Candidates in the Oldham Byelection

Nominations closed yesterday for the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election, due to be held on 13th January.

• Debbie Abrahams (Labour)
• Derek Adams (British National Party)
• Kashif Ali (Conservative)
• Peter Allen (Green Party)
• David Bishop (Bus-Pass Elvis Party)
• The Flying Brick (Monster Raving Loony Party)
• Loz Kaye (Pirate Party of the United Kingdom)
• Stephen Morris (English Democrats)
• Paul Nuttall (UK Independence Party)
• Elwyn Watkins (Liberal Democrats)

Is anybody else noticing the Labour National Executive Council may have picked their candidate purely on the basis she would top the ballot paper?

To find out how to help the Liberal Democrats win in Oldham please see the post below.

We need to win before Christmas in Oldham

You can help Elwyn Watkins and the local Liberal Democrats to get a better deal for Oldham East & Saddleworth by helping elect another Lib Dem MP in the Oldham byelection. The office is open every day and even a few hours would be appreciated.

To get involved, come along to the HQ any day between 9am and 8pm or contact the campaign HQ by calling 01457 810993 or emailing hq@elwynwatkins.co.uk.

The HQ is at Tanner Business Centre, Waterside Mill, Chew Valley Road, Greenfield, OL3 7NH, or find it on the map below.

The nearest train station is Greenfield. There is plenty of parking if you're coming by car.

By car (from the Manchester Ring Road): Leave the M60 at Junction 23 (Ashton). Take the A635 (Wakefield) all the way to the entrance to Tanner Business Centre (just off Holmfirth Road after a mini-roundabout at Clarence Hotel/Pub). You should be able to see a Lib Dem diamond from the roundabout.

By car (from the M62): Leave the M62 at Junction 22 and turn left onto the A672. At the Junctions Inn crossroads, turn left onto the A640 and then immediately right onto the A6052. Carry on over the A62 and follow the A6052 until the roundabout with the A670. Take the second exit onto the A670 towards Uppermill. Branch left onto the A6051 and then turn left onto the A669 (Chew Valley Road). Follow the road to the end to reach a mini-roundabout at Clarence Hotel/Pub. Turn left at the roundabout and Tanner Business Centre is immediately on the right. You should be able to see a Lib Dem diamond from the roundabout.

If you can't make it to the HQ in person, you can still support Elwyn's campaign by making a donation to the Lib Dems using this special link. Thank you.

Social Welfare Reform

Paul Burstow, the Liberal Democrat Minster of State for Health announced last month that the Government will be changing the way social care is to be distributed.

In his radical plans, a much needed change for the better, there will be a stronger focus on a local level of provision-including early support and prevention and this will work towards the long term aim of allowing people to maintain their independence.

It has been revealed by the BBC in recent days that 1/8 young people are carers, often looking after relatives and parents, and these changes to the system will help them in a way the current system failed.

The new plans have been focused on three issues: personalisation, protection and productivity.

On personalisation, the Liberal Democrats (party policy since 2004) believe that services someone requires should be tailored to their needs, and that they and/or their carers shall be the be the best judge of what their requirements shall be. Therefore, we are introducing a wider roll-out of personal budgets. Currently, about 13% of those in need receive them, however by 2013 we hope that up to a million people who need them will have them. The Department of Health have liaised with local authorities who believe this is possible and in the next year up to £800million will be directed into social care, reablement and prevention.

On the issue of protection, by allowing people to manage their own budget the Department of Health is taking on greater risks, however, sensible safeguards will be put in place to reduce the scope for abuse of the system.

The Government also made a commitment to spend £400,000,000 on provide respite care for carers through direct payments (as in our manifesto), which will provide much needed breaks for the unsung heroes in our society.

Southport Liberal Youth disappointed by rise in fees

Liberal Youth are deeply disappointed at the result of today’s vote on raising the tuition fee cap.

Commenting, North West Chair of Liberal Youth, Sarah Harding said:

“Liberal Youth and Liberal Democrat policy remains the abolition of fees. I am saddened that we have been unable to implement this, such is the nature of coalition politics. We must now see the white paper as soon as possible to help influence the new system under which loans shall be paid back.”

Despite this disappointment, Liberal Youth recognise the influence of Liberal Democrats in improving the proposals, and will continue to campaign on this front.

Liberal Youth in final lobby against Tuition Fee rise

Liberal Youth, the youth and student wing of the Liberal Democrats, will today lobby Lib Dem MPs in a final effort to vote down the proposed rise in Tuition Fees.

Explaining the organisations actions, Liberal Youth Policy Officer and Southport Branch Chair Sarah Harding said:

“Over recent months Liberal Youth have nationally and locally been working with our Liberal Democrats Parliamentarians to encourage them to vote against increasing the cap on fees.

While Labour have been caught up in rank hypocrisy on this issue, the Liberal Democrats in government have put forward proposals that are better than Labour’s discredited policy. However, Liberal Youth simply do not think it is right that any government asks young people to start their working life in huge personal debt, even under an improved pay back system.

Southport Liberal Youth are delighted that John Pugh MP has already pledged to vote against the proposals, and urge others to follow his lead."

Opinion: Browne, thanks but no thanks

Labour failed a generation of young people and students in this country. They left them with debt, with unemployment, and with a deficit worth £25,000 to each person. But in their final months they did do something to help.

Commissioning the Browne Review in Higher Education Funding reopened the debate on education in this country; it allowed those interested to have their say, and more importantly be listened to. It gave the Coalition Government the chance to reform the education system.

For Liberal Youth, our primary aim is to represent our membership, to do our best for them, and as such we set up a Post-16 Education Working Group, a committee consulting on everything from FE and HE, to adequate apprentice support. The Working Group’s primary evaluations concluded the vast majority of participants support the goal of universal free education paid for by general taxation. Not free at the point of access and pay later. Simply free.

Objectively speaking, the Browne Review has good intentions; increasing student choice, greater investment and widening access to disadvantaged groups, are all honourable aims. The problem is we disagree with how to achieve them.

Expanding the availability of grants and bursary’s, increasing the minimum income threshold and finding a long term funding solution must happen. Nevertheless, if Lord Browne’s recommendations are accepted, we will fail those who need our help the most; increasing tuition fees and interest on loans are regressive steps, the physical and mental consequences of debt are ignored and some people who deserve to go to university will be priced out of the market. Our aim must be universal free education at all levels.

The worst news we’ve heard this morning is perhaps not the content of the Browne Review, after all, it does not have to be accepted, it is that the proposals are to be rushed through. When all organisations were promised six months to consult their memberships, hearing that it is to be fast-tracked is the worst crime. For people who received a free education to restrict our access to one without talking to us is fairly disingenuous.

The Browne Review is devastating to the long-term goal of education based on ability, rather than the ability to pay. The Student Finance Plan, whilst being a thorough and pragmatic solution to university funding during difficult economic times, does not meet the needs of those who will use it. Its aims are laudable, but it is not the solution.

Parliamentarians work for the people, not for themselves. To all parties; I ask on behalf of Liberal Youth, to work for the students of this country, to find a Plan B, and a step towards our aim. Fight for free education, and honour the pledge to vote NO to increased tuition fees in any guise.

Education is worth more than any price tag.

And Lord Browne? Thanks, but no thanks.

Sarah Harding

Policy Officer, Liberal Youth

Chair, Southport Liberal Youth

Article reproduced from the Times online newspaper

This is what REAL progressive politics looks like...

I, along with Sarah H and a delegation from the Southport Liberal Democrats, attended a mega training day put on by Chris Davies our regional MEP. It was a great day, with lots of training events to keep us all up to dat ewith the latest campaigning techniques and messages.

The highlight for me was listening to Andrew Stunell, MP for Hazel Grove and our Minister in Government for Communities and Local Government. He was also one of our four MP's who negotiated with the Conservatives to give us our Coalition Government agreement.

The word 'revolutionary' is often overused in politics, but I think it can truly be applied to the localism agenda that will form a key feature of this Parliament.

Localism is all about decentralising and detaching the strangling tendrils of central Government. Its about realising that different areas have individual needs and priorities and that Whitehall diktats dont work. One example of this was the Regional Spatial Strategies, housebuilding targets imposed from the centre on to communities. These gave no leeway to local opinion. RSS has now been abolished by the new government.

This is relevant to all of us. It will mean that town, parish and local Councils will all be able to have a say about local budgets and local services.

We need look no further locally than the stalemate over the Childrens Walk in Centre for Southport. Its clearly a service that local people want and need, yet nothing is happening.

There is nothing that will invoke electoral apathy more than this sort of situation. You can understand why people are turned off voting if they think that they have no real say or any real possibility of having one. This is even further entrenched if people also feel disillusioned with their ability to enact any change through their votes. Its not hard to see how people then think, ' well whats the point voting, I cant change anything can I?' Or, 'well, i really like that candidate and that party, but they cant win here, so my vote will just be a wasted one.'

A new and progressive politics has to challenge and eradicate the 'whats the point,' and 'why bother' attitudes that the Labour Government certainly didn't tackle. Localism and political reform in the shape of fairer votes, will truly radicalise the political system as we know it.

Next May's referendum on a fairer voting system will be a great opportunity, not just for the Liberal Democrats, but for all those that don't feel they have a voice.

Its time to shout loudly!