As the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Na h-
This election will be the most important for decades. I am committed to building a fairer society through change that works for you.
It’s time for change. If you are fed up of confrontational politics, want to see a fairer tax system, a fair start for every child and a fair deal for you from politicians it’s time to vote Liberal Democrat, to send me to Westminster as your representative, working for you and for the long term sustainability of these islands.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are the second party in Scotland both in terms of seats at Westminster and in votes cast. We understand the needs of rural communities.
Our poll ratings have gone up in the last year and we start the campaign at a higher
level in the polls than in 2005.
We will win more seats at this election and there is no reason why with your help we cannot win here.
We are also bringing the big ideas to this election. Our central themes have never been more relevant for Scotland:
A fairer society, with the biggest tax change in generations. We will put £700 back in the pockets of people on low and middle incomes. You will pay no tax on the first £10,000 you earn. Half a million Scots will be taken out of income tax entirely under our plans including many people in the Western Isles
A fair start for every child, with a commitment to find the resources – even in these tough times – to invest in education and make sure every child can reach their potential.
A sustainable, green economy – We will invest (immediately in 2010-
Cleaning up politics with a fair voting system that ends the culture of safe seats for life, with new powers for voters to sack corrupt MPs and a stronger Scottish Parliament better equipped to build a strong economy and a fair society.
Labour has failed. They have let us down. They have failed to make the country fairer, failed on the economy, failed on the environment and failed to clean up politics. Gordon Brown’s legacy after 13 years at the heart of government is the worst recession in decades, a failed political system and a society, which is unfair.
Every economic decision of the past 13 years has been Gordon Brown’s. Labour has proved it can’t be trusted on the economy. Labour has broken their promise to reform politics and made government more bureaucratic and wasteful.
The Conservatives can’t be trusted. Under them, life will get worse, not better, for ordinary people because their first instinct is to help people who are already at the top. They offer fake change not real change. Their budget proposals do not add up.
The SNP are irrelevant at Westminster. Since the start of the present economic downturn they have failed to make any impact. They are a tiny party in Westminster terms and as the general election approaches and, as the race tightens, they are in danger of losing seats. They are losing ground fast as a result of broken promises at Holyrood, their irrelevance at Westminster and their obsession with an independence referendum, which nobody wants
The Scottish Liberal Democrats will pay for a Pupil Premium to give more money to
Scottish schools to recruit more teachers, give one-
We will protect frontline health services by cutting back on the salary bill of the highest paid people in health boards.
We will scrap Labour’s ineffective and expensive ID card scheme and recruit extra police instead.
We have identified savings that can be used for an emergency Jobs Package in 2010-
We got the Scottish Parliament to change the Budget so that there are 7,500 more college places available to help the record numbers of young unemployed people in Scotland.
We got extra support for businesses that can’t get their banks to help them.
And we got £1million for local post offices to help them diversify their businesses and stay open in their communities.
We have a strong team in the Highlands and Islands including Alastair Carmichael, John Thurso, Charles Kennedy, Danny Alexander and Alan Reid and I look forward to joining them at Westminster to deliver the change we need in the Western Isles.
Email: jeanmedavis@btinternet.com
Election 2010
Candidate election statement -
