Fabian's Blog

We are entering the final week of a crucial election campaign; as I have said before, Britain faces a clear choice between a Conservative Party that is regressive to the core, it claims to want to 'empower' people and 'roll back the state' but in reality this is a lie. Empowerment means the empowerment of the same old vested interests, not local communities and individuals to take control of their lives. 'Rolling back the state' means savage cuts in public spending but also extending the state by stealth in many areas; for example, in the case of immigration it wants to impose a totally unworkable cap. David Cameron and local Conservatives tell you we have to tighten our belts yet on the other hand promise lavish spending on fantastical and absurd notions like the immigration cap and they still find the money to ensure a 3p cut in corporation tax; something largely designed to benefit the bankers they bash in public.

Meanwhile, Labour remains the best hope in my eyes for a progressive Britain. However, the media story of this election has been the polling surge of the Liberal Democrats who are feted across the media. Nick Clegg performed well in the TV debates and for many people this was the first time they had seen this fresh face and, let's be quite clear, the Liberal Democrat's have some good ideas. I fully support the scrapping of Trident; voted against the Iraq War and have long supported the removal of those earning under £10,000 from having to pay income tax. It is about time our tax system was made fairer and the burden on those lower down the scale was reduced. Also, it is time our electoral system was reformed although for me the link between an MP and his constituency is the cornerstone of our democracy so I support a voting system called AV+, not fully-fledged proportional representation.

Under the microscope there are question marks over the execution of some of the Liberal Democrat's ideas. For example, they want to replace Britain's Trident nuclear weapons system with a more 'cost effective' one whereas I want to see the complete abolition of Britain's nuclear arsenal. The tax cut while seeming fair contains some fundamental problems in its execution which leads to it benefitting those higher up the scale more and I take serious issue with some of the Liberal Democrat's proposals on benefits. Furthermore, I have been dismayed by the very unfair attitude the ruling group of Liberal Democrat's on Leeds City Council has taken towards issues like the bin men strike and feel there is a danger illustrated by this - that although you may vote Liberal Democrat with progressive intent you may find that party takes a different course and allies itself with the forces of regression in the form of the Conservative Party.

However, many people are wanting to vote Liberal Democrat with the same progressive intent they do when voting Labour and although we may argue about the best road to take we are committed to similar values and those are defiantly not the values of the Conservative Party or of my Conservative opponent. I am committed to the fight for a progressive Britain which takes action on all the issues I have mentioned above as well as ones like the environment, consideration of which should be at the core of policy making, Matthew Lobley is not.

In Leeds North East there is a clear choice to be made and it is between myself and Mr Lobley. So I would ask people considering a Liberal Democrat vote to think very carefully this Thursday; to look at my record and my personal manifesto and ask themselves whether it really is worth risking the election of Mr Lobley by splitting the vote of all those who want to build a progressive future for Britain.