Ok with 15 days to go too Polling day it is now patently clear that the Conservatives proposals for Government would appear to centre on two recurring and recurring and recurring themes.

1. They will cut waste to halve the deficit

2. They will cancel an increase in National Insurances scheduled for 2011

So people are expected to return a majority Conservative Government on the basis that they will scrap mythically large amounts of apparent waste that’s everywhere waiting to be cut and they know now that in a years time, not now, not later this year, it won’t be necessary to keep the NI mincrease as it will damage the economy.

They should forget politics and get into fortune telling. 

It was welcoming today to hear that four senior Generals have come out against replacing the trident missile system.

The key for Liberal Democrats is that the world has changed beyond belief since the cold war, when Trident was commissioned.

We no longer need to point a range of missiles permanently at one country. Threats to our country now come from different sources, international terrorism, dirty bombs, rogue states.

Trident is quickly becoming obsolete, which is why its potential replacement is on the agenda now. However first of all we have to be clear. While other senior military figures insist that a decision does not need to be made now, and Tridents life could be lengthened, the harsh reality is that we need to adapt our military capabilities to a different era and new challenges.

When coupled with the difficult economic times we currently face, it makes economic and military sense to address this issue as part of a widespread review of military spending that should ensure that our forces can meet the challenges they are likely to face over the coming decade with the best possible resources and equipment. Trident should be part of that review.

The Lib Dems are not looking to unilaterally disarm, but would wish the UK Government to play its part alongside current innitiatives by President Obama, to reduce the worlds nuclear arsenal and tackle head-on the issue of nuclear weaponry development amongst rogue states and in general.

Labour and Tory opposition to these proposals is yet another example of their failure to adapt to changing times. A combination of still fighting the cold war and protecting the “empire” still prevail at great cost to our military budget and under resourced and protected service men and women.

If you would like to read the General’s letter to the Times you can follow the link here.

I have found it quite shameful over the past few days to watch Labour and especially Tory politicians fall over themselves in their attemps at scaremongering against hung parliaments, and trying to rubbish the Lib Dem influence on these elections.

Essentially I believe it’s an insult to the electorate. What is clear now in this election is that people want change, but not any change – not the pendulum change of the past, but the fundamental, radical change that would lead to a clean up of politics, reform of our institutions and Government a sensible measured approach to cuts, and an injection of fairness into our tax and benefits system and society in general.

But the hitherto unmentioned factor has been the demand for real choice. People are now telling the pollsters and the politicians that they won’t accept the old two party, either/or choice of the past. They want to be able to choose Lib Dem, Green, UKIP etc in the knowledge that a vote for their choice will count. That’s real democracy too.

As such it looks like the Lib Dems are now the beacon carriers for real choice, not just now but in the future. However this election ultimately turns out, surely elections can never be the same again. 

When the polls close on May 6th the people will have decided, the politicians must not just accept that result as the will of the people they have to listen and act responsibly in taking a new Government and parliament forward. Anything less would be a travesty and a deceit.

Before embarking on the now nightly routine of knocking on residents doors, I attended a public meeting organised by the family of Megan Wightman who was seriously injured in a road traffic accident recently.

Megans Mum, friends , family and local residents want to see much tougher traffic calming measures now introduced, specifically a pelican crossing.

I told the meeting that there was “a local safety scheme currently being introduced, but effectively it was a bit like closing the door after the horse has bolted. What residents need to see is safety improvements that ensure as much as possible that accidents such as this are prevented”.

The authorities are currently investigating the accident, meanwhile I have pledged my support for the campaign to improve safety on Heywood Road and specifically at the mini-roundabout at Rectory Lane.

The Liberal Democrats today launched plans to create jobs that last by stimulating a green, sustainable economy. The plans include investing in wind energy, energy efficiency in public buildings and homes, and bringing empty homes back into use through renovation.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: “This week I will be focusing on the most important issue of all in this election: how we can build a new economy from the rubble of the old. Under Governments from the old parties, economic policy was made entirely subservient to the needs of just one square mile – the city of London.

“This will provide an immediate jobs boost and help create the green infrastructure we need for a low carbon economy. On Tuesday and Wednesday I will unveil further proposals on restructuring our financial system and on boosting social mobility in the new economy.”

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Bury South added, “Time has moved on but the approach and attitude of the two old parties has remained rooted in the past. The recession shouldn’t be the death knell for environmentally friendly policies it should be the spring board. A spring board for massive growth in the green economy, providing a boost to jobs and the economy when it most needs it.”

You can read more about these policies here .

Or your can download this section of our manifesto here: libdem_2010_job.pdf

I must confess to being nervous before hand last night as I settled down with colleagues to watch the live debate between the 3 party leaders.

However, I believe Nick outshone Brown and Cameron, putting our case well, getting our message across and frankly exposing Cameron’s shallow, cosmetic Conservative policy position.

From where I sat Brown did better than many probably expected, whilst Cameron looked the most nervous and lost every spat with Clegg and Brown.

Well before the end it was clear that it was Nick Cleggs night, by the end I had forgoten how many times Cameron and Brown had said “I agree with Nick”. 

Of course it was just one debate, but it did give the Lib Dems the (equal) coverage we deserve and it was interesting to see the three leaders away from the kindergarten atmosphere of the House of Commons and in an environment where they had to deal with public questions and then face challenges from the other two. Excellent format.

Nick responded with clarity and substance, confidence and assurance.  Well done Nick! 

But don’t take my word for it read what the experts have been saying today:  

“Mr Clegg took his chance. He used the biggest opportunity ever given to the third party in British politics to give a virtuoso performance. It was his night.” (Times)

Leaders’ Debate Polls

• YouGov instant reaction: Nick Clegg: 51%, David Cameron: 29%, Gordon Brown: 19%, Don’t Know: 2 %

• ITN poll: Nick: 43%, Cameron: 26%, Brown: 20%

• Populus (Times): Nick: 61%, Cameron: 22%, Brown: 17%

The first Leaders’ debate took place yesterday and Nick won.BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said the biggest impact of the contest will be the insertion of Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats into the nation’s consciousness but nothing the other leaders said had fundamentally altered the general election debate. The abiding memory of the contest could be “the other leaders saying ‘I agree with Nick,” he added.

Vince Cable: “What matters is not what the commentators and spin-doctors think, it’s what the public think, all the indications we’re getting is that the public really liked Nick Clegg, he seems to have come out well ahead.”

Leader Debate Front Pages

• The Guardian reports that Nick Clegg came out on top of the long-awaited TV leaders’ debate. The paper says he won the argument with his pitch that he represented change from the other two parties’ “combined record of failure”. (Clegg the outsider seizes his moment in the TV spotlight)

• The Telegraph reports that Mr Clegg was able to exploit his equal billing to score points off Gordon Brown and David Cameron, reports the Daily Telegraph. Mr Brown decided to attack Mr Cameron rather than outline his future vision for Britain, the paper says. (Clegg’s star rises in great TV showdown).
• The Independent claims that Nick Clegg eclipsed Gordon Brown and David Cameron in the first leaders’ debate (Clegg comes of age).
• The Times also hails the performance of Nick (Enter the Outsider).
• The Mirror comes out in favour of Mr Clegg, although the paper says Mr Cameron was the clear loser. (It’s a man vs boys).

Clegg: “Don’t let anyone tell you the only choice is old politics, we can do something new, we can do something different this time. That’s what I’m about, that’s what The Liberal Democrats offer.”

Out and about knocking on doors since the start of the campaign what is as clear as day is the anger, distrust and frustration many residents now feel towards politicians in general, political parties and Government – at least as embodied by the House of Commons.

The Expenses scandal is like a poorly healed wound that keeps opening up every time a further incident occurs – most recently of course the claim for legal aid by the 3 charged MP’s has angered many, reopened the wound.

But how do we as politicians and our parties persuade people that it won’t happen again, that if elected we won’t behave as shamefully as the last lot, that we will take the action needed to clean up politics?

Some people have told me that whilst they will still vote in the local elections on May 6th, they plan to boycott the General Election. I tell them that whilst I understand there concerns there is a real danger that we end up with an even worse Government, and something even less representative of the British people than we have had.

That for me is the real danger, the scenario created by a shift to extremism coupled with a low turnout. That would make the last parliament look like a  high school debating society by comparison.

Rightly so, as Nick Clegg has constantly repeated that the decision as to who governs Britain rests with the people, “They’re the boss”. And so we have to urge, plea, beg if necessary, for the great British people to first of all get out there and vote.

Secondly, even if you have precious little faith in British Politics, choose a candidate/party that if nothing else, most closely matches your aspirations and hopes for your country and your community.

And finally, make sure they are offering genuine change, new hope, a revitalised politics, a trusted Parliament and a representative Government.

That of course would come at the end of this long campaign, but would genuinely herald a fresh start and hopefully a Liberal Britain.

THE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MANIFESTO

This is a manifesto you can trust. We have stripped our priorities back to the essential, fundamental changes that Britain needs to make it fair:

• Fair taxes that put money back in your pocket
• A fair chance for every child
• A fair future, creating jobs by making Britain greener
• And a fair deal by cleaning up politics

These are deliverable, practical plans to make your life better, and they are right there on the front cover of our manifesto.  Instead of rhetoric and razzmatazz, we are saying what we will do and how we will pay for it.

Elections should be a competition of ideas, not marketing budgets. They may have the bigger budgets but we have the bigger ideas.And you can trust us to deliver because unlike the other parties, we have spelt out, line by line in the manifesto how every single policy is paid for, and how we will reduce the deficit.

We have set out £15bn of details spending cuts and just £5bn a year of new spending, meaning £10bn for the deficit every year. We are the first party to put detailed spending plans into a manifesto.

Four key pledges

1. Fair taxes: We will ensure no-one pays income tax on the first £10,000 they earn. Most taxpayers will get a tax cut of £700 a year.  We’ll pay for it by closing loopholes that unfairly benefit the rich, a new tax on mansions worth over £2m, a crack down on tax avoidance and higher aviation duty.
2. A fair start for all our children: We will get every child the individual attention they need by cutting class sizes.  We will spend an extra £2.5bn on schools, targeted at children who need the most help. The average primary school could cut class sizes to 20. An average secondary school could see classes of just 16.
3. A fair future: a rebalanced, green economy: We will break up the banks and rebalance the economy away from unsustainable financial speculation. We will be honest about where savings must be made in government spending to balance the books and protect our children’s future. And we will create new jobs with a £3.1bn green stimulus and job creation plan in our first year in office, fully funded by cut backs elsewhere.
4. A fair deal from politicians: We will introduce a fair voting system. We will ensure corrupt MPs can be sacked by their constituents and stop non-doms from donating to parties or sitting in Parliament. We will take power from Westminster and give it to communities, with local power over police and the NHS, and introduce a freedom bill to protect and restore civil liberties.

We also have the following commitments:

• Protect front line NHS services. We will help the NHS work better with the money it has and protect front line services by re-investing the savings we find back into healthcare
• Recruit 3,000 more police officers to keep our streets safe and scrapping ID cards
• Scrap student tuition fees to reduce the burden of student debt immediately and eliminate fee debt altogether over 6 years
• A pay rise for our brave service men and women together with cut backs of bureaucrats and top brass officers in the Ministry of Defence
• Uprate the basic state pension in line with earnings immediately so that pensioners do not fall further behind when the economy starts to grow again

YOU CAN READ NICK CLEGGS MANIFESTO LAUNCH SPEECH HERE

YOU CAN READ OR DOWNLOAD A COPY OF OUR MANIFESTO HERE: libdem_manifesto_2010.pdf

ALTERNATIVELY YOU CAN VIEW OUR MANIFESTO IN FULL OR SECTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE HERE 

I was pleased to meet with officers of the Jewish Representative Council of Manchester last night.

They are meeting local candidates to highlight issues of concern to the organisation and find out candidates views on issues of concern to the Jewish community.

I think it is fair to say there was a frank exchange of views, I spoke openly about issues and hopefully reassured the JRC about issues such as faith schools, anti-semitism, Foreign policy towards Israel  amongst others.

It was a very pleasant meeting, I would offer my thanks to Mrs Barbara Goldstone and colleagues, Frank and Sydney Baigel for allowing me the opportunity to meet with them.

The Liberal Democrats today set out radical new proposals to clamp down on bankers’ bonuses.
The five point plan will ensure the bonus system can never again encourage banks to behave in the way that led to the banking crisis.

Under the Liberal Democrats, excessive cash bonuses will come to an end, there will be no bonuses for board members and there will be no rewards for failure.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: “I want to see fundamental reform to Britain’s banks. Only by transforming the banking industry from top to toe can we start to build a new economy. I make no apologies for the fact this will mean big changes in the City of London. I want to see a change as fundamental as the Big Bang of the 1980s, for the better, not the worse.”

The Liberal Democrats will ensure that the bonus system can never again encourage banks to behave in the way that led to the banking crisis.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Bury South said, “I welcome this election pledge. There are aspects of the culture of bonuses that are nothing short of scandalous. I always understood that bonuses should be paid for achieving success and targets, there seems that a culture of expectation has grown irrespective of how dire the banks finances may be. This has to end.”

Ultimately the Lib Dems propose to break up the banks and make a more competitive banking industry and bring an end to the excess profits of the investment banking system and with it the massive bonus payouts. However, the Liberal Democrats also have a five point plan to tackle bankers’ bonuses quickly. This is:

1. No cash bonuses – We will require all bonuses in excess of £2,500 to be paid in shares. These shares will only be redeemable after five years; it will be written into the right of entitlement of these shares that they will revert to the company if they are pledged or used as security prior to the date of their redemption.

2. No bonuses at board level – We will ensure there are no bonuses at the board level of banks. This is not to say that board directors should not be well paid, but that they should have the long term interests of a company at heart – bonus payments do not encourage this.

3. No rewards for failure – We will extend the Financial Services Act to ensure that no regulated institution which has made a loss can pay discretionary bonuses.

4. Total transparency – We will require the publication of the names of all bank staff that have salaries and bonuses that are greater than the Prime Minster’s salary (which is just under £200,000). In addition we will require the FSA to publish its assessment of all regulated firms remuneration policy.

5. Holding directors to account – We will extend the powers of the FSA to ensure that the directors of banks are personally fined if their institution breaks the current code of practice for remuneration.