Kennedy launches Liberal Democrat Queen's Speech
November 18, 2004 12:00 PM
Charles Kennedy, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, have launched their alternative Queen's Speech ahead of Government's Queen's Speech next Tuesday. The Alternative Queen's Speech list six priorities, these are not the only things the Liberal Democrats want to do. But, with a general election expected in May, this will be a short parliamentary session and these are the priorities for it.
The Liberal Democrat top priorities for this parliamentary session are:
• Scrap student top-up fees and tuition fees.
• Scrap the unfair Council Tax.
• Introduce a Citizen's Pension uprated in line with average earnings to reverse the mass means-testing of pensioners.
• Introduce free personal care for the elderly.
• Modernise the police force, reduce re-offending rates, and introduce new systems of justice for the victims of crime.
• Ensure that the Environment is put at the heart of public policy-making.
Mr. Kennedy said "In this Parliament, the Liberal Democrats have provided the main opposition over the Iraq war and we have opposed measures such as the introduction of student top up fees. The Government is running scared of the Liberal Democrats and is in danger of following its Conservative predecessors in stoking up a climate of fear and eroding civil liberties unnecessarily. We will continue to hold the Government to account over the role of British soldiers in Iraq and its relationship with George W. Bush."
Mr. Kennedy further said "We will also say what we would do differently. In Government in Scotland, we have been successful in acting on our priorities. This Alternative Programme for the Queen's Speech establishes our priorities for action at Westminster. We would introduce measures in the Queen's Speech that would create a fairer society in which people have their freedoms protected and their fear of crime reduced."
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