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.

Elisabeth Wilson with Susan Kramer MP and other Lib Dem activists at "The Wave"

Elisabeth was a founder member and is a continuing supporter of Treesponsibility, which plants trees in the Calderdale area and campaigns against climate change. She has personally planted 100s of trees.  Children from Mount Pellon and Beech primary schools in Halifax have been involved in planting trees and forest activities with Treesponsibility.

Elisabeth was delighted when Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems introduced a  debate on 21^st October 2009 in parliament, demanding government support for the 10:10 campaign. This asks individuals and organizations to commit to reducing their carbon footprint by 10% in 2010.

Elisabeth has signed up to 10:10.

On 5 December 2009 she was one of many 1000s of activists who went to demonstrate in “The Wave” outside Parliament, just before the talks on climate change started in Copenhagen.

So what has Elisabeth done since?

Things that have saved me money or cost nothing

• I have turned down my thermostat
• I shut the door to one room, and turned off the heating altogether
• I use the train or bus as much as possible
• I’m eating vegan food three days a week
• I take my own bags shopping
• Had an “eco” driving lesson to learn how to drive economically

Things that have cost me money – but will save it in the long run

• I’ve had my bedroom ceilings lowered and insulated
• There’s an extra door on the stairs from my basement kitchen so that the heat doesn’t escape upstairs
• I’ve changed my car to one with much lower emissions
• I bought thermal curtain linings
• I bought a bike

Things that I think are the right thing to do:

• My electricity supply from Good Energy is 100% from renewable sources
• I use the Phone Coop, which is ethical and green
• I put food waste in a wormery [it’s not collected where I live]
• I went on holiday to Switzerland by train
• I’m on the waiting list for an allotment
• I am a member of Friends of the Earth, the Ramblers, and the National Trust

Elisabeth has also been a member of a rail action group for 5 years.