http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080611/debtext/80611-0020.htm

Liberal Democrat Election Manifesto 2008

Christine Bampton-Smith has been selected by the Local Liberal Democrat Branch, for a third time, to represent the Luddendenfoot Ward at the election on May 1st 2008. Christine said ‘It is an honour to be chosen again to stand in Luddendenfoot.

In 2004 I was elected to serve this ward for a second time with a clear majority for the Liberal Democrats. As a ward councillor I have helped many local residents with issues and problems ranging from housing to litter and planning to flooding. I will continue to work hard both in the Town Hall and in the ward.

I have lived in the ward for over thirty years and hope to be elected in May to continue to work for the community and campaign for change in Calderdale to make it a better place for everyone to live, work and enjoy.

I am proud to be part of the Liberal Democrat Team which works hard to help people with a wide range of concerns. The team has campaigned successfully on many issues that affect the local area. Commitment to the Ward is my promise.’

Christine is married and has two grown up children, she works part-time at Leeds College of Art and Design.

Calder Valley Liberal Democrats are once again celebrating being the largest party on Hebden Royd Town Council after by-election wins in the wards of White Lee and Caldene.

Polling, which took place on Thursday 6th March, brought success over Labour for local businessman Karl Boggis who took 78% of the votes in Caldene ward. Jade Smith, who stood in the White Lee ward and took 73% of the votes to Labour’s 27%. Conservatives did not field a candidate in either ward.

Karl said, “I am really pleased to be elected, I can get on and raise the profile of Mytholmroyd and direct resources toward projects such as the Memorial Garden where an upgrade is long overdue.”

Backing Karl’s list of priorities Jade said, “It is time the community spaces in Mytholmroyd were upgraded for the benefit of local residents. Mytholmroyd might not be a tourist honey pot but that does not mean the locals have to miss out.”

Calderdale and Town Councillor, Cllr. Christine Bampton Smith, herself up for re-election in May welcomed Jade and Karl, saying “They are a first-rate addition to our dedicated team of councillors and their election makes us once again the largest party on the council.”

The revised proposals are tax neutral and have been independently evaluated by the IFS.

The proposals launched in the document Reducing the Burden: Policies for tax reform include:
· Reaffirming the commitment to abolishing Council Tax, replacing it with a tax based on ability to pay
· Removing tax loop-holes exploited by the super-rich
· Radically simplifying the tax code, removing over 500 pages of unnecessary regulations
· Reforming stamp duty to reduce the amount of tax paid on properties worth less than £500,000
· Reforming Inheritance Tax, with the aim of raising the starting threshold to £500,000

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader, Menzies Campbell said:
“Our new proposals will put fairness at the heart of the tax system.
“Low and middle income earners in this country shoulder too heavy a tax burden.
“By cutting the basic rate of national income tax by four pence in the pound the Liberal Democrats are proposing the lowest basic rate since 1916.
“By reforming stamp duty and inheritance tax we will ensure that people who were not originally intended to pay these taxes no longer do so.
“The unacceptable reality is that in Britain today the poorest pay a higher proportion of their income in tax than the super-rich.
“Under our proposals tax cuts for the majority will be paid for by the wealthy minority, as well as those with environmentally damaging lifestyles.
“Only the Liberal Democrats have produced a costed plan to create a tax system that is fair, simple and green. I challenge Gordon Brown and David Cameron to back up their rhetoric by endorsing our plans.”

Commenting further, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable MP said:
” This paper takes forward, in a more radical form, the proposals we passed at our conference last year. Those on low and middle incomes will benefit from a cut in the basic national rate, and from the scrapping of council tax.
“The national tax cuts will be paid for by abolishing the capital gains tax break, which allows the very rich to pay a lower tax rate than the person who cleans their office, as well as only providing tax relief for pensions at the standard rate; and raising taxes on polluters.
“Taken in conjunction with the abolition of council tax, these policies benefit the vast majority of families.”

Ahead of the local elections on May 3rd, Liberal Democrats in the Calder Valley are asking, “Will the government publish their post offices hit list?”

The government’s consultation has finished and a list has been compiled of post offices threatened with closure. The government were supposed to respond to their consultation by the end of March, but have shelved their response until after the local elections.

Liberal Democrats in the Calder Valley have been campaigning to save local post offices from closure.

The Liberal Democrats are the only party to have a plan to save the post office. The Liberal Democrat five-point plan would see:

• £2 billion invested in post office branches;
• New branches opening where needed;
• Government services continuing to be available at the Post Office;
• The Post Office freed from Royal Mail restrictions to let it develop new business;
• A new legal requirement for the Government to maintain the local Post Office network.

Eleven post offices have closed in Calder Valley between 1999 and 2006. Under the governments plans an average of three to four more post offices per constituency will close, but no definite figures can be known until the government publish their hit list.

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner John Beacroft-Mitchell said,

“The government should publish their post office hit list before the local elections on May 3rd.

“This is the last chance people in Calder Valley will have to tell the government what they think of their plans to close at least 2,500 post offices across the country.

“We do not know what post offices in Calder Valley are under threat as the government has not published their post office hit list.

“Local people should have the chance to voice their concerns over the government’s closure programme.”

John Beacroft-Mitchell added,

“The Conservative party are no better. Under their watch they let 3,500 post offices close and 10 years later they still don’t have a plan to stop more local post offices closing.
“Between them, Labour and the Conservatives will soon have closed at least 10,000 post offices.

“We are the only party that has a plan to stop the post office closures and bring new business to the post office and services to local communities.”

This year the added attraction of a bit of celebrity in the form of Robbie Coltrane didn’t bring a single Labour MP, councillor or candidate to the event.

Last week :

• No Labour faces at the Mayor’s civic dinner
• No Tory/Labour appearances at the Luddendenfoot Community Assoc. fundraiser
• No local Labour/Tory councillors or candidates for the Hebden Royd cleanup in Mytholmroyd.

Congrats to Darren Kay for knocking the ringer (Mr. Coltrane) into second and winning the Dock Pudding Competition.John Beacroft-Mitchell

PS. If you are Labour candidate/councillor and did go to the Dock Pudding competition please feel free to put me right by posting a comment or sending me an email john@beacroft-mitchell.co.uk.

Last year the Liberal Democrats held the ward with the Tories coming second.

Labour dropped behind the BNP for the first time ever.

There is nothing to suggest this year will be any different.

The Liberal Democrats have a good reputation for getting things done in the ward all year round.