£10m to boost literacy – Clegg

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced on Monday that there will be up to £10m additional support for Pupil Premium children who leave primary school without Level 4 literacy – the expected level.

In a keynote speech to teachers and school leaders, he said that the Education Endowment Foundation will be awarding the money to pilot projects to help disadvantaged pupils make the transition from primary to secondary school. The money will be targeted at struggling Year 7s from deprived homes.

“How can a child start secondary school unable to read with confidence?” declared Nick. “That is a basic building block of a good education and no child should begin the race so far behind the starting line. We need to do everything we can to help these children through this transition to get them up to speed.
“That is a responsibility the government takes extremely seriously. And I can confirm that the Education Endowment Foundation will shortly be inviting groups of local schools, in the areas that suffer most with this problem, to bid for extra funds for struggling Year 7s from deprived homes to help them get their reading and writing up to scratch. Extra ‘catch up cash’, if you like.
“We envisage that schools will want to use it for small catch up classes, or one-to-one tuition, or vouchers for literacy tuition that parents can spend. We will run a proper evaluation, sharing what works with all schools not just those areas taking part in these pilots. It’s likely this kind of targeted support is the best way to crack this problem – next year we’ll know.
“Of course, we hope as few pupils as possible need it, thanks to the Pupil Premium. And I know primary and secondary schools up and down the country are determined to make this work.
“Some are using the money for breakfast clubs; homework clubs; or to provide one-to-one-tuition. Some are funding counselling services, so troubled kids are in the right place, emotionally, to learn. Some are using it for educational visits to places like museums: the sort of experiences middle class children take for granted but poorer child might rarely enjoy.”

Nick also announced that he wants to “strike a deal between the Coalition government and our schools and teachers. Teachers who help these children unlock the doors that otherwise hold them back … they are the key to an open and fair society … the key to the opportunity Britain I am determined we build.”

The best teachers will be offered incentives to work in schools that have large numbers of disadvantaged pupils. The government will ask the School Teachers Review Body to look at giving other schools the same flexibility Academies currently have to use pay to hold on to the best teachers.

Also, from next year, there will be Pupil Premium Awards for the 50 schools that do the best to boost the performance of their poorest pupils and narrow the gap – with cash prizes of up to £10,000 for the best of the best.

(Click picture to play video)

It is shameful that, despite all the promise on a four or five year old’s first day at school, or the passion of their teachers, you can all too often plot that child’s path just by asking how much their parents earn.

The £2.5billion Pupil Premium was one of the four pledges on the front page of our manifesto.  And now, with Liberal Democrats in government, schools are using the money for things like breakfast clubs; homework clubs; or to provide one-to-one-tuition. These are the sort of experiences many middle class children take for granted but a poorer child might rarely enjoy.

Yesterday I visited a fantastic primary school to see how they are spending their Pupil Premium, highlight our new Summer Schools to ease the transition from primary to secondary, and to set out our plans to reward teachers and hold schools to account.

The Pupil Premium shows that, in tough times, we are implementing Liberal Democrat values and prioritising help for those pupils who need it most.

Best wishes,

Nick Clegg MP

Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister

PS Click here to find out how much money your local school will receive from the Liberal Democrats’ Pupil Premium.

Commenting, Stephen Williams said:

“This is a very popular idea which would give the public something back for bailing out the banks.

“I welcome the Treasury Select Committee’s review into what to do with the Government’s holding in RBS and Lloyds and hope that it furthers the case for giving the public their share.”

Long lasting reforms

Key Liberal Democrat initiatives were announced in the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday including banking reform, a single tier pension, energy reform, strengthening shareholder power and House of Lords reform.

The Coalition government’s next term will focus on helping families, supporting growth and jobs, and delivering long-standing reform to our banking sector. Long lasting reforms are proposed to put the UK on a stable footing and offer help and support to families, small businesses and communities, protect the environment, as well as reaffirming the commitment to helping the poorest nations.

The key themes from the 2012 Queen’s Speech are economic growth, justice and constitutional reform.

Main Lib Dem initiatives include:

• Banking Reform
• Single tier pension
• Shared parental leave and more help for SEN children
• Energy reform
• Social Care
• House of Lords Reform

Other Lib Dem led initiatives:

• Green Investment Bank
• Strengthening shareholder power in deciding directors’ pay
• Grocery Code Adjudicator Bill – Fair trade for British famers
• Water Bill to increase competitiveness and improve efficiency
• Defamation Reform
• Reform of community sentencing

Overseas Aid

“I’m confident we have secured a good outcome for both our party and the country,” said Nick Clegg. “Our challenge now is communicating our success in the Queen’s Speech, as well as in this government more widely, to voters everywhere.”

This week, Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat minister at the Department of Health) has launched a national £4 million lung cancer awareness campaign. The campaign, the first of its kind, will use TV, radio and press adverts, and advertising on pharmacist bags and inside GP surgeries, to raise awareness of the disease.

One of its aims is to persuade anyone who has had a cough for more than three weeks to see their doctor.

You can find more information about coughing and lung cancer at the Department of Health website, here: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/05/coughing-could-be-a-sign-of-lung-cancer-2/

With 33,000 new cases diagnosed each year, lung cancer is a blight on the lives of far too many of our families and an early diagnosis can make all the difference. Please take the opportunity of the Be Clear on Cancer campaign to find out more about prevention and diagnosis, and to visit your local doctor if you’ve had a persistent cough – it is always better to be safe than sorry!

http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/tag/be-clear-on-cancer/

These reforms will help build a sustainable future for our country. The Coalition Government’s plans will offer help and support to families, small businesses and communities, protect the environment, as well as reaffirming our commitment to helping the poorest nations.

In 2010, Liberal Democrats joined the Coalition Government to act in the long-term national interest. Our most urgent task was to tackle the record deficit left to us by Labour and we’re continuing this work today.

We have already made some tough choices, and we will continue to make sure we keep spending down so, unlike the rest of Europe, families can benefit from low interest rates and Britain is protected from the global debt storm.

The key themes from the 2012 Queen’s Speech are:

• Economic Growth
• Justice
• Constitutional reform

1. Banking Reform

This Bill reflects a longstanding record of Liberal Democrat action to reform the banking sector. It will deliver greater financial stability by finally separate retail banking, on which households and small business rely, from the more risky investment activity. This acts on the recommendations of the independent Vickers Commission. It will insulate personal finance from global financial shocks and make banks easier to resolve without taxpayer support.

2. Single Tier Pension

A flat-rate pension is simple, progressive and ensures women and low-paid workers in particular get a fair deal. Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for these reforms and they represent the most radical changes to the State Pension system in our lifetime: making it fairer and simpler for the next generation. Steve Webb’s Single Tier Pension Bill achieves this by combining the basic State Pension and State Second Pension in to a single tier state pension, currently worth around £140 a week.

3. Parental Leave (Children and Families Bill)

The Coalition Government have previously announced proposals for a new system of flexible parental leave and an extended right to request flexible working. These changes are necessary to reflect modern family life but they also serve solid economic purposes. By extending an individual's ability to combine work and family life, fewer people will drop out of the labour market, losing their skills and prospects in the process.

4. Special Educational Needs (Children and Families Bill)

This will put Sarah Teather’s work on improving support in schools for disabled children and children with special educational needs. The Bill will bring in a single, simple assessment procedure for 0-25 year olds. It will provide statutory protections up until 25 in further education, instead of cutting it off at 16 and give parents or young people the right to a personal budget. Lastly, it will require local authorities and health services to jointly plan and commission services for children and families.

5. Social Care

This is a draft Bill and will set out what support people could expect from Government and what action the Government would take to help them to plan, prepare and make informed choices about their care. These proposals will deliver on the Liberal Democrat commitment to modernise care, allow local authorities to fit services around needs and outcomes and give people greater choice by making it easier for people to plan for future care needs. This will finally bring together a patchwork of legislation dating back to the 1948 National Assistance Act, creating sustainable system for our ageing population.

6. Energy Bill

This Bill will support private sector investment in low-carbon power generation. This will help to provide greater security of energy supply, ensure lower consumer energy bills in the face of escalating world oil and gas prices and secure the Liberal Democrat commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. It will secure the estimated £110 billion of investment in power generation by 2020 creating thousands of jobs in all parts of the UK.

7. House of Lords

Reforming the House of Lords has been an historic commitment of the Liberal Democrats: our predecessors first proposed it when the Queen’s grandfather was on the throne. While the Government rightly focuses on growth, that doesn’t mean you can’t reform politics at the same time. The case for reform is clear: in a democracy people should have power over politicians rather than give party leaders the power to stuff a chamber full of supporters.

The current situation is untenable:

• The House of Lords is an overstocked chamber, where you’re more likely to be older than 90 than under 40.
• Just fifteen countries worldwide use appointment as the predominant means of selection to the upper house, including Jordan, Belize, Trinidad and Tabago, and Burkino Faso.
• The only other country in the world where the hereditary element still exists is Lesotho.
• Each member is entitled £300 for each day they attend. If everyone attends, the current cost would be almost £1m a week.

8. Grocery Code Adjudicator Bill

This is a Bill to get a fair deal for British farmers and to target ‘Trolleygarchs’ and help small business and independent traders. The independent adjudicator will ensure suppliers are treated fairly and lawfully by supermarkets.

9. Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill

This Bill will deliver on a long-standing Liberal Democrat commitment by setting up the Green Investment Bank. It will also reform competition law by creating a single Competition and Markets Authority, take action on director’s pay and reduce burdens on business by repealing unnecessary legislation.

10. Defamation Bill

This Bill will strengthen free speech and delivers on our manifesto commitment to reform libel laws. The bill will prevent Britain becoming a haven for 'libel tourism' and ensure that the threat of libel proceedings is not used to frustrate robust scientific and academic debate, or to impede responsible investigative journalism. It will also create a balance in the law – ensuring that people who are defamed are able to protect their reputation, but that free speech is not trampled on.

11. Justice and Security Bill

The Bill will strengthen oversight of the security and intelligence agencies. Last year, we published a Green Paper with a range of options including extending the existing use of closed proceedings in civil damages cases. Those claims cannot currently be heard there because of the quantity of national security sensitive information involved. We have listened carefully to the consultation responses and will publish a Bill in due course.

12. Draft Communications Data Bill

This Bill aims to maintain the ability of law enforcement agencies to access vital communications data under strict safeguards. There will be full pre-legislative scrutiny on communications data proposals before anything final or concrete is introduced. Though the format is still to be decided, there will be the chance to fully examine the proposals, to ensure that they are both necessary and proportionate, and to call expert witnesses from industry and civil liberties groups. It will also look at the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to see if the protections we have around the use of communications data are enough and how we might strengthen them.

13. Crime and Courts Bill

In addition to setting up the National Crime Agency, this Bill contains a marker for any legislation needed as a result of the consultation into community sentences. Our intention is to reform community sentences so that they are a genuine alternative to custody. This 'rehabilitation revolution' will extend the use of restorative justice and improve treatment for people with alcohol or drug addictions, or other mental health problems. It will also allow us to improve the flexibility of community sentences so that offenders can maintain an education, a job, or childcare duties while undertaking their punishment. The Bill will also reform the judiciary – making it more flexible, more diverse and appointments more transparent.

14. Draft Water Bill

This Bill will implement the reforms set out in the December 2011 Water White Paper. This will reform the water industry and deregulate markets to enable consumers to negotiate better services from the water companies. It also includes environmental measures such as new controls on abstracting water from rivers.

“It’s been a disappointing and difficult night for the Liberal Democrats. I’m really sad that so many colleagues and friends, Liberal Democrat councillors, who’ve worked so hard, so tirelessly, for so many years, for communities and families in their local areas, have lost their seats. And I want to pay tribute to all the great work that they have done.

“I’m determined that we will continue to play our role in rescuing, repairing, and reforming the British economy. It’s not an easy job and it can’t be done overnight. But our duty is to boost jobs and investment and restore a sense of hope and optimism to our country.

“I believe that, over time, people will come to acknowledge our unique role, the Liberal Democrats, in this Government as the only party that combines responsibility on the economy with social fairness.”

A copy of the email is below

This Thursday across much of England, Liberal Democrat councillors and
campaigners will be standing for election to represent their communities
on their local council. I would like to wish them the very best in
those elections – every vote for the Liberal Democrats and every Liberal
Democrat councillor elected is a step towards a more liberal country.

Liberal Democrat councillors have a well-deserved reputation for
dedication and commitment to their local communities. And our record on
freezing council tax, protecting local libraries and giving pay rises
for the lowest paid council workers shows the difference we make when we
run local councils.

Labour may choose to lie in what they tell people about our record in
government, but I remain very proud of what we have achieved: raising
the income tax threshold and cutting taxes for 23 million ordinary
working people, implementing the Pupil Premium, creating record numbers
of apprenticeships and delivering the ‘triple lock’ guarantee for
pensions.

We have only been able to implement these much-needed liberal policies
because of the hard work of Liberal Democrats across the country. That
hard work can make a difference again on Thursday.

Commenting on the Protection of Freedoms Act receiving Royal Assent, Chair of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats, Adrian Trett said:

“The Protection of Freedoms Act is a major win for the LGBT rights. Gay and bisexual men who were convicted for acts that are now perfectly legal will finally be able to get them deleted from their criminal records. It marks the end of the overhang from a bygone era when being gay was still criminalised.

“It shows the determination of the Liberal Democrats and the Coalition Government to do the right thing. The march for equal rights is not over yet but with today’s news and the consultation on how to introduce equal marriage, we’re steadily chipping away at the final hurdles.”

The Protection of Freedoms Act will:

• stop councils snooping
• end the storage of DNA of innocent people
• reduce the bureaucracy of CRB checks
• end 28-day detention
• stop schools deciding on their own to take fingerprints of children
• Make stalking a criminal offence
• End wheel clamping on private land
• Delete historical convictions for men who have had consensual gay sex with someone who was over 16

Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for this piece of legislation, proposing a “Freedom Bill” more than four years ago when Nick Clegg was the Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesman.

Commenting, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Policy Committee on Home Affairs, Justice and Equality, Tom Brake said:

“This is a milestone in the fight to claw back our civil liberties. Under the Labour government, our civil liberties were steadily eroded by an increasingly over-bearing security state.

“Liberal Democrats have done the right thing to clear up Labour’s mess by ending these shameful practices with the Protection of Freedoms Act.

“The Coalition Government has already scrapped ID cards and destroyed the National Identity Register and is now making another leap forward with this Act to end Labour’s surveillance state.

“The Act stops councils snooping, ends the storage of the DNA of innocent people, reduces the bureaucracy of CRB checks, curtails 28-day detention without charge and bans schools from taking children’s fingerprints without parental permission.”

Liberal Democrat research published today shows that Labour are wasting millions of pounds on vanity projects, executive car services and corporate communications while slashing library services, closing dementia centres and ending support for the most vulnerable.

Simon Hughes is calling on voters to stop Labour turning more of our councils into nearly bankrupt authorities, just like they did to the country.

Commenting, Simon Hughes said:

“When Ed Miliband said he had a special responsibility to show us that every pound that is spent by Labour, is spent wisely, he clearly forgot to tell his councillors.

“Labour councils have failed their own leader’s test. Rather than spending money on essential services and supporting the most vulnerable, they want to waste money on executive cars, cabinets for silverware and oil paintings.

“Liberal Democrats in councils across the country are making the best calls for local people. That is why Liberal Democrat-controlled councils are freezing council tax this year, are most likely to offer pay rises for the lowest paid and are still managing to open libraries instead of closing them.

“A vote for Liberal Democrat candidates on Thursday is a vote to stop Labour wasting our money locally just like they did nationally.”

The figures were revealed while Labour Deputy Leader, Harriet Harman, visited the city, attempting to defend Labour’s waste on Sheffield City Council.

Local Liberal Democrat councillors are campaigning to save Sheffield’s weekly bin collections, vital recycling services and local dementia homes, placed under threat of closure by Labour councillors.

Senior Sheffield Labour councillors have argued that no money is available but figure released today show a staggering £4.2m of wasteful spending.

In the last 12 months Labour councillors have:

• Approved £2.2m to refurbish Town Hall meeting rooms;
• Agreed £400,000 to ‘communicate’ their plan to reduce bin collections;
• Rejected a plan to save £1.2m by reducing the pay of senior officials;
• Refused to reduce the £400,000 bill to fund full time Trade Union officials;
• Scrapped Liberal Democrat plans which would have given the lowest paid council workers a permanent £250 pay rise both this year and next year.

In addition to this, Labour councillors turned down extra funds from the Government to help save Sheffield’s weekly bin collections.

Commenting, Simon Hughes said:

“Labour needs to understand that elections are about priorities: protecting essential services and helping the most vulnerable. Whatever the financial circumstances, councils like Sheffield and others across the country run by Labour are making things worse by investing in the wrong priorities – spending millions refurbishing town hall meeting rooms whilst cutting dementia care.

“Liberal Democrats across the country are standing on a record of making the right calls for their communities in difficult times while Labour is trying desperately to turn attention away from their own records because they can’t defend their terrible local record of slashing key services.

“No Liberal Democrat-controlled council in England is closing their libraries and some are opening new ones. Every Liberal Democrat council has frozen Council Tax and our councils have given the lowest paid workers a pay rise more frequently than Labour’s. This comes on top of record rises in the state pension and giving nearly 25m basic-rate tax payers an Income Tax cut last year, this year and next year.

“Labour accepts the need to cut the deficit, but nationally have come forward with no credible plans for what they would do. Their record locally can only demonstrate what a disaster for our country another Labour government would have been.

“Instead of justifying plans to cut services unnecessarily, Harriet Harman should be asking her Labour colleagues what they are doing to tackle wasteful spending.”

“The UK has one of the most flexible labour markets in the world and reforms to tribunals by Vince Cable have improved it even further.

“I don’t believe that tearing up employment rights is going to pave the way for economic recovery.

“People worrying they may be fired at will is only going to undermine consumer confidence at a time when we want people spending on their local high street.

“Liberal Democrats believe the right way to sort out Labour’s mess is to get spending under control, get the banks lending, rebalance the economy away from the City through the £1.4bn Regional Growth Fund and invest in the future and skills of our young people as we have through the £1bn Youth Contract.”

Help us fight Labour lies says council chief

Senior local government Liberal Democrats are going on the offensive after voters in many parts of the country where local elections are taking place received leaflets from the Labour Party containing blatant lies about the Liberal Democrats.

The party is used to the usual strident propaganda put out by the opposition, but in this case senior Lib Dems believe it is time to fight back and rebut serious untruths.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the Local Government Association and Leader of Portsmouth Council,

Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, is determined to take on this negative campaigning.

“Have you seen the kind of lies and scares Labour are attacking local Liberal Democrat candidates with?” he asks.

“I didn’t know that we had scrapped free prescriptions for pensioners. Not to mention axing free TV licences and bus passes too!”

“That’s because it’s not true,” stresses Gerald.

“Millions of pensioners who use these services every day can verify this! Gerald is urging members to help the party counteract these underhand tactics.

“Our candidates need your help now to fight Labour’s lies and scares,” he says.

“Because this kind of campaigning should not be allowed to succeed. With your support, we can elect more local Liberal Democrat councillors to fight for communities across Britain.”

If you have local elections in your area, here’s how you can help today.

• Make 5 calls to our supporters to remind them to vote on Thursday (http://bit.ly/JLaZqB)
• Donate £5 to help pay for 10 calls to remind our supporters to vote on Thursday

Commenting on the draft budget, Senior Liberal Democrat MEP and Vice President of the Budget Committee in the European Parliament, George Lyon said:

“During tough economic times when households budgets are shrinking and people are worried about their jobs it is hard to justify any EU budget increase.

“People expect the European budget to reflect the gravity of the economic situation we face.

“However, this proposed budget increase has nothing to do with increased spending in Brussels. It is the direct result of increased demand for co-financed EU spending by Member States as they scramble to draw down EU funds before the end of this seven year financial planning period.”

Mr Lyon, who is in charge of a new working group set up to find savings in the administrative budget of the European Parliament, added:

“MEPs are determined to find more savings and efficiencies from the EU administrative budget, which is around 6% of the total budget.

“However, if we want to cut the budget back to the level that people across the EU demand then Member States must engage with Parliament to find savings out of the 94% of the budget that is spent directly in the backyards of EU Member States.

“The Budget Committee would like to hear representations from national governments on which roads, bridges and other projects in their own countries they want scrapped or delayed.”

Liberal Democrat-controlled Cardiff is opening five new libraries and Portsmouth and Bristol are also opening new libraries.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Party President, Tim Farron said:

“While Conservatives and Labour councils their budgets without regard for the most vulnerable, Liberal Democrat-controlled councils know how to protect essential services.

“Encouraging and enabling reading is vital to the development of children and adults alike. If we don’t give our children the opportunity to practice and perfect their reading skills at a young age, they will struggle to catch up later in life.

“Libraries are a life-line for local communities, especially for those who are less well off, and give people the opportunity to relax, learn new information and skills or to use the internet if they don’t have it at home.

“Cutting services like Labour and Tory councils are doing will do long-term damage. Liberal Democrats are doing the right thing thanks to our financial competency in the councils we run. That is also the reason why not only have Liberal Democrat councils kept libraries open, but councils in England have also frozen council tax and are most likely to be giving the lowest-paid council workers a pay rise.”

The statement is a correction to an answer to a Parliamentary Question asked by Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Transport, Julian Huppert.

Commenting, Julian Huppert said:

“Today’s figures show that you can’t trust Labour with our railways. Their record is appalling: foisting yearly rail fare increases on to passengers while failing to use that money to invest in services.

“Instead, they let inefficiency cripple our system, burdening taxpayers and passengers alike.

“Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government are doing the right thing to clean up this mess by investing more in our railways than at any time since the Victorian era.

“The Coalition Government has committed to electrifying over 800 miles in 5 years but electrification is just one part of our huge program of investment.

“We’re delivering Crossrail, creating a national High Speed network, reopening old lines, lengthening trains and bringing down costs.

In a debate in the European Parliament, the long-standing campaigner against sexual exploitation of children, women and men said:

“While UEFA should be commended for launching campaigns to tackle racism in the game, I believe it is not doing enough to raise awareness of human trafficking.”

Pointing out that many mega brothels opened in host cities at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Bearder disputed UEFA's claim that large football events are 'irrelevant' when it comes to trafficking.

Ahead of this year's Eurocup in Poland and the Ukraine, strip clubs are already opening near the football stadiums in Kiev. Ms Bearder continued:

“Where there is a spike in demand for sex workers, there will also be a spike in the number of women trafficked. This summer is a massive year for sport in Europe and millions of people will enjoy the games. We must ensure that such great events are not tarnished by trafficking.”

Lib Dems push for equal marriage

Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone and Party President Tim Farron are urging members to get involved in the government consultation on how best to deliver equal civil marriage. The consultation will lead to new legislation enacted in this Parliament.
The party Conference agreed that the best way to do that is in the context of full equality of marriage and civil partnerships.

“This party has always stood for individual liberty and the right to choose how we lead our lives,”

said Tim.

“That’s why we came into being in the 19th Century to protect the rights of religious minorities, it’s why we led the support for equality for women and why we decided before any other major party that civil marriage should be open to same-sex couples equally.
“The Liberal Democrats in government are now delivering on that. But it’s important that as many people as possible respond to this consultation now.
“We’ve waited to get clarification from the Home Office on some ambiguously-worded questions, which we’ve now received. Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transexual Plus (LGBT+) Liberal Democrats have prepared a guide to the consultation, what it means, and how to respond to support the Liberal Democrat policy of equality.

More information is at www.abouttime.org.uk.

Local parties can also order leaflets from LGBT+ Lib Dems to distribute around local venues – not just ones specific to the LGBT+ communities, since equal marriage affects everyone. For more detail on our LGBT+ campaigning, please see http://lgbt.libdems.org.uk or follow @lgbtld on Twitter.

“It is worrying that the two Eds don’t understand the fundamental principles of our tax system, despite having worked in the Treasury for many years as Gordon Brown’s backroom boys.

“It took them 13 years to introduce a 50p rate and then they only did so shortly before a general election. Now that the local elections are coming up, suddenly they care about it again and put down ill-thought through amendments that remove the top rate altogether.

“Labour’s biggest tax change was to remove the 10p tax rate hitting people on low and middle incomes while Liberal Democrats are giving nearly 25m basic-rate tax payers an Income Tax cut and have lifted more than a million people out of paying Income Tax altogether. At the same time, we’re making the rich pay their fair share by cracking down on loopholes and excessive tax relief.”

Official reports have confirmed that no Liberal Democrat-run council in England has increased council tax for their residents. This is unlike both other major parties, many of which are increasing council tax by up to 3.5% this year.

Commenting on Labour and Conservative councils’ record on Council Tax, Liberal Democrat Party President, Tim Farron said:

“While Labour and the Tories fight over how many of their councils raised Council Tax, it’s clear that with the Liberal Democrats your money is safest: no Liberal Democrat-run council in England has raised Council Tax.

“Ordinary working families are struggling already with paying bills, without their councils increasing the burden.

“The choice in next month’s elections is clear: vote Liberal Democrat for financially responsible councils that create jobs. Vote Labour and the Tories for waste, mismanagement and tax rises.”

As well as freezing council tax across the country, Liberal Democrat councils are protecting front-line services, fighting to keep libraries and Sure Start centres open. This is in addition to the achievements of the Liberal Democrats in government, which after the Budget include a £130 income tax cut for all working families, the largest-ever rise in the basic state pension, an increase in child tax credits for the poorest families, and an increase in the Lib Dem Pupil Premium to £600 for every pupil receiving Free School Meals.

At every level of government, the Liberal Democrats are cutting taxes for low- and middle-earners and better targeting help to those that need it the most. It is a record of financial responsibility of which we can be proud.

“With all the controversy surrounding lobbying and tax at the moment, it’s astonishing that a Tory peer is now the lead advocate in Britain for one of the world’s biggest tax havens.

“While the Coalition is trying to make the rich pay their fair share, this exposes an element of the Conservative Party which wants to keep helping their wealthy friends hide their money from the taxman.

“If Lord Blencathra is using his very privileged position in the House of Lords to lobby for a government that wants to see money that should be for our schools, hospitals and our armed forces sailing off in luxury yachts to be stored on the Cayman Islands, it is yet another mockery of the Parliamentary system, and reinforces a need for an elected upper chamber.”

“We’re pleased that Labour has finally recognised that big money should be taken out of politics and that this includes trade unions. But questions remain over how committed Labour is to real reform.

“Why does Ed Miliband still disagree with the Kelly proposals that people should have the freedom to opt-in to donating to the Labour party, rather than the complex system of opting out?

“Over the years there has been much talk of cleaning up party funding, but this has failed to materialised under successive governments. It is now essential that all political parties work together to find a lasting solution to party funding.

“Thanks to a commitment laid down in the Coalition Agreement, cross party talks are currently underway and Liberal Democrats will continue to lead the campaign to clean up party funding once and for all.”

“While Labour and the Tories fight over how many of their councils raised Council Tax, it’s clear that with the Liberal Democrats your money is safest: no Liberal Democrat-run council in England has raised Council Tax.

“This stands in stark contrast to Tory and Labour-run councils which have been racking up the Council Tax in these difficult times. Ordinary working families are struggling already with paying bills, without their councils increasing the burden.

“Liberal Democrat councils have not only frozen council tax but are also most likely to be giving the lowest-paid council workers a pay rise.

“This comes on top of Liberal Democrat achievements in the Budget, which increased the number of people lifted out of tax to over a million and gave nearly 25m people a £130 tax cut this year.

“The choice in next month’s elections is clear: vote Liberal Democrat for financially responsible councils that create jobs. Vote Labour and the Tories for waste, mismanagement and tax rises.”

Cutting energy bills – saving the planet

Nick Clegg announced this week that agreements have been secured with the big six energy companies that could cut energy bills for millions of people.

The commitments will mean that EDF, E.On, British Gas, Southern, Scottish Power and Npower – who supply 99 per cent of British homes with energy – will now write to customers every year to specifically tell them what the best tariff is for them and how to get it. Many people are currently paying far more than they have to.

Some vulnerable customers – those assisted by the Warm Home Discount scheme – will be contacted twice a year. Customers will also be offered the best tariff if their contract comes to an end and if they contact their supplier at any time to ask.

There are more than 120 different tariffs. Currently, seven out of 10 people aren’t on the best tariff for them. The average customer tends to stay on theirs for years, despite the amount of energy they use varying over time. In 2010, 75 per cent of people did not change their tariff.

The government wants people to save money on their bills whilst also becoming more switched on to the idea of saving energy through green measures to make further savings and protecting the environment.

At a speech at ‘Canary Wharf’s greenest building’, the KPMG headquarters, the Deputy Prime Minister said: “We need to get bills as low as possible. I know that many families are struggling with rising energy bills. We can’t control volatile world energy prices. But we can still help people get their bills down. As of this Autumn, your supplier will have to contact you with the best tariff for your needs. And if you call them, they’ll have to offer you the best deal too.

“As we learn to live within our economic means we can learn to live within our environmental means too. To do that, we have to stop treating the environment like an add on; an afterthought. We must show that, in so many ways, consumer interests, business interests and green interests are the same,” stressed Nick. “We have to give people the practical help to make more sustainable choices. We must do everything we can to ensure that the benefits and opportunities created by going green are clear.”
“We’re also working with energy companies to put special barcodes on energy bills. You’ll be able to scan them with your smartphone to get quotes and switch tariff or supplier in a matter of minutes.
“Plus we’re working with consumer groups to make it easier for people to club together and switch supplier. Consumers will be able to use their collective purchasing power to bring down bills.
“We want to see consumers saving money and engage with the energy they use,” explained Nick. “Precisely the kind of thrift that is good for pockets as well as the planet.”

(photo: Crown copyright)