New Year's message from Richard Dickson

Let's seize this opportunity to do something positive!

I hope you're looking forward to 2015! In less than 130 days' time, on May 7th, - or earlier if you vote by post - you'll be able to do something that could have a profound and positive impact on the communities in which you live. It's a chance to think big thoughts about what really matters to us as individuals, as communities and as global citizens and to express those thoughts with a small cross on a bit of paper.
If you'd like to help our campaign in any way, e.g. by delivering leaflets or by making a modest financial contribution, please do contact me.

Where do I stand on...the economy and the cost of living?

The first job of any government is to build the Common Good. Inevitably, the financial implications of doing so have to be taken very seriously. For me there are two important principles for us as individuals, as communities and as a country: a) we have to live within our means and b) we have to work to ensure a fair and reasonable distribution of wealth and income.
In practical terms these principles mean that I'm in favour of
1) continued focus on balancing government income and expenditure and on reducing our national debt.
2) helping the private sector to create even more jobs than the 1 million new jobs it's provided since 2010
3) investing even more in apprenticeships (2 million created since 2010)
4) investing more in manufacturing (especially in high-tech areas such as the motor industry) so that we're less reliant on financial services (where I once worked!)
5) tax reforms where Liberal Democrats have led the current government in giving lower income earners a £825 tax cut and stopping tax avoidance by big businesses and high earners, whilst pushing for a Mansion House tax on properties worth £2 million or more and blocking plans to give inheritance tax cuts to the wealthiest, and
6) specific proposals to help families, with free school meals for all infants, and to help pensioners with the 'triple-lock' rule that has increased pensions by £800 per year since 2010. .

Of course there's always more that can be done. Yes we're not in the mess that we were in 2010 but there's absolutely no cause for complacency.

Richard Dickson is the Liberal Democrat's prospective parliamentary candidate for the southern strip of Rugby - see http://rugbylibdems.org.uk/en/article/2014/974139/richard-dickson-to-fight-for-southern-rugby .