Elizabeth Evans calls on Chancellor to Axe Planned Budget Fuel Duty Rise

Ceredigion’s Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Candidate Elizabeth Evans has welcomed her party president's call for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to axe a planned fuel duty rise in his budget this month.

Liberal Democrat President, Tim Farron MP has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling on him to axe the planned fuel duty rise in his budget next week.

Labour announced the fuel duty increase in its final budget in power and it will come into force soon.

The average price per litre has now reached 130.03p for unleaded petrol and 135.44p for diesel, a record high. Tax accounts for 63% of the price of fuel at the pump.

Recently the Department for Work and Pensions announced that significantly fewer people than had previously been calculated signed up for Jobseekers Allowance in the early months' of 2011. This news coupled with the higher than expected quarterly tax figures; have meant that the Treasury will have more room for manoeuvre at this month's Budget than was previous thought.

Elizabeth and Tim would like to see the Treasury use this opportunity for some spending in the Budget to axe the proposed fuel duty rise and help hard working people in Ceredigion.

Elizsabeth Evans with Lib Dem President Tim Farron MP
at Tregaron Mart

On a visit to Ceredigion last week, Tim Farron said: "High fuel prices are causing real hardship across the country. I think we need to help hard pressed families and businesses and an easy way of doing that is cutting the cost of fuel. I am calling on the chancellor to use his budget to help us all by doing this",

Elizabeth Evans added: "In rural areas like ours a car is not a luxury it is a necessity. It's therefore crucial that the government seeks to support us by scrapping this planned budgetary fuel rise. Tim is therefore right to call on the Chancellor to do this and I was delighted to meet with him last week and to take him around Tregaron Mart where those concerns were being expressed to us both by farmers and local residents.

"I'm also delighted that our local MP Mark Williams has been fighting our corner by requesting that rural Wales and Ceredigion specifically be included in the Government's rural fuel rebate scheme. The Welsh Office with the support of the Minister David Jones are on-side and it's similarly important that we're successful in this call as the scheme, if implemented, could see a reduction in fuel prices at the pumps in Ceredigion by as much as 5p per litre".

Well said Liz.

Labour - the new Thatcherite Republican Party

It has surely been a mind boggling 24 hours for Members of the House of Lords.

Their mamouth all-night sitting came to an end earlier today after almost 21 hours. This isn't the longest sitting in its history but it certainly gave the Prevention of Terrorism Bill debate that ran from 11am until 7.31pm between 10-11 March 2005, a run for its money. It is also likely to be the first of a number of all-night sitting over the coming days and weeks so that record may go yet.

Why? Well, Labour are adament that they will destroy the Coaltion Government's Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill which needs to be passed by mid-February for the AV Referendum to go ahead as planned on May 5th.

Filibustering - American Style

Labour have talked and talked and talked. They will of course argue that their cause is legitimate but the reality is that they're looking to deliberatley cause trouble for the sake of it. They argue that the Bill is 'political'. Well, bringing in AV which is Labour Party policy and which is supported by their own leader certainly shouldn't rankle. As far as the equalisation of constituencies is concerned, making every vote as equal in weight as possible as the next one is a laudable objective. If that so happens to mean that a number of overly populated Labour seats of old will need to be revised, then so be it.

If anyone is 'playing politics' here then it's the increasingly infantile Labour Parliamentary Party.

Their West Wing style filibuserting efforts of trying to talk the bill to death will not be successful. The Coaltion Government are united in its resolve to conclude this business on time and I am confident that they will.

No, No, No - Are Labour the new Thatcherites?!
It was Labour's great nemesis Margaret Thatcher who famously exclaimed 'No, No, No' in the House of Commons as her Prime Ministership came towards its end. Yet, now ironically, it's the Labour Party themselves that are sounding more militantly Thatcherite in their negativity than ever before.

Not only Thatcherite, but also like her beloved Ronald Reagan's own Republican Party.

Since 2008, I have witnessed with growing incredulity the American Republican Party's complete and utter obstinance against the democratically elected Democratic Congress' political wishes. You can disagree with decisions made but do so in a pro-active manner. Heckling and shouting for the sake of it without giving a viable alternative is irresponsible opposition. Sadly, the Democrats undeservedly lost control of the Lower House of Congress last November and the Republicans now have a foot back in the door.

Now we see the Labour Party here talk and act with the same vitriolic sentiment. Since the election last May they have been quick enough to damn any initiatives that the Coalition Government have put forward. On the biggest single issue, the economy, they have not put up any detailed alternative to the Coalition's spending cuts. But then how could they when Ed Miliband has a 'blank piece of paper'.

Indeed, one of the most illluminating blog posts that I've read in a long time was on this very point and was published yesterday by The Very Fluffy Diary of Millennium Dome, Elephant. I really encourage readers here to read it as it makes the point that Ed Miliband can't differentiate between the deficit and the debt (two very different things) and also adds that Labour wasted an opportunity to fix the roof whilst the sun was shining a decade ago.

A travesty to British Democracy
This sour-grapes rubbishing of anything coalitionist is now this week being witnessed with this House of Lords fiasco. What kind of democracy do we live in that can see such ridiculous scenes as we have witnessed these past 24 hours? On that point, what type of political party would stoop to such levels? Well, the Labour Party, clearly.

As Party President Tim Farron stated in an e-mail to members earlier today: "I’m all in favour of proper debate but Labour is cynically using the old politics of the worst sort to stop people have their say. Labour peers claim to be offering scrutiny, but that argument vanishes as soon as you examine their behaviour in the debate".

It's even more unbelievable as it's Labour who claim the credit for (semi) reforming the House of Lords in the first place. To be more blunt, it's their cack-handedness that allowed it to remain in a semi-reformed stated for this past decade. Like with other Labour messes that were left behind last May, it's been up to the Coaltion Government to try and put things right.

So there will soon hopefully be progress made by Nick Clegg to bring a final solution to the House of Lords fiasco. But until then, we must watch another as the Labour Party do all that they can to stick two fingers up to the coalition.

It's a real farce - this incident over the past 24 hours and Labour's more general unwillingness to be in any way a reasonable and responsible opposition.

But Labour shouldn't fear for I'm sure there are two emminent politicians who would be proud of their negative and oppositionist 'achievements' - step forward Sarah Palin and Margaret Thatcher.

Conference Blog: Day 2 (Saturday)

It's been wet in Liverpool so far. In fact, I was taking to one of our students Richard Morgan-Ash last night and he said that in his recollections, he can't remember a wet autumn conference. Come to think of it, in the 7 odd years I've been conferencing, neither can I. Hopefully the weather will improve.

Yesterday was a good day though. A slow morning got going as we checked into conference and found our barings around the massive Echo Arena.

Security
As we'd been warned, security here is much more intrusive than normal but we've just got to make do with it. The knack is to plan ahead and make sure you're in the arena comfortably before the debate you want to see starts - easier said than done! During one of my forays through security yesterday, I happened to find myself behind former Richmond Park MP and Lib Dem Presidential candidate Susan Kramer. On being frisked by the staff, Susan swept up her arms and gave me a good whack in the face! Possibly my come-uppance for backing Tim Farron MP in the contest!

Conference Launch
After a decent (but not hugely spectacular) lunch in the (absolutely spectacular) Albert Docks, I made my way over to the conference hall for the official opening of conference at 2.30pm. Baroness Walmsley made the opening and we then had some rather dry but neccesary reports to conference by the conference and policy committees. There was a decent number in the hall at that time although I had expected more for the opening even if it is merely a ceremonial affair.

Tim Farron 4 President!
An excellent piece of planning for this conference is that the conference hotel, the Jury Inn, is literally about 200 yards from the entrance to the Echo Arena. So there's much to-ing and fro-ing between the two as delegates go back and forth to training events or fringe meetings.

I went in mid-way through to Tim Farron's 'Westmorland & Lonsdale' training event which was well attended. From behind me I heard a question being asked by a recognisable voice. I turned round and there was the face of a very kind gentleman who has helped us out in Ceredigion on a few occasions 5 or so years ago. I caught up with him afterwards to say hello but I'm damned if I can remember his name!

We then had a gathering of Tim Farron supporters in a quiet nook of the conference bar for a pep-talk by the man himself on the launch of his Presidential bid. Tim really is an excellent and inspiring speaker and the 25-30 of us there were well psyched for the nominations signing and sticker stickings over the days ahead.

Indeed, just like with Ros Scott's successful campaign 2 years ago when conference was plastered in delegates wearing her campaign sticker ('I'm 4 Ros' I think it was), this conference has already taken on a distinctly 'Tim to Win' feel.

Rally
The rally which was being led by the Electoral Reform Society was packed out and inspired us all to go out and campaign for a positive 'YES' vote in next year's AV Referendum. Art Malik was excellent and highly amusing as compare and we had some excellent speeches. Notably for me, it was good to see former MP Martin Bell there weighing in with his support. I bought his autobiography 'An Accidental MP' many years ago and have always been a fan. Jo Swinson was unsurprisingly excellent and very infectious with her enthusiasm and then, Tim Farron appeared once more as a (very very very) last minute replacement for Charles Kennedy. As ever, he almost stole the show (but then maybe I'm being biased here!).

Finally, Nick Clegg spoke very well in that laid back, relaxed conference style of his and brought the rally to a close. The fireworks that marked the end of the rally was quite surreal - we're clearly now a party of government!

Fringe Troughing
Once a student, always a student as they say. So when we were given the nod by Cardiff's Rachael Hitchinson that Liberal Youth had a fringe event with free food and wine, we made a quick dash back to the Jury Inn to get in there quick. We were successful and indeed listened to an excellent fringe about HE Funding with Vince Cable, the main man on the panel. It finished with Q&As and an excellent question by a 14 year old school pupil - I'd never have had the guts to ask a Secretary of State a question in front of over 50 people when I was that age!

Lib Dem BOTY Awards
I've made a concerted attempt over recent weeks to get my blog 'up-and-active' and as a result, was keen to go, for the first time, to the Lib Dem 'Blog of the Year' Awards ceremony. I was interested to see the faces behind many of the names in the Lib Dem blogosphere and it was great to see such a diverse and eclectic bunch! It certainly made me feel as if 'I'm not alone' out here, blogging away! Congratulations to the winners of the 2010 BOTYs and particularly to Millennium Elephant for winning blog of the year! Hopefully the curse won't strike again and they'll all continue blogging into 2011!

Conference Bar
If Friday night was a calm, quiet affair, last night was anything but! As expected, most conference delegates arrived during the day and their presence was felt in an over-flowing conference bar. It was great to bump into a number of faces from around the country I was hoping to see. The York contingent were out in force with Nick Love, Billi Williams and the English Mark Cole (aka Tom Holvey) and it was good to see the likes of Sam Potts, Marie Jenkins, Mike and Veronica German, Amy Kitcher, Kev O'Connor and Bob Griffin there too.

An absolutely incredible development transpired during the late evening at the bar. As an over-flow mechanism, there's a smaller additional bar and they serve what I can only presume is a local beer called 'Cains'. Unbelievably, you can get a pint of it for just £2.45. That's 2 pints for a £5! It's unheard of generally nowadays but in a conference bar?! It's even nice to drink! Incredible!

I left the bar around 2.30am and there were still plenty there in my wake, soaking up the pretty unique atmosphere that is a Liberal Democrats conference bar in the early hours!

Conference has very much, 'come alive' now and it should be an excellent next few days ahead.

Tim Farron MP for Lib Dem President

I've read yesterday that Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland & Lonsdale is to stand for the Presidency of the Liberal Democrats.

http://www.libdemvoice.org/tim-farron-distinctive-voice-lib-dem-president-21156.html

This follows the announcement by current President Ros Scott that she intends to stand down at the end of her 2 year term. This came as a great surprise as Ros has been a particularly popular President and as she would probably have been re-elected unopposed had she have stood. She'll be a particularly tough act to follow.

The choice of Ros' successor couldn't be more important. At a time when the party is being tested from all sides about being in government, as Ros herself put it, we need "a strong media performer and tough campaigner".

The Candidates?
I gather that former MP Susan Kramer is putting her name forward. There's also talk and much support for former MP Evan Harris. Both would make excellent Presidents but I believe Tim Farron is our best bet.

I don't subscribe to this argument that the new President must come from the rank-and-file membership. Firstly and above all, we need a passionate, articulate President who can positively lead the party against the attacks that will be thrown at us by the media.

We need a competent media operator and campaigner who can enthuse our troops and take the message out around the party and beyond.

President Tim Farron
Tim is our man. He's been an activist within the party and the original Liberal Party since his teens and is a liberal to the core. He's also more than adept at handling the media and I feel that this is an absolute prerequisite for any candidate for the post at this time.

He's also very popular - and rightly too. Not only has he increased his majority in a constituency that had been Tory Blue for 99 years from 200+ to 12,000+ (even managing to out-gun ourselves in Ceredigion!) but he's actually, just a bloody nice guy.

He's not of the 'Westminster Bubble'. He's very much his own man and I can tell you now, a week before the event, that he will be wearing his Blackburn Rovers top in the bar on the final night of conference in the run-up to Glee Club because it's what he does!

The best man to replace the fantastic Baroness Scott of Needham Market as our Party President, is undoubtedly, Tim Farron.

I won't be backward in coming forward this weekend in Liverpool in telling those who ask me who I'll be backing.

I'm backing Tim!