Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate sharply criticises Government proposals at Tadley Liberal Democrats Annual General Meeting

9.03.00pm GMT Mon 1st Dec 2003

Addressing the Annual General Meeting of Tadley Liberal Democrats in the Nursery Room of Tadley Community Centre on Thursday November 28th, Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for North West Hampshire sharply criticised the Government's programme announced in the Queen's speech the day before.

"Only yesterday we heard what this Government had to offer this country for their 7th Queen's speech. At a time where there is still so much to be done on health, on education at all levels from pre-school to university, on crime and disorder, on pensions and care for the elderly, on reinvigorating local initiative and local government, and for the environment, it was a depressingly unimaginative and unambitious list."

"It continues the bureaucracy, attacks on individual freedom and Whitehall-knows-best thinking that we have come to expect from the Labour Government."

"They are putting forward some truly dreadful proposals:

• Top-up fees - putting more barriers in the way of people who want to learn. Top-up fees and tuition fees should be scrapped.

• An all-appointed house of Lords - an embarrassment to a modern nation. It should be wholly elected.

• The disgraceful proposal to take the children of failed asylum seekers into care

• More bureaucracy in a wide range of areas, such as their plans for sellers' packs in the housing market

• A pointless ID cards proposal

And at a time when we need to be reducing congestion they are suggesting charging for rural school buses."

"There are some good proposals on civil partnerships and domestic violence - but overall Labour are getting tired. Their top-down solutions aren't working, and it's time for them to return power to the people and communities of this country and let us start solving problems from the ground up."

Other business at the Annual General Meeting included the re-election of Jo Slimin as Chair of Tadley Liberal Democrats for 2004.