Local MP key speaker at Annual Party Conference

1.10.04

Edward Davey speaking at party conference
Photograph courtesy of Dave Radcliffe/LDDPics

As keynote speaker at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth last week, local MP and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Edward Davey delivered a powerful speech challenging the Government's attitude to fairness, trust and freedom.

In his speech, which was well received by the busy auditorium at the height of the conference on Wednesday, Edward Davey took the opportunity to highlight the Liberal Democrat policy to institute a Local Income Tax based on ability to pay. He also called for greater trust in local government and praised Liberal Democrat councillors across the country for providing local people with successful and appropriate initiatives to combat local problems.

In his speech, Edward Davey MP said,

"If this Government was still capable of listening, they'd have heard the call for an end to council tax.

"If this Government was still capable of trusting, they'd have trusted the Audit Commission's finding that the council tax system is flawed.

"It can't be fair that council tax has risen by over 70% since 1997 - while pensions and low incomes have only just kept pace with inflation.

"This Government's contempt for local government is illustrated by their lack of interest in the Audit Commission's Study, which found council tax to be a flawed policy.

"This Government is still wedded to a system which charges Government Ministers the same level of council tax as their pensioner neighbours.

"We want council tax scrapped, and replaced with a Local Income Tax, based on the ability to pay."

Read a full transcript of Edward's speech