Waveney Liberal Democrats

Good news for students and for everyone who wants a fairer Britain.The Liberal Democrats are pleased to announce they have developed a plan to phase out tuition fees over the course of the next six years, to ensure this vital policy is affordable even at this time of economic crisis.

It’s simply wrong to penalise people who want to make the best of themselves by saddling them with enormous mortgage-style debts from the day they graduate – especially when we know the root of the current economic crisis was too much debt. And it’s clear that people from disadvantaged backgrounds are far more likely to be put off going to university if it costs them tens of thousands of pounds. In a fair society, university admissions should be based on your grades and intelligence, not the wealth of your parents. You should decide whether going to university makes sense for you – and you shouldn’t have to make the decision based on your bank balance.

Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg said “Labour’s recession has made it more difficult to find the money to fund our priorities. That’s why we are right to adapt our plans for big spending commitments and why it is right that our General Election manifesto will focus this time on a smaller number of key commitments. But our message to students is clear: we remain the only party that believes fees are unfair, and the only party with a plan to get rid of them for good.”

Are you one of the voters who turned to new Labour in 1997? Were you excited by the progressive promise? Did you believe that the ideals of fairness, social mobility, sustainability, civil rights and internationalism would finally have their day?

If so, you face a real dilemma. The choice between a fading, exhausted Labour Government and the ideologically barren Conservatives, bereft of any discernible convictions other than a sense of entitlement that it is now their turn to govern, is not a good one.

The Lib Dems want to offer you an alternative. Lib Dems are now making a simple argument: in the same way that Labour eclipsed a tired Liberal Party almost a century ago, the Liberal Democrats now offer a new rallying point for a resurgent progressive movement in Britain.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, launches ‘Liberal Moment’ pamphlet in which he argues that the Liberal Democrats have replaced Labour as the dominant progressive party in Britain.

Click on the link below to read more

http://www.libdems.org.uk/news_detail.aspx?title=Nick_Clegg%2c_Leader_of_the_Liberal_Democrats_launches_%27The_Liberal_Moment%27_&pPK=4b620a53-e2bf-488c-b3dd-baa1d5594080

Suffolk Lib Dems launch manifesto for the 2009 county council elections, setting out their views of a Liberal Democrat Suffolk. Leader Kathy Pollard said, “We want to fix Suffolk.”

The manifesto sets out the aims of a new LIb Dem administration by introducing their “Six to Fix” points.

• Fix 1 To prevent the middle schools closure
• Fix 2 Review all care service fees and make elderly day care free again.
• Fix 3 Cut accidents on our roads and reduce speeding in towns and villages.
• Fix 4 Freeze all council salaries over £50,000 and run services fairly and efficiently.
• Fix 5 cut the 20 million miles travelled by council staff each year.
• Fix 6 Reverse the fall in GCSE results and invest in our children’s future.

A full copy of the manifesto can be downloaded from

http://suffolkcclibdems.org.uk/resources/sites/84.234.17.197-467a87d4adbda7.04186456/Liberal+Democrat+Manifesto+for+Suffolk+2009.pdf

Today Nick Clegg launched the Liberal Democrat Europen election campaign. In his speech he warned that Brtiain must lead within the EU to protect families from crime, climate change and the recession. Nick published the Party’s European manifesto ‘Stronger Together, Poorer Apart’ in central London.

Have you ever listened to a politician on the radio and thought “That sounds good, but what’s the full story?”

Want to shout at the TV with facts and figures instead of incoherent rage?

To be more informed, people ask for that little bit more in-depth knowledge.

The LIberal Democrats have brought together party news, media coverage, policy announcements and party blogs on one website for the first time:

Click on the Lib Dem News link at the side of the page or go straight to it on:

http://blogs.libdems.org.uk

Whether you’re a party supporter or just curious, you can get yourself informed:

• click through to the details behind the press releases and read our policies for yourself
• click through to find out the latest events and meet-ups in your area on FlockTogether
• watch YouTube films from our MPs (and why not respond by posting a video response of your own?)
• talk it all over with fellow liberals on the unofficial blogs at Lib Dem Voice and Lib Dem Blogs – it’s all here, the bad news stories as well as the good!
• get freshly-baked daily liberal news by signing up to our (RSS) news feed or Twitter updates

You’ll stay ahead of the media schedule, read newspapers with a more critical eye and debate with like-minded people. Next time you hear a politician on the radio, the chances are you’ll already know the ins and outs of what they’re talking about.

So now you can shout at the TV like the knowledgeable, media-savvy person you are. Don’t get angry – get informed!

Of all the least favoured options of the Boundary Committe’s local government review, Waveney Lib Dems support the idea of 3 unitaries rather than an “all in” Suffolk or any idea of being linked with Norfolk. We know there is a lot of support among our local communities for three unitaries, listening to the needs of local people and empowering them to take part in decisions about their own local services.

If you like the idea of Lowestoft remaining in Suffolk and still being part of Waveney, you can enter the No.10 petition here and tell the Prime MInister how strongly you feel:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/bestforsuffolk/

Lib Dem plans to help families include tax cuts for low and middle income households, stopping unnecessary repossessions, action to cut energy bills and big cuts in interest rates.

Families are facing a difficult winter. Rising mortgage bills, the fear of unemployment and high heating costs mean that the shockwaves of the financial crisis are being felt in households across Britain.

When the banks were in trouble, they got rescued. Millions of families who are finding themselves in trouble must be helped too.

To find out more go to http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/liberal-democrat-economic-recovery-plan-12693499

Waveney Lib Dems have this week officially responded to the boundary committee’s recommendations on possible changes to local councils.

They suggested that their recommendations were “unworkable” and “undemocratic” as the suggestions didn’t serve the people they are meant to do. On the other hand, Waveney LIb Dems suggested that if change was inevitable, and they didn’t think that it was, the only way forward would be to revive the old East/West Suffolk councils with an East headquarters in the new Campus building.

More of the recommendations can be requested by contacting local party chair, Chris Thomas on chris.thomas@waveneylibdems.org.uk

The Liberal Democrats are now the only party that can deliver social justice, and the only choice for anyone who wants a fairer Britain, Nick Clegg said in his keynote conference speech.

The Liberal Democrat leader also set out the party’s Fairer Future economic recovery plan – four steps to a better economic future.

Nick began his speech by focusing on the current economic difficulties, which he described as ‘a firestorm’, “raging through our financial system, ignited by reckless bankers and fuelled by complacent politicians.”

He turned his fire on both the Government and the Conservatives.

Labour, he said, had nothing further to offer the country –

“Stumbling around with no idea what to do.

“They are a Zombie government.

“A cross between Shaun of the Dead and I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue.”

Read more about thier latest successful conference by logging onto http://www.libdems.org.uk

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today launched the party’s Make it Happen document, which is a statement of the party’s vision and values. ‘Make it Happen’ sets out in clear language the party’s position on important issues such as the economy, taxation and the health service.You can read Make it Happen by clicking on the link opposite.