Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has revealed that he will “almost certainly” vote for the Liberal Democrats at the next election.

The actor, who plays the title character in the fantasy franchise, told Attitude that he “rather liked” party leader Nick Clegg.

“If all the people who liked them voted for them you could change politics overnight and we could have a proper three-party system,” he explained.

Discussing current Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, he said: “Paul Merton said, and I agree with him, ‘It’s a tragedy that this man has waited all his life to do this job – and now he finds out he can’t do it’.

“I don’t like the New Labour thing. I never experienced the optimism of New Labour, I was too young but I hear everyone was up and it was fantastic. I’ve only seen the bad years of it.”

He went on to claim that Conservative leader David Cameron was “barely distinguishable” from Tony Blair, adding: “I think the reason why people don’t vote is because the politicians are all so central now, it doesn’t seem to matter who you vote for.”

A brilliant post by Nick Clegg MP, over on the excellent Liberal Democrat Voice.
I shamelessly reprint it here:-
28% at the last set of local elections. 5% points clear of Labour and our highest ever share of the vote. In 23 out of the 25 county councils we are now the main opposition to the Conservatives. And in many counties there are no Labour county councillors at all. In both the South East and the South West Labour were pushed to fifth in the European elections. In vast swathes of Southern Britain they’re as irrelevant as the Tories are in many Northern cities.

In the battle of ideas as well as increasingly in the electoral battle the Labour party are worn out and irrelevant. It’s our party that has been ahead of the curve on one major issue after another: from warning about the dangers of an overleveraged banking system, to calling for full rights of residence for retired Gurkha soldiers, to championing fundamental reform of our politics.

And many parts of the traditional Labour voting coalition are realising it. In 1997 they – and many others – believed the Labour Government would make Britain fairer and more free. But those hopes have now been dashed. Under Labour inequality has got worse, not better. Life chances are still determined by the circumstances of a person’s birth. Iraq, mass child incarceration, the erosion of our civil liberties – those aren’t small blemishes on the Government’s record. They’re a fundamental betrayal of Labour’s promise that things would only get better.

I want those voters who once believed that promise to now turn to us – the only party offering real change. For our part, we must help this process by reaching out to them and explaining why only a Liberal Democrat government can deliver the progressive politics our country needs.

That’s what I did a few weeks ago, when I posted a blog on Labour List for Pride weekend. I explained that even on gay rights, an area where the Government regularly trumpets its success – they’ve failed to go far enough and it’s still only the Liberal Democrats who are prepared to take the bold steps to make this country truly equal. On the environment, on civil liberties, on reforming the banks and bankers and on Trident renewal, we are the only party in British politics that is willing to take the radical choices that would change Britain for good.

Last week I was interviewed for a joint event with Tweetminster and the Independent; and a few days earlier I did an online ‘Town Hall’ event with Reuters. I’m determined that we as a party engage with voters by every means possible. Young people, betrayed by this government over Iraq, graduate debt, and now on a recession that is leaving them jobless, need to hear about the help – and hope – that we offer.

So, please, over these summer months take every chance, through every format available to us, to spread our message. Tell anyone who supported Labour in 1997: if you believe in fairness; if you want to support, not demonise, young people; if you care about political reform, if you want the environment protected; the Liberal Democrats share your values and are the only chance for something different. We carry the torch of progress now.

David Ottewell,  of Manchester Evening News fame, has posted an interesting piece about a new consulatation paper released by The Department for Communities and Local Government. It seems amongst the noble ideas of devolving more powers to individual councils (something I am always in favour of), there is a suggestion that a directly elected mayor for Greater Manchester might be a good idea.

The 58-page document – which can be read here – is currently going out for consultation.

The report asks questions, such as whether city-regions could establish a single leader and if those wielding power are ‘sufficiently visible and accountable to citizens’.

I am happy to argue the case that here, IN Salford, the answer to the latter is clearly a “NO”. Salford’s Labour Council does everything in it’s power to appear to be visible, but there is no actual direct accountability to it’s citizens. Our Council has proved this time and time again, when residents views are ignored and overview & scrutiny a mere thorn in the side of the Labour party whip. Case in point, the Youth Offender Service move to Blackfriars.

The report says a mayor would ‘provide strong accountability’ provided there were ‘clear division of responsibilities’. The powers of individual councils would be lessened, although they could still ‘scrutinise the activity of the mayor’.

This sounds so dangerously disastrous that I hope we, as a region, reject the idea of a Greater Manchester mayor, after all – one Boris is enough for an entire country.

This morning I hang my head with shame when I read in the Manchester Evening News that Salford’s Labour leader, Councillor John Merry, has been bestowed a CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list. I have to ask, how has Councillor Merry earned this honour?

In order to answer my own question I researched the reasons one could be awarded the honour of Commander of the British Empire.

Apparently, in Cllr Merry’s case it is for “services to local government”.

This reason is just cryptic enough that I am hard pressed to form a cohesive argument; so perhaps I will take an overview of Cllr Merry’s 20 years as a Councillor, 6 of which have been as leader of the Council.

In 2003, hired a head of marketing to boost Salford’s image with an annual salary of £75,000 p.a.
In 2003 and 2004, the Audit Commission branded Salford Council “weak” and the leader of Salford Lib Dems called for Councillor John Merry to stand down as leader of the Council.
NOTE: Correction made to above statement (the Audit Commission did not ask John Merry to stand down)
In 2005 when our council tax rose by 3.4%, it was used to give Councillor Merry a 14% pay rise and provide £600 of Trafford Centre shopping vouchers to a team of council workers who updated a benefits computer database, ahead of schedule (this is despite them earning overtime for the work as well). Channel 4 declared Salford was the 9^th worst place to live in the country.
In 2006, Cllr Merry appointed a fellow Councillor as an “e-democracy champion” with the goal of promoting email and internet use by the Council, despite the fact that the fellow chosen had not updated his own website in nearly a year.
In 2007 we learned that Salford Council had spent nearly £100,000 on staff “bonding sessions”, the pink ice rink became a reality (at a cost of £24,000) whilst simultaneously closing the Salford Women’s Centre, after their annual grant had been scrapped. 2007 was not a good year in particular, as in February council bosses voted unanimously to back a congestion charge for Greater Manchester and the Audit Commission once again criticised Salford Council over cleanliness of public spaces, which they said was “below standard.”
Last year was no better, when it was announced that Salford Council had spend £4m of tax-payers money promoting the city, which put is in the top 20 spenders across the country. By the end of the year, we’d told Councillor Merry where to stick his toll tax, with Salford having the largest “NO” vote throughout Greater Manchester. We also learnt that in 2008, jobless figures in Salford hit a 10-year high.
What have we had this year? Huge rent rises for City West council tenants (one of whom committed suicide over the matter), the announcement that Salford has the highest number of alcoholics claiming benefits in Greater Manchester and millions more spent promoting the image of Salford.

In case it’s not clear, each of my examples above of Councillor Merry’s failings as leader of the Council is backed up by a link to the relevant story at the Salford Advertiser’s website. I urge you to explore those links, to read the full disaster that has been Merry’s leadership of our council.

So, I ask again, why is John Merry being awarded a CBE?

His record as leader of the Council is a disgraceful one and by awarding him such a prestigious honour on the back of ZERO achievements and a long list of failed initiatives it diminishes the stature of other (more deserving) CBE recipients.

He should resign in shame and refuse the honour.

Credit to Salford Advertiser for the links and Salford Star for the picture.

Channel M news is carrying an short interview with Salford MP Hazel Blears, in which she now seems to accept that the timing and manner of her resignation (just before the local and european elections) damaged the government and the Labour party. Rather annoyingly, she claims that her ‘defiance’ in wearing that “Rocking the Boat” brooch was the Salford in her coming out.

The Salfordians I know would never act in such a selfish and childish manner, but at least she is admitting that her actions were “a stupid thing to do.” The former communities secretary has also stated her regret at the Observer article she wrote in early May, where she lambasted Gordon Brown with her infamous “YouTube if you want to” comment.

While commendable, Hazel Blears’ words come too little too late for most Salfordians. The Salford Labour Group should do the decent thing and de-select her – since clearly she has no intention of standing down.

Salford don’t want Hazel Blears as MP, she is nothing like the hard working, decent and honest Salfordians I know.

It was a long night – the North West was the last English region to declare their results, partly I understand due to a re-count in Trafford. I think the North West result mirrors the UK as a whole for the Lib Dems, we held our own (lost a little, perhaps 1%) but Labour took a mauling, mainly at the hands of UKIP.

Sadly, the BNP elected Nick Griffin in the North West and 1 other in Yorkshire & Humber – I saw a press conference from UKIP this morning stating that if UKIP had managed 900 more votes, Griffin would not have been elected. A real shame the BNP were able to take advantage of a protest vote.

On a more positive note, Chris Davies (one of the most hard-working MEPs) was re-elected which is great news. Well done Chris and the team – it was a late finish, but worth the wait!

Just in from the Salford Euro count. Results as follows:-

BNP 4,818
Christian Party 627
Conservatives 9,819
English Democrats 1,556
Jury Team 263
LIB DEMS 5,498
No2EU 738
Libertas 206
Socialist Labour 973
Greens 3,210
Labour 10,800
UKIP 7,252
Francis Apaloo 104

Total votes cast 46,050
Void votes 186
Turnout %27.54

Pleased with our share and the fact we beat the BNP by a decent margin.

What a bewildering couple of days it’s been. Resignation followed resignation and Gordon Brown’s cabinet went from the ‘meltdown’ Nick Clegg described at Prime Minister’s Question Time to total and utter collapse as John Hutton (Defence Secretary) , James Purnell (work and pensions secretary), Geoff Hoon (Transport Secretary), Caroline Flint (Europe Minister), Paul Murphy (Welsh Secretary), Tony McNulty(Minister for Employment/London) and Margaret Beckett (Minister for Housing) followed Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith in resigning from the government.

Caroline Flint made some shocking comments on announcing her resignation, she said “Several of the women attending Cabinet – myself included – have been treated by you as little more than female window dressing.”

In her resignation letter she launched a stinging attack on Mr Brown accusing him of running a “two tier cabinet”. She said Mr Brown had “strained every sinew” of her loyalty to the government.

Meanwhile, when James Purnell stepped down from the cabinet he told Prime Minister Gordon Brown to “stand aside”. In a letter to several newspapers, the work and pensions secretary said Mr Brown’s continued leadership would be disastrous for our country, he wrote “I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less likely. That would be disastrous for our country.”

Worryingly, the financial stability of the country has been severely damaged as the pound has fallen against the dollar and euro, hit by uncertainty over the UK’s political situation.

With all this in mind, it is a shame we have to end on the news that the BBC’s Political Editor Nick Robinson said if ministers had followed James Purnell in calling for Mr Brown to quit “we would today have had a new prime minister”. And quite probably a new government.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, hopefully all are aware that it’s Polling Day today. The polling stations opened at 7am this morning and are open until 10pm tonight. If you’re a postal voter, but forgot to post your vote off – don’t worry, just take your vote to a polling station and drop it in.

You don’t need your polling card to vote – so if you’ve lost it, don’t panic. Just go to your polling station anyway.

If you live in Salford, here is a link to Salford Council’s European Election page, which has an MS Word document you can download listing all the polling stations.

Remember – if you don’t vote, you’re voice won’t be heard. You’ve no right to complain about the way things are if you don’t use your vote.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

So Jacqui Smith had decided to resign. She joins a growing list of MPs and cabinet members who have said they will ‘stand down’ at the next general election. A few people have asked why the Home Secretary, along with the dozen or so others who have made similar announcements, won’t go now instead of waiting for a general election to be called.

The answer is, of course, the resettlement grant that all MPs are entitled to receive, but only if they leave at a general election. The resettlement grant is not to be sniffed at. It can be worth up to one years salary (£64,000) depending on their age and experience. It is also tax-free.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg is calling for the pay-off to be revoked for those standing down in the wake of expenses revelations and I agree with him.

Why should an MP, who has either been sacked or decides to step down, be rewarded with a large tax-free lump sum?

I’ve often been asked why I’m a Liberal Democrat – and my answer is always the same (if a little long).  I believe in a fair and just society that fights crime but rewards honest, hardworking people with the services they need to live their lives. I could go on (perhaps another post later), but those core values that I and the Lib Dems share are shouting out to me over this issue.

We trusted our MPs. Some of them broke that trust. Those that did do not deserve a pay-off, a pat on the back and 12 months to find themselves another job. What use will these MPs be to their constituents during the interim period until they leave? No use at all. There is no incentive for them to work hard for their electorate – they’re guaranteed a nice fat salary no matter how useless they are.

The Liberal Democrat Take Back Power campaign promises to fully reform the expenses system (not the half-hearted attempt the Tories have in mind), give constituents the means to sack any MPs that have been suspended for misconduct as well as some other positive steps such as reforming the outdated House of Lords, reforming party funding so that the government can’t be ‘bought’ through party donations, introducing fixed term Parliaments, bringing in Proportional Representation so that each vote really does count and changing procedures to reduce executive power.

You can read more about it here at http://www.takebackpower.org/ where you can also sign the online petition.

Now is our best chance for decades to have a real say on how our country is governed – I urge everyone to seize that opportunity and send a clear message to Brown and his Labour buddies that we’ve had enough of them.

As a sub-agent for the North West Liberal Democrat European Election candidates, I suppose my thoughts should be focused on polling day on Thursday and the subsequent count on Sunday night but my head has been turned back in the direction of expenses once again.

Will this subject ever cease to reveal more shocks and surprises? I think not.

Swinton South Lib Dem Councillor (and European Lib Dem candidate) Steve Cooke recently declared a detailed breakdown of his own expenses claimed over the last 5 years. The observant amongst you will notice his expenses total a big fat ZERO.

Many other councillors have followed Steve Cooke’s example and claimed nothing, including EVERY SINGLE Salford Liberal Democrat Councillor.

It’s not much, but the basic allowance given to all elected councillors seems to be enough for hard working Lib Dem councillors who do it for the reward of helping make our great city a better place to live.

What a shame the same cannot be said for Labour and to a less extent Conservative councillors who between them claimed thousands of pounds in ‘travel & subsistence’ during the 2007-2008 financial year.

As Cllr Cooke points out, councillors can choose either to claim up to 48.4p per mile if using their own vehicle, 10p per mile if cycling or the use of a free bus pass. Cllr Cooke chose the latter.

Questions should be asked: OK, I will go ahead and ask them….

How does Councillor David Lancaster (Deputy Leader of Labour’s Council) justify spending £1,050 in travel allowances on top of his £24,000 salary? He spent nearly THREE TIMES more in travel than John Merry, the Leader of the Council.

How does Councillor Keith Mann (Lead Member for Community Services and Health) justify £743 in travel allowances on top of his £24,000 salary?

How does Councillor John Warmisham (Lead Member for Children’s Services) justify £841 in travel allowance on top of his £22,500 salary?

The answer is: they can’t. They would have to be travelling thousands of miles per year in order to even come close to justifying their claims.

I urge all Salford City Councillors to follow Steve Cooke’s lead and publish their expenses on-line in full. It’s time the voters found out well before next years local elections who they can trust and who are milking the system for everything they can get.

One thing is for sure, Liberal Democrat Councillors give voters the best value for money.

Nick Clegg talks about how we can all reform government and Parliament, restoring trust in politics and handing power to people, putting you back in charge.
Website: http://www.TakeBackPower.org

Yesterday I met with Chris Davies MEP in Salford, who is on a tour of the North West collecting signatures on a petition to clean-up MEPs expenses in Brussels.

Both myself and Lib Dem Councillor Lynn Drake (Langworthy) signed the petition, which you can also sign on-line at Chris’ website.

I also had the opportunity to chat with Chris about my recent campaign in Irwell Riverside, where we came second ahead of stiff competition from the BNP, Conservatives, The Greens and UKIP respectively. It was an interesting indicator as to how the Euro vote may go, following the release of MP’s expenses and the subsequent fall-out.

Voter apathy is a big concern and I encourage everyone to use their vote – as it would seem such a shame for a small minority of the population to make a choice the great people of the North West would regret for years to come.

Chris Davies has campaigned tirelessly for many years for complete financial transparency over the spending of public money and was recently nominated for the MEP of the year award.

In 2002 Davies leaked details of a secret report from the European Parliaments auditors that revealed how the budget for the employment of staff was open to abuse. The MEP had been allowed to read it only in a sealed room without taking notes.

The Sunday Times published full details of the report, showing how some Euro-MPs could pocket more than 1 million in a five year term.

Two blog posts in one day and neither of them (entirely) by me – however both are extremely relevant to the current campaign in Irwell Riverside and the upcoming European Elections.

Over on Himmelgarten Cafe, the ever resourceful Costigan Quist (love that pen-name), has written an excellent piece about UKIP, which I shamelessly copy herein:

Perhaps last time there was an excuse for supporting UKIP. This time there isn’t.

You want to cast a vote against corrupt politicians? If you vote UKIP, you’ve been conned.

In 2004 the British people elected 12 UKIP MEPs. Have they worked tirelessly for our interests? Have they buggery.

Let’s see what happened to that happy band, standing firm against the European Gravy Train and fraud.

Tom Wise stole tens of thousands of pounds from taxpayers. He claimed nearly £40,000 was being paid to an assistant. In reality, it was going into his own bank account.

Ashley Mote was sent to prison after stealing nearly £65,000 from taxpayers by claiming false benefits.

And their leader thought UKIP was so great, he left to form another (short-lived) party – Veritas – and received unprecedented criticism that he was totally ignoring his constituents. He continued to claim his parliamentary salary whilst appearing on I’m a celebrity… 

The remaining nine MEPs seem to have spent rather more time squabbling than doing anything remotely worthwhile – like a proper job.

And now these people seek to deceive the electorate, to paint themselves as the clean party, as our saviours. We should not be deceived.

I could bang the drum for the Lib Dems here. I’m an active member of the party, and I’ll do it elsewhere, but my point here isn’t about voting Lib Dem rather than UKIP.

The Conservatives are generally Euro-sceptic and appear to be cozying up to all sorts of extremist oddballs so vote for them if that’s your thing. Libertas are generally pro-European but demand a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Jury Team may have an independent candidate to meet your taste. The Lib Dems are pro-Europe but rightly want an in/out referendum.

In 2004, 16% of us voted for UKIP and we got thieves, layabouts and squabblers. Let’s not make the same mistake again.

Vote STEVEN IAN MIDDLETON – LIBERAL DEMOCRAT on May 21st.

If you need a lift to the polling station on Thursday, please do not hesitate to give the Salford Liberal Democrat office a ring on 736 5500.

From today’s Daily Mail, also available to view on the Daily Mail website:

The British National Party was accused of staging ‘a cynical con’ yesterday, after it was revealed that men featured on its keynote poster campaign are foreigners.

One of the posters, which is being advertised up and down the country on a BNP truck, shows three men in hard-hats under the slogan ‘British jobs for British workers’.

But it has emerged they are in fact American models who posed for a photoshoot in the U.S. 

Party bosses, led by Nick Griffin, have also printed millions of leaflets making bogus claims that a doctor and a respectable OAP couple are among their supporters. 

The doctor was yesterday reported to be another American model, while the pensioners are the Italian parents of a photographer – and are not even entitled to vote in this country.

It comes months after the party was ridiculed for using a picture of a Spitfire flown by Polish airmen in a campaign calling for Eastern European migrant workers to be banned from coming to Britain.

Opposition MPs yesterday said they would be reporting the far-right party for ‘misrepresenting’ the views of the people photographed in its latest campaign.

Labour MP Jon Cruddas said: ‘How cynical can the BNP get? I can only assume no decent person would pose for posters or leaflets for the BNP, so they had to make it all up. The British people will see this for what it is – a cynical con.’

Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price added: ‘These leaflets hideously misrepresent the views of the people photographed. I call on the Royal Mail to stop distribution immediately.’

A spokesman for anti-fascist group Searchlight said: ‘This is a catastrophic own goal by Nick Griffin and the BNP.’

By KIRSTY WALKER, Daily Mail

Nick Griffin, Chairman of the British National Party (BNP), has defended party literature which tells members that Asian Britons and black Britons “do not exist” and said that the attempt by a “liberal elite” to label such people as British amounts to a “bloodless genocide.”

The “BNP Language And Concepts Discipline Manual”, leaked to anti-fascist group Searchlight and seen by the BBC, says that “BNP activists and writers should never refer to ‘black Britons’ or ‘Asian Britons’ etc, for the simple reason that such persons do not exist.”

Questioned about the leaflet’s content, BNP Chairman Nick Griffin said: “In civic terms they are British. But British also has a meaning as an ethnic description.”

He said: “We don’t subscribe to the politically correct fiction that just because they happen to be born in Britain, a Pakistani is a Briton. They’re not. They remain of Pakistani stock.”

He compared large numbers of people of foreign origin assuming an English identity to “a sort of bloodless genocide.”

Meanwhile, a candidate for the BNP has been arrested by armed police in Suffolk. David Lucas, who is standing in the European elections, was questioned on suspicion of handling stolen goods. The arrest of Mr Lucas on Thursday is in connection with an incident at Halesworth, in Suffolk, last year. The BNP confirmed that Mr Lucas had been arrested at his farm near Mildenhall and questioned before being released on bail. BNP bosses said it would not prevent him standing in the European elections despite the revelation that he built gallows for export to corrupt regimes including that of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe.

These revelations follow hot on the heals of another shocking announcement that Conservatives in Blackburn approached Nick Holt, a former BNP activist who stood for the far-right party in the 2005 general election, and attempted to recruit him as a Tory candidate.

Mr Holt said he had been sought out as both the parties “sing from the same hymn sheet”. He said he was invited by a “long-standing Tory member” to stand as a councillor in June’s local elections.

Mr Holt said, ‘They said think of the experience you bring”.

“I believe the biggest threats to our country are the Labour Party and trade unions which is why I found it so easy to be a Tory.”

He said he still backed BNP principles. The Tories have since suspended him.

A Conservative spokesman said: “As soon as Mr Holt’s history with the BNP was discovered by the party, action was taken to immediately suspend him from the party, with the intention of expelling him.”

Mr Holt stood against Labour’s Jack Straw at the last election.

Justice Secretary Mr Straw said: “His campaign and election leaflets were racist. That the Conservatives ever considered selecting him is abhorrent.”

None of these revelations should be of surprise; it’s no wonder they hold their meetings in secret:

• The BNP has terrorist and criminal connections – At the last general election, they stood gang rapists and drug dealers as candidates in some seats, only removing them when they were exposed as criminals
• The BNP is racist – The BNP stand for an all white Britain, which could only be achieved using violence.
• The BNP denies the Holocaust – Over 15 million Jews, trade unionists, gypsies, Slavs, black, lesbian, gay and disabled people were murdered as a result of Nazi Germany’s murderous policies. Nick Griffin, current BNP leader, was convicted for inciting racial hatred after a BNP magazine he published denied the reality of the Holocaust.
• The BNP’s latest billboard poster infers that Jesus would vote for them – a ridiculous suggestion condemned by most churches in the UK. 

There’s no space for the BNP in Irwell Riverside.

VOTE NO to racism on 21st May

Look for the bird and vote Liberal Democrat.

On friday morning I happened to have Sky News on in the background, so I was able to catch the live “announcement” by our Labour government on it’s decision to allow Gurkhas, who have risked their lives fighting alongside British forces, to settle in the UK. The announcement was nothing more than a single A4 sheet of paper handed to Gurkha Justice campaigner, Joanna Lumley. She was visibly upset by the decision.

Reacting to the Government announcement on the number of Gurkhas that will be allowed to settle in the UK, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg asked “Are there any moral principles left in this hollowed-out Government?”

“People who are prepared to fight and die for this country should be entitled to live in this country. Yet even this basic principle is broken by a Government desperate to cover its back and wriggle out of its commitments.”

“This is the week Labour lost its last principles: dishonest with the nation about the state of our finances; cheating taxpayers by making MPs’ expenses even murkier; and now turning its back on brave and loyal soldiers who simply want to live in the country they love and served.”

Britain has had no greater friends than the Gurkhas. They have served all across the world in the defence of our Country for nearly 200 years. Over 45,000 died in the two World Wars as part of the British Army. They are still fighting in the British Army today.

Only a tiny fraction of the Gurkhas who retired before 1997 will win settlement rights under the new policy. A Gurkha will have to have served 20 years or more or won one of a handful of medals: the majority of Gurkhas served for 15 years under standard army policy.

Nick Clegg confirmed that the Liberal Democrats will hold an opposition day debate on the issue in Parliament on Wednesday following last week’s Government announcement to limit the numbers of Gurkhas allowed to settle in the UK. Joanna Lumley and other campaigners have agreed to support the debate on the day by staging a protest outside the House of Commons.

The Liberal Democrats have been firmly backing the Justice Campaign, and have consistently raised this issue in Parliament. Our position is unequivocal: The government must allow all Gurkhas who risked their lives serving in our armed forces to become British citizens, and enjoy equal rights. If someone is prepared to die for our country they should have the right to live in our country.

I have signed the Gurkha Justice petition as have many of my Liberal Democrat colleagues. I urge everyone who reads my blog to do the same. Click here.

Managed to catch most of the Alistair Darling’s 2009 budget speech on the radio, whilst driving to my appointments across Salford. A few announcements caught my eye (or ear!):

• Economy to shrink by 3.5% this year
• Borrowing to be £175 billion this year
• Duty on alcohol to go up 2% from midnight
• Duty on tobacco to go up 2% from 6pm tonight
• Fuel up by 2p a litre in September
• New 50% tax rate for those earning over £150,000/year
• Tax allowances removed for those earning over £100,000/year

You can get a full list of the “key points” here at Sky News website or read the full speech here at BBC News website.

As Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, described it, “Today we got a pick and mix Budget of recycled announcements from a government skilled in raising people’s hopes but incompetent at actually delivering help.”

“The Liberal Democrats would get practical help to people who are struggling and cut the vast majority of people’s Income Tax bills by £700, paid for by taking aggressive action to clamp down on all the loopholes and exemptions that benefit the richest people and biggest businesses.”

“This Budget is a political supermarket sweep of random promises, without even a hint of a plan or any likelihood the promises will be put into practice.”

While I consider myself to be fortunate that I found a new job (far be it from ideal)  when my previous company fell into financial difficulties, if I had not, then the government’s offer to “guarantee” under-25s a job or training would not have helped me. Why do you have to be under 25 years of age to be “guaranteed” a job or training?  The government should offer that “guarantee” to all. I doubt very much whether the government’s guarantee will be worth the paper it’s written on, with 2.1 million people currently unemployed and that figure expected to rise by another million.

The Government claims that by raising the top rate of tax to 50% for people earning over £150,000 it will raise £1.1bn. The IFS however says it will raise far less than this as people will simply avoid it, for example by presenting their income as capital and therefore only have to pay 18% of Capital Gains Tax.

Capital Gains Tax should be taxed as income and other loopholes closed.

Nick Clegg said: “The biggest disappointment in this Budget is its failure to sort out Britain’s unfair tax system. To put money into people’s pockets to help them make it through this recession.”

“Britain’s taxes are too heavy on those who can least afford it. And too easy to avoid for those who know how.

“The 50p rate will further encourage the very wealthy to avoid tax unless we tackle the unfair loopholes they exploit.”

The Government budget deficit over the next 5 years is going to cost £32,000 per household. The government has not made the long term tough choices which will return our economy back to stability in the future.

A short note from Nick Clegg MP Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Vince Cable and I are currently briefing the press about what we want to see in Wednesday’s Budget. I thought you would like to know what we are saying.

It is clear that this recession demands a radical overhaul of the British tax system. It remains scandalous that the richest in our country pay a lower share of their wealth in tax than the poorest. We are demanding that both sides of this distorted equation be changed.

We are renewing our call to close the loopholes exploit by big business and the powerful and wealthy. And today, after working with our colleagues in Parliament and across the Party, we are announcing that the Liberal Democrats will fight the next general election with a pledge to cut income tax bills by £700 for people on low and middle incomes.

We will promise to raise the income tax personal allowance to £10,000 by closing tax loopholes exploited by big businesses and the wealthy. This will mean 4 million of the lowest paid people not paying tax at all, including many earning just the minimum wage.

It is a radical and progressive package that will form a key part of the pre-manifesto document that will come to our party conference in Autumn. This policy marks us out as the only party in British politics dedicated to changing our tax system to make it fairer.

Best Wishes,

Nick Clegg MP Leader of the Liberal Democrats