Fight for our Freedoms

"I'm a liberal – I'm against this sort of thing." That's what Harry Wilcox, a dry cleaner from North London, said when asked to produce his ID card in the 1950s. He drew the line.

It's time we drew that line again. The actions of two repressive parties – first the Conservatives, now Labour – have robbed us of too many of our fundamental rights and freedoms.

The Liberal Democrats are proposing the Freedom Bill - http://freedom.libdems.org.uk - and here's a selection of the measures it incorporates:

• Scrap ID cards for everyone.
• Restore the right to protest in Parliament Square.
• Scrap the ContactPoint database of all children in Britain.
• Remove innocent people from the DNA database.
• Reduce the maximum period of pre-charge detention to 14 days.

You can read the full set at http://freedom.libdems.org.uk/

Bringing back the Beast could backfire...

So David Cameron has brought back Ken Clarke to the Tory front bench. It is a decision which could come back to haunt him at the ballot box. Many people still remember “The Beast's” shameful record as the Chancellor that ABOLISHED student grants, introduced VAT on fuel, DOUBLED national debt ,and CUT NHS and education budgets.

Roll on the election...

Conservative membership collapse under Cameron

The Tories are suffering a massive slump in Party membership. Secret party documents show 40,000 supporters have left since David Cameron took over as leader three years ago. Overall, Tory Party membership has fallen from 290,000 to 250,000 in the three years since Cameron took over. The fall in membership and the revenue it brings in, along with the credit crunch, means the Tories have been forced to take drastic steps to balance their books.

Last month ten per cent of Conservative Central Office staff were made redundant. Some 24 staff at the party's Millbank headquarters lost their jobs. In a separate move the party also closed its Constituency Campaigning Services-based in Coleshill Manor in the West Midlands. It provided campaigning material and acted as a call centre for constituency parties.