Wyre Forest Liberal Democrats

Worcestershire Liberal Democrat Manifesto 2005

Worcestershire Liberal Democrats MANIFESTO for Local Government 2005

Some people forget that there are two elections on Thursday 5th May: the General Election and the Worcestershire County Council Elections.

Liberal Democrats believe that Local Government is just as important as national Government.

That is why we are issuing this Manifesto for Local Government to bring our relevant national and Local Policies together in one document.

So whether you vote for a Liberal Democrat Candidate in the General Election, or in the Worcestershire County Council Elections, or both, you will be voting for a party that puts Local Services at the heart of its agenda.

Axe The Council Tax.

Council tax is unfair, and we will abolish it completely.

It hits people on low and fixed incomes particularly badly. And it can only get worse because of the council tax band revaluations due to start later this year. If the value of your house has risen faster than the national average (which is the case in many parts of Worcestershire) then you can expect to be paying even more council tax.

The Conservatives intend only to tinker with council tax, and Labour's £200 election bribe is good for one year only. Liberal Democrats will replace council tax with a fair tax based on income, so it would be related to people's ability to pay. A typical family would be £450 a year better off. Half of all pensioners wouldn't pay at all.

Children first.

Worcestershire schools are not getting their fair share of national funding, ranking 34th out of 35 shire counties on some measures. The Labour Government believes that it cost much less to educate Worcestershire children. Lib Dems know, as dose every teacher and every parent, that this is simply not true.

Our Priorities.

· Fairer funding for Worcestershire schoolchildren.

· Where parents want to keep middle schools, we will support them.

· Inclusive education where possible, special schools where this is best for the child.

· Renovate and build new school buildings to high environmental standards.

· Every child taught by a properly qualified teacher who knows their subject.

· Extra investment in early years education and childcare. Smaller class sizes for children under 7 years old.

· Trust teachers to teach, and assess our children's progress, without excessive testing and inspection.

· Give children in care more of a say in the way their care is managed.

Easier Journeys

Many Worcestershire residents travel within and outside the county everyday. Our aim is to help people by providing real transport choices.

Our priorities:

· Improved junctions along the A4440 south of Worcester (the Southern Link). Upgrade to dual carriageway if flood risk is not worsened.

· A new main-line railway station close to Worcester at Norton, to ease the pressure on the M5 and provide better links to the national rail network.

· The Cotswold line upgraded with modern signalling and dual tracks. Campaign for a new station with longer platforms at Bromsgrove.

· More money for County highway and footway repairs, with better workmanship.

· Free off-peak travel on local buses and trains for pensioners and disabled people.

· Look at the possibility of a dedicated fleet of yellow buses to tackle the "school run ".

· Joined-up cycle path. Flexible bus routes and on-demand services. Park-and-Ride where people want it. Support for car sharing.

· Shared bus/rail tickets and easy access to travel information.

Health closer to home

Currently, the County Council has responsibility for Social Services but no direct control over health services. Liberal Democrats say that this division is senseless and can prevent people getting the care they need.

Our priorities:

· Make the council responsible for planning Social Services and Primary care in the County. This will not mean more "joined-up" services but also make local health provision more democratically accountable.

· End charging for personal care, whether in care homes or people's own homes.

· Greater focus on education for healthier lifestyles, especially in our schools.

· Continued support for community hospitals around the county.

More police, less crime

In most parts of our county, fear of crime is greater than the likelihood of crime itself. But there are some trouble spots of vandalism and theft, often linked to drug abuse. Lib Dems believe that early intervention, and penal reforms that minimise re-offending, are the best use of taxpayers` money.

Our priorities:

· Scrap Labour's costly ID card scheme and use the money to recruit 10,000 more police officers nationwide.

· Tougher community sentences for non-violent offenders, with local councillors and residents deciding what work needs to be done in their neighbourhoods.

· In prison, rigorous study programmes particularly aimed at getting young offenders into jobs when released

· More Community Support Officers to take pressure off the police.

Young people valued

It sometimes seems as if young people are considered only as problems, not as assets. Lib Dems will help and value them. They are our future.

Our priorities:

· More investment in youth services of various types throughout the County.

· Discounted travel on local buses.

Dignity and Security.

Like the rest of the country, Worcestershire has a growing proportion of older residents, who tend to be more frequent users of council services. Liberal Democrats have a combination of National and Local Policies aimed at enabling older people to live with dignity and security.

Our Priorities.

· Scrapping the Council Tax and introducing a Local Tax based on income will make thousands of pensioners better off.

· End charging for personal care, including help with dressing, washing and feeding, whether in care homes or people's own homes.

· Free off-peak travel on local buses and trains for all pensioners and disabled people. Help for people who cannot use bus services.

· £100 extra per month on the basic state pension for all over 75, linked to earnings not inflation, lifting one million pensioners out of demeaning means-testing.

Sustainability - what's that?

Sustainability means adopting policies that will stand the test of time. It means looking for solutions that will still work decades from now. It means treating Worcestershire as if we intend to stay.

Our priorities:

· Increasing the percentage of household waste being usefully recycled rather than expensively tipped into landfill.

· Easier transport choices so that people can leave their cars at home when travelling.

· All council buildings using less energy and making less waste. Help for businesses to do the same.

· Concentrate development within existing cities and town to preserve our open countryside.

Services, not Bureaucracy.

The Conservatives at County Hall have presided over a ballooning bureaucracy, made worse by Labour Government Interference, with money spent on administrators and new offices rather than front line services.

Our Priorities.

· Services first, not offices. Abandon the Tories' plans to re-carpet the Council Chamber.

· Councils freed from Central Government Interference. The enforced re-billing of Council Tax last year was a complete waste of money.

· Easier for people to contact the Council outside office hours.

· A greater role for ordinary Councillors as Community Spokespersons.