Elisabeth Wilson and Lord David Shutt talking to a visitor in Shibden Park

Elisabeth said: “It’s a great way to meet people and chat to them in an informal way.  some people just say hello, and others want to ask more detailed questions about Lib Dem policies.  The more they find out, the more impressed they are with our messages about fairness in tax, a fair start for children with extra money for schools, and fair approach to the economy and more green jobs, and of course cleaning up Parliament.

Lord Shutt is chief whip for the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.

Shazad Fazal was selected to appear live on a 3 way digital TV channel, DM Digital.

Putting the case for why voters should back the Lib Dems, he said he believed in fairness and equality.  The Lib Dems are campaigning for a fair tax system, a fair start for children with extra money for schools, a fair economy with more green jobs, and a fair deal from politicians.

In relation to Kashmir, he said that the Labour Party had let down voters.  They had promised to act and then done nothing.  Shazad explained that he had lost faith with the Labour Party under Blair, as they did not listen to ordinary people.

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

Elisabeth Wilson and Lord William Wallace with students from Calderdale college

On Thursday 15 April Lord William Wallace of Saltaire, deputy Lib Dem leader in the House of Lords, paid a visit to Calderdale College with Elisabeth Wilson, Lib Dem candidate for Halifax.  In conversation with Chris Jones, the principal, and Lynne MacKenzie, chair of the governors, William and Elisabeth were impressed about the range of courses offered.  Concerns were raised about recent changes in government funds for the college, which has led to a cut of 9% in the college finances.

William Wallace was interested to learn about the college’s success in engaging younger and older people in returning to learning.  Elisabeth Wilson welcomed the news that the college is to start its first training in solar panel installation.  Elisabeth commented afterwards “Green jobs are a key plank in Lib Dem proposals for tackling unemployment, as they provide work, and help cut fuel bills as well as reducing our carbon footprint.”

Elisabeth Wilson and William Wallace also had the opportunity to talk to a group of students about their current studies and hopes for the future.   “They explained how unemployment has had an effect on part time jobs – they just can’t find any” said Elisabeth. “Nevertheless many of them have ambitions to go on to higher education.”

Elisabeth and William explained Lib Dem proposals to abolish student fees over a six year period. As William said to the students, he got his university education free.

The Ward Forum

Bus services were one of the main items at the Skircoat ward forum on 30 March, in particular the withdrawal of the 36 bus service.  An officer from Metro, Neil Holt, said that the current bus network was the best they can offer in Calderdale. He claimed that the new service is adequate for the people catching it.

There were a lot of angry comments from members of the public

Pauline Nash

Pauline Nash, candidate for Skircoat ward, referred to the survey undertaken by the Liberal Democrat team. She said that It was quite obvious that there was a roomful of people saying the buses were not adequate. Some people were having to leave for work an hour earlier. There were two main issues with the service now being offered.  First not frequent enough, and second does not start soon enough and ends too soon.

Conclusions of the bus survey (download full report below)

Hardship is being caused to older and less able people who do not drive, as well as school and university students.  Many people who replied to the survey pointed out they are using their car more, which is environmentally harmful.

The main issues raised are that :-

• People would use the bus service more if more frequent services were available
• That 20% of those surveyed always considered the buses to run late, with 62% saying that buses ran mostly on time
• The overwhelming view was that deterioration in bus services was unacceptable at a time when trying to reduce a carbon footprint.

People’s thoughts on the new services provided were

• Too infrequent
• Not reliable
• Overcrowded.

This was also borne out of feedback from the residents of Copley Village at a meeting of the Copley Residents Association held on 1^st March 2010.

Recommendations – What needs to be done

Cllr Stephen Gow with the 36 before it stopped

Cllr Stephen Gow, report author, states: From the responses that the Liberal Democrats have received, there is a customer base in the area to re-introduce a more frequent service during peak times to at least half hourly. This could either be done by

• Introducing new services
• Diverting existing services from the main Huddersfield-Halifax route

You can read the full report below:

What next?

Skircoat Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for a better bus service for local residents.

You can download the full report here:

Bus Survey Results

Elisabeth Wilson and Hilary Myers at Sowerby Bridge station with a Lib Dem supporter

Elisabeth Wilson, candidate for Halifax, got together with Hilary Myers, candidate for Calder Valley and eager Liberal Democrat campaigners and gave out leaflets to commuters at all the railway stations in Halifax and Calder Valley constituencies, as soon as the general election was announced officially. Travellers on their way home were greeted at Halifax, Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, and Brighouse stations.

Elisabeth has welcomed the Liberal Democrat announcement on Monday that they plan to switch expenditure from road to rail, and set out radical plans to revitalise the railways by improving and reopening rail lines and stations.

The party will set up a Rail Expansion Fund of nearly £3bn from which councils and transport authorities can bid for money to pay for rail improvement and expansion projects.

Elisabeth said: “Sowerby Bridge Station just isn’t inviting. It would be an obvious station for improvement.”
It would be the biggest expansion since the Victorian age.

Elisabeth on a previous visit to Sowerby Bridge station

Just click on the link below to hear Elisabeth talking about Lib Dem proposals for positive change in Halifax.

Ashley Evans and Elisabeth Wilson

On Saturday all four of the Warley team went to the clean-up in Warley village:  Elisabeth Wilson, Parliamentary candidate, Cllr Jennifer Pearson, Cllr Robert Pearson and Ashley Evans, candidate for Warley ward.  About 40 people turned up despite the persistent rain.  The aim of the cleanup was to help prepare for the “in Bloom” judges who will come round in early April.  We worked on a back lane, clearing weeds and tidying up.

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.