Professor Sir Alec Jeffries has spoken out against the Government’s storing of innocent people’s DNA records.

Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, said, “It demonstrates how out of touch the Government is with public opinion when the inventor of genetic fingerprinting has to tell them how unfair the DNA database is.”

Read more at Home Office Watch: http://tinyurl.com/c3s4eg

Lidl decision “should have gone to planning committee”

Your local Councillors have joined the criticised the Chair of B&NES Council’s planning committee for his decision not to allow the Lidl supermarket planning application to be heard in public at the planning committee meeting last week.

Lidl had applied to convert the former Herman Miller factory on Lower Bristol Road into a new supermarket.

This supermarket had the support of a large sector of the local community. This planning application should have gone to planning committee. As a major application, for a major development, there should have been an opportunity for the pros and cons to be debated in public. As it was, permission was refused on 16 April by the Planning Case Officer using ‘delegated authority’.

The Conservative Chair of the Committee should have thought about the public interest – this supermarket has a lot of support in the community.

This story and the subsequent planned appeal by Lidl was covered in the Bath Chronicle.