Roy Wood our new PPC

Speech by Roy Wood delivered to Selection meeting on Fri 18th Sep 2009

So, why am I a Lib Dem? Well, I think the party has been ahead of the game on so many issues over the years and we are a vital progressive force in British politics. Two key words for me are environment and empowerment.

I personally try had to keep my carbon footprint low in many ways, including by being vegan, never flying, and driving as little as practicable.

As you will know Liberal Democrats have put forward proposals, among other environmental measures, for a green tax switch. This was dismissed by the other parties but Chris Huhne has been working with Prof Ekins on an independent Green Fiscal Commission for the last two years. This has provided compelling backing for green fiscal reform. It found that increasing the price of polluting activities can be done in a way that is economically efficient. The market can be made to work sustainably and can raise stable revenues for years allowing other taxes to be lower. The UK's 2020 greenhouse gas targets can be met by fiscal reform and investment in low-carbon technologies would be stimulated. There would be a negligible effect on growth. The more Lib Dems we get elected the greener Britain will be.

Empowerment for me encompasses many ideas including our political reform agenda. Let me quote from Make it Happen, published well before the expenses story broke. ….

Also "It's time" It is a total disgrace the incredibly rich people like Lord Ashcroft can, in effect, buy seats by providing Conservative Associations with vast amounts of money. His donations are also, probably, illegal as his company that makes donations is not trading in the UK. Dave 'you can trust me' Cameron refuses to clear this up and George Osborne refused to answer a direct question about Lord Ashcroft in a long email exchange published last weekend. Money should not be allowed to but power.

As you know Nick Clegg called for there to be no Queen's speech today and that the remaining 70 sitting days of this parliament be used for real reform:

Reducing the power of Government in Parliament

Fixed term Parliaments

Reform of Party Funding

A directly elected House of Lords

A code of conduct for candidates

The power of constituents to sack their MP if he or she seriously misbehaves

Setting up a citizens committee on electoral reform to prepare proposals for a referendum to be held in year's time.

We also want to see more powers for Scotland and Wales and more real power for local councils - elected, of course, by a proportional system.

As Liberal Democrats we all believe, I hope, that the world is full of people. Not young people and old people, not Christians and Muslims, not black and white not British of foreign - just people. That is why we must be fully involved in the E U and other international organizations. We must constantly counter the scaremongering of the right wing press. This planet will swim together or sink together. Little Englanders are living in a time warp.

Of course honest Dave has nailed colours firmly to Euro-phobic mast

While we are thinking about these compassionate conservatives it is worth pointing out that they would scrap the Human Rights Act leaving us as the only Europeans without the right to go to our own courts to uphold the human rights accorded to every European. The government wants to scrap juries in some coroners court cases and, just last week, the conservatives failed to support a Lib Dem motion to defend this ancient right.

On the economy Liberal Democrats have been proved right and have the right policies going forward. Gordon Brown significantly reduced regulation of the City and Cameron said he had not gone far enough. Not what they are saying now. Vince Cable warned about the credit bubble but the main parties said he was wrong. The Tories only clear tax pledge is to cut inheritance tax for those leaving between £650000 and £2 million - a £3 million tax bonus for their friends. We, by contrast, would raise tax thresholds to significantly help low and middle income families.

Dave and his mates were also seriously wrong over the recession. Countries all over the world realised that governments need to spend to get out of recession.

As a governor of a large secondary school and a children's centre and as someone who worked in education for over 30 years I have seen the damage done by well meaning governments to the education of our children.

We propose scrapping the 600 page National Curriculum (and this is one tenth of the size it was when introduced) and replacing it with a slimmed down Minimum Curriculum Entitlement. We would have a pupil premium that would significantly increase funding for the 1 million most disadvantaged pupils. We would reduce testing, Introduce a general diploma to incorporate GCSEs, A levels and vocational qualifications, change the Academies and Trust School policies to create Sponsor managed Schools restoring Local Authority oversight and commissioning. We would have smaller classes for children under 7.

The government's emphasis on '5 A* to C grades' at GCSE has short-changed the most and least able. In their later years many young people are not educated, they are trained, often very effectively, to pass narrow exams. This is not providing what employers need or preparing most young people for the next stage of their education.

I like to share this quotation with you about an issue not given the priority it deserves:

The mood and temper of the public in regard to the treatment of crime and criminals is one of the most unfailing tests of the Civilisation of any country. A calm and dispassionate recognition of the rights of the accused against the state, and even of convicted criminals against the state, a desire and eagerness to rehabilitate all those who have paid their dues, tireless efforts towards the discovery of curative and regenerating processes, and an unfaltering faith that there is a treasure, if you can only find it, in the heart of every man. These are the symbols which in the treatment of crime and criminals mark and measure the stored-up strength of a nation.

From a speech by Winston Churchill, nearly 100 years ago.

The reality is that re-offending rates now are over 60% and are rising. That so many people in our prisons have mental health, drug and alcohol problems. That 40% have a reading age below that of an average 11 year old. So what would we do?

From our Pocket Guide to Policy

Make prisons fit for purpose -We will reform the prison system so that the most

dangerous and serious offenders are housed in adequate facilities with greater

emphasis on rehabilitation, restorative justice, drug, alcohol and mental health

treatment. We will ensure that all prisoners have access to education and training

as a route into work to reduce the likelihood of re-offending.

Make prisoners support their families and compensate their victims by ensuring that progress is made towards better paid work for prisoners including a scheme in which a proportion of money earned will be paid into a common fund for victims. Prison-based work schemes will be expanded to provide previous offenders with realistic alternatives to crime, easing the pressure on the prison service and

on the British tax payer. We will allocate resources to new secure mental health and drug treatment centers rather than new prisons.

This is the progressive way. The Liberal Democrat way.

There are many other issues I could go on about but I had better draw to a conclusion.

If you select me as your PPC I am not promising to work full time to be elected. What I would aim to do is build on the work that is already being done to increase the profile of Liberal Democrats in Crewe and Nantwich, to seek publicity for our policies and to be available to attend any meeting during the campaign. We all need to play our parts in increasing the Lib Dem vote.