Stockton Lib Dems Hail Conference Success

Stockton Lib Dem members are buoyant and upbeat after returning from the Liberal Democrats Conference in Liverpool, "The conference had a very positive feeling, with many delegates applauding how Nick Clegg and his team have been able to get so many Liberal Democrat manifesto promises into the coalition agreement and now being delivered in government" said Cllr Maureen Rigg.

"These promises include nearly a million of the lowest paid workers being taken out of paying tax from next April, the restoration of the earnings link for the basic state pension from next April, with a 'triple guarantee' that pensions are raised by the higher of earnings, prices or 2.5%. These are alongside the scrapping of Labour's ID card scheme, outlawing the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission, stopping the police keeping the DNA of innocent people, a referendum on fairer votes and the ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason and many other good Liberal principles" added Cllr Alan Lewis.

Lesley Lewis commented: "What I really liked was the way that the Liberal Democrats are keeping our distinctiveness with votes to have Trident included in the review being undertaken by the MOD and our opposition to free schools."

Seven representatives from Stockton attended with Philip Latham and Jackie Bell, parliamentary candidates for Stockton North and South. In all, over 7000 people were at the conference for all or part of the five days.