Why vote for Jerry Roodhouse and the Liberal Democrats in Rugby and Bulkington

This election is important because it will set the agenda for the next five years as we negotiate our way out of the EU and the choices we make for our schools, the National Health Service, the police, the economy, the environment, infrastructure and housing.

Rugby and Bulkington needs a strong local champion who will stand up for the area. Jerry Roodhouse is a tireless campaigner who has a track record of promoting to great affect the interests and causes of people in Rugby.

Jerry is a long standing Rugby Borough Councillor and a Warwickshire County Councillor. He operates at the community edge of politics. He is never afraid to challenge the establishment and be unpopular with officials and political opponents in pursuit of his constituent's interest. His common sense and no-nonsense straight talking are needed at Westminster to ensure Rugby gets a better deal.

Liberal Democrats are different to the other parties because we stand for liberty, the freedom of every individual to make their own decisions about how best to live their lives - free from a controlling, intrusive state and a stifling conformity.

We recognise that people's ability to realise their own goals is critically affected by their circumstances. That is why we will:

Give young people and children in Rugby a brighter future - Help people who cannot afford a deposit to buy a house by introducing a new Rent to Own model where rent payments give tenants an increasing stake in the property, owning it outright after 30 years, restore Housing Benefit for 18-21 year-olds, reverse cuts to college budgets and extend free school meals to all children in primary education.

Protect our NHS and care services - putting 1p in the pound on income tax to raise £6bn for NHS and social care services, limit the amount elderly people have to pay for social care, increase access to mental health talking therapies and promote easier access to GPs and prevent practice closures.

Stop education cuts and provide fair funding for every school - Invest £7 billion extra in children's education; so that no school loses money per pupil in cash terms and triple the Early Years Pupil Premium to £1000 - which would benefit 1,046 3-4 year olds in Warwickshire from disadvantaged backgrounds and give them a better start in life.

Value public sector workers - End years of pay restraint for nurses, teachers and police in Warwickshire by lifting the 1% cap on public sector pay and increases wages in line with inflation. This would give a £527 pay rise to nurses, teachers and police in Rugby. We will also introduce a clear and properly funded entitlement to genuinely high quality professional development for all teachers and tackle unnecessary teacher workload so they have flexibility to apply their expertise and develop children's passion for learning.

Invest in infrastructure - Commit to a responsible and realistic £100 billion package of additional infrastructure investment to help boost the economy and ensure that Rugby has the roads and schools we need.

Support families and communities - extend free childcare to all two-year olds in Rugby, and give new fathers in Rugby an extra month's paid paternity leave. We will give 16-21 year-olds in the area a two-thirds discount on bus travel and double the number of businesses which hire apprentices. We will also increase support for homelessness prevention in Rugby by adequately funding age-appropriate emergency accommodation and supported housing.

Cut waste and use resources wisely - Establish a statutory waste recycling target of 70% in Rugby and extend separate food waste collections to at least 90% of homes by 2022. Ban fracking, and expand renewable energy, aiming to generate 60% of electricity from renewables by 2030.

Ensure the final Brexit deal is good for Rugby - Keep the UK in the Single Market and Customs Union because trade must continue for businesses in Rugby without damaging customs controls at the border. Protect the rights of EU citizens living in Rugby and UK citizens from Rugby living abroad, ending the uncertainty for millions of people.

The Liberal Democrats are the only party who will hold Theresa May to account over spending on the National Health Service; our young people's education, skills and opportunities; the protection of our precious environment; and our future relationship with Europe. We need your vote to ensure this happens.