Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Final 48 Hours #lef #ge2010 #libdems

I have been neglecting this blog a little over the last few weeks. I hope my regular readers will appreciate that this is because I have been dealing with the hundreds of email and letters that I have received in the course of this campaign. (I still actually have a few to reply to now)

I would like to thank the many people who have offered me their support either in person about the constituency, via email or twitter. All have been greatly appreciated and if you haven't already sent in a postal vote remember to turn up to vote between 7am and 10pm on Thursday. Your polling station will be on you polling card.

For the many of you who I've met or written to but are still undecided I'd like to remind you of why your vote is important in this election.

You can make a change in this election, you can make our country a fairer place. A vote for me would ensure that your local voice in Westminster will make sure that you have:
  • Fair Taxes that put money back in your pocket
  • A Fair Start for every child
  • A Fair Future creating jobs by making Britain greener
  • A Fair Deal by cleaning up politics
For taxes the Liberal Democrats would make the first £10,000 you earn tax free, a cut of £700 for most people, lifting 3.6 million low earners and pensioners free from tax completely. It will be paid for by closing loopholes that unfairly benefit the wealthy and polluters.

For our children that includes ensuring children get the individual help they need by cutting class size. Made possible by investing £2.5bn in schools targeted to help struggling pupils. Plus we'll give schools the freedom to make the right choices for their pupils.

To enable a fair future we will break up the banks and get them lending again to protect real businesses. We have been and will be honest with you about the tough choices needed to cut the deficit. We'll encourage green growth and jobs that last by investing in infrastructure.

Finally as part of that fair deal we'll put trust back in politics by giving you the vote the right to sack corrupt MPs. Restore and protect hard-won British civil liberties with a Freedom Bill. Overhaul Westminster completely; fair votes, an elected House of Lords, all politicians to pay full British taxes.

As I said in closing in the last hustings on Sunday night a vote for the Lib Dems will give Britain the government and the voice that the people actually want. Of course the above are just the highlights of our manifesto, as many of you who have spoken or written to me know there is a lot of details into specific areas, you can read more details here in our manifesto.

I probably won't be online much between now and the close of poll at 10pm on Thursday so I may not get back to you by email, but you can find my contact details on the party website and I will try to give you a quick answer.

Despite what you may have heard speculated about in the press this election in Linlithgow and East Falkirk is wide open. It's why one of the parties appears to be making silly, or maybe deliberate, mistakes. None of the parties can really tell you how it going to go because that is up to you if you vote here. There are still a lot of people making up their minds how to vote, even now, so vote for what you believe.

Also despite what the others are telling you a vote for the Lib Dems here can lead to you getting a Lib Dem MP. You don't get either of the other two, you'll get Nick Clegg and Vince Cable and the team, with your new Scottish voice (with a Northern Irish accent) standing up for you.

This Thursday you can make your vote count for real change and vote Liberal Democrat. I'm the second name on the ballot paper.

I'll see you online again in the wee hours of Friday morning.

2 comments:

Kevin Ward said...

Good luck Stephen!

neil craig said...

A referendum on which the Conservatives are free to campaign for FPTP is fine on both counts.

As a matter of principle the Yories should be free to campaign for what they want - that is what democracy is about.

As a matter of practice a referendum in which the Tories campaigned for FPTP & the LDs for PR would strengthen LD support.

The same applies in reverse if it is a Lab/Lib coalition.

I am sure the people would vote for PR in a free vote (remeber that at the Euro elections parties which supported PR substantially outpolled Conservative & Labour together. I am also certain that if the other parties didn't think that would be the result they would concede a referndum.

AV, while an improvement, is not PR. If the LDs go wiyh Labour it would be very much in their interests for the brak to be on PR not any of the other issues. The Tories went for Cameronianism to improve their chance of power & I think if PR is the ONLY stumbling block they will accept it for the certainty of power.

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