Elisabeth with members of the Dill group

Elisabeth writes: Monday was a busy day.  It started with a school gate visit to Christ Church School Pellon with Cllr Jennifer Pearson.  We are getting a good response from parents to Lib Dem plans for extra money for schools and a fair tax system.

At 10 am I called in at the Dill project, a self help group for men with chronic conditions, invited by My Uddin, who initiated the group. This is self help in action!

Then it was on to Salterlee school, to talk to the top class about Lib Dem principles and policy.  We had an interesting discussion that ranged over how being made to conform to  other people’s expectation was a bit like bullying.  The children welcome the idea of more money for their school. They also raised points about possible unemployment, and liked the “Robin Hood” principle of Lib Dem policies on tax.

Some were interested in joining the Lib Dems, and I explained about how ordinary members could be involved in policy making.

My next stop was another school gate visit, this time with our candidate for Warley, Pauline Nash.

Last, but not least was the open Hustings organised by Churches Together in Halifax.  As a Quaker and Christian in my opening statement I talked about the links between Christian beliefs and Liberal Democrat principles:

First, the need to cherish each individual, and if necessary defend their rights.

Second, caring for creation, which includes caring for the environment as stewards of the earth.

Elisabeth talking to pupils at Salterlee school

Third, the quest for social justice. I pointed out that after 13 years of a Labour government a bright child from a poor home in Britain today is overtaken at school by a less bright child from a better off home. This is unacceptable. And our gap between rich and poor is as big as when Charles Dickens was writing “Hard Times” in the middle of the 19th century.  These would be tackled by Lib Dem policies on extra money for schools, and lifting the limit for paying tax to £10,000, giving most people £700 extra a year.

Questions ranged over Palestine/Israel, asylum seekers, replacing the House of Lords, adult education, buses, tackling the deficit, religious discrimination in the workplace, and climate change.

Altogether a busy and enjoyable day.

Working for you - Nick Clegg supports Elisabeth Wilson's decent homes campaign

I will put local people first. I will be there to help, listen to your concerns and stand up for our community. I will:

have an office in the constituency open at advertised times every week.

let you know how you can contact me with any concerns – by phone, email and by holding regular surgeries in easily accessible places.

ask you every year to complete a survey about what matters to you and report back on what I am doing.

I will make sure your voice is heard – locally and at Westminster. I will be a strong voice for Halifax. I will:

Push for jobs, training, education or internships for all under 25s unemployed for more than 3 months.  Some of these will be new green jobs, such as insulating homes

Work for a fair deal for pensioners

Support reform of the banks

meet regularly with local service providers like the police, health services and residents’ groups.

I will be open and honest about all expenses incurred in representing you. I will:

publish details on my personal website.

answer questions you may have about them promptly.

not profit personally from the use of expenses

pay taxes in the United Kingdom

Elisabeth M.Wilson

Speakers and others at the meeting

Lord William Wallace was the main speaker at a packed meeting at Raven Street Youth Centre, Halifax organized by the Liberal Democrats on Sunday night 18 April, in support of Elisabeth Wilson, candidate for Halifax, and Shazad Fazal, candidate for Park ward.  Lord Wallace is the principal spokesperson on Foreign and Commonwealth affairs for Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.  He reminded the audience that Liberal Democrats had opposed the Iraq war, and are calling for an agreed date of withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Brought up as a protestant Christian, Lord Wallace welcomed the fact that in Britain today all faiths talk to each other.  He warned about the rise of fundamentalist Christians in the U.S. who want a confrontation with Islam.  Lord Wallace also spoke about areas of concern, such as South Asia, and in particular Kashmir. Last, he welcomed the development of Islamic study centres in UK universities.

Shazad Fazal, candidate for Park ward, talked about the needs of the area. He praised Liberal Democrat plans to invest £12m in Calderdale schools, as a move towards  equality and fairness.  Shazad also talked about the need for affordable housing, more play areas, and a new youth centre to replace Raven Street.

Elisabeth Wilson, Liberal Democrat candidate for Halifax, said she was angry about the £167bn deficit, pointing out it was £13,000 for everyone sitting in the meeting.  Liberal Democrats have a plan to reduce it, including getting rid of ID cards, to which Liberal Democrats are opposed.  She spoke in favour of bank reform, especially as HBoS, a major employer in Halifax, has been taken over by the Lloyds group. She insisted that banks should be smaller and more regionally based, splitting up the ordinary banking from the high risk.

Elisabeth also spoke about the 3000 unemployed people in Halifax, including 900 under 25, and Lib Dem plans to help them back to work.

She told the audience that the Liberal Democrats have a special programme to encourage members from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds to become candidates. Forty three candidates (7%) from BME backgrounds are standing in the general election.

Janet Battye, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Calderdale council, attacked the Conservative administration for its secretiveness, waste of money and poor performance, particular in relation to vulnerable children.

The main speakers were supported by Cllr Mohammed Ilyas and other speakers from the local community.

Elisabeth Wilson being congratulated by Lord David Shutt

Elisabeth Wilson was adopted as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Halifax at a meeting at North Bridge Leisure Centre on Monday night. Lord David Shutt presided at the meeting.

Elisabeth Wilson attack the Labour government’s mismanagement of the economy, which has led to a £13,000 debt for every man, woman and child in Britain. She pointed to Liberal Democrat plans to reduce the deficit including getting rid of ID cards, refusing to make a like-for-like replacement of the Trident nuclear missile system, and a £400 cap on public sector pay increases.

She hit out at the arrogance of the banks, especially those part owned by the taxpayer, who refused to lend to businesses.  “The Labour government has failed to get this right. Small and medium businesses employ more people than big companies.  They are the future engine of growth,” she said.

She pointed out that out of 3000 unemployed there were 900 young people in Halifax not in education, employment and training. “Under Liberal Democrat plans all of them would be offered a job, education, training, or a paid internship.”

Elisabeth Wilson also criticized the local Conservative run Calderdale Council for doing very little to help local employment, particularly among the minority ethnic community.

“The Labour government has presided over a public transport system where popular buses, like the 36 in Skircoat, can be withdrawn overnight. Cuts are being planned in local health services, but we have no direct say in what they are.”  Elisabeth Wilson described this as a “democratic deficit”.  Only Liberal Democrats are committed to putting all this right, she added, with their commitment to fair and open government.

Lib Dem candidate for Halifax, Elisabeth Wilson, took the opportunity to ask Nick Clegg, Lib Dem leader, about the future of banking at a “town hall meeting” in Bradford.  Pointing out that “the Halifax” had gone from a building society to a bank, to a bigger bank, and now part of the huge LloydsTSB group, she expressed her concern for the effects on local employment as well as financial stability.

Nick Clegg said banks needed major surgery.  There should be a tightly regulated sector for high street banks where the public could trust their savings – and if things went wrong they would be bailed out.

This sector should be completely separate from the risk taking activities that had caused the banking crisis, which he said was the fault of greedy banker. This had led to the current recession. In his view there should be a 10% levy on the profits of banks until the loan from the taxpayers was paid off.

Nick Clegg compared Lib Dem proposals to the weak efforts of the current Labour government, merely having a one-off tax on bonuses, which many banks were planning to get round.

Later in the evening Elisabeth Wilson was able to have more discussions about the concerns local people have for employment in the Halifax area with Nick Clegg.

Nick Clegg was visiting Bradford for a town hall meeting at the Karmand community centre, where members of the public could put any questions to him.

The picture shows Elisabeth Wilson, Lib Dem candidate for Halifax with Nick Clegg MP, Lib Dem leader