With all the political parties now gearing up for the General Election, which is odds on to be on 6th May, the same date as the local elections, they have all been busy putting out policy statements in the past couple of weeks.

For the Liberal Democrats the emphasis has been on Fairness.  The background for the new Government will be one of a painfully tight financial situation, with the need to cut the huge national budget deficit. Therefore a very sharp focus will need to be on priorities – and other things will have to be shelved until the deficit is back to a more manageable level. Our priorities will be based on what needs to be done to deliver a fairer Britain. To do this we will prioritise four pledges:

1) Fair Taxes: We will make the first £10,000 you earn tax-free. This will save taxpayers £700 and will be paid by cutting tax loopholes for the rich, introducing a mansion tax on the value of homes over £2m and switching tax from income to pollution

2) A Fair Start for Children: We will cut class sizes and allow schools more resources to tackle problems faced by disadvantaged children. We will pay for this by cutting tax credits for higher earners and stopping the flow of education gimmicks Labour has so loved.

3) A Fair and Green Economy that creates Jobs: We will invest in public transport, energy efficiency and new social housing. We will also break up the banking system and impose a bank profit tax while the banks are relying on state aid for their survival.

4) Fair and transparent Politics: We will reform the voting system to make sure parliament reflects the wishes of the people. We would also return more powers to local councils allowing local communities to make more decisions on matters that affect their local area.

Of course there is a host of policies below these headline priorities, but they give a good idea of the direction the Lib Dems are offering the country. I’m confident the more people learn about what we are offering the more support we will generate in the coming months. It certainly looks likely to be a very interesting and very important election, and one which could leave the Lib Dems with more influence in parliament,