Lancaster and Fleetwood - Candidates Question Time

Wednesday 28th April 2010

Candidates Present:
Gina Dowding - Green Party
Clive Grunshaw - Labour
Eric Ollerenshaw - Conservative
Stuart Langhorn - Liberal Democrats

Question 1: With all the main parties advocating cuts in public services, what assurances can you give me that I will still have a job in 12 months time?

Conservative:

• No party can make ultimate commitment to job security.
• Pay freeze in public sector over £18k
• Committed to stopping NI increase which would severely impact on NHS wage bill.
• Public Services need to be more efficient.
• There is a budget deficit crisis that needs dealing with.

Lib Dem:

• Wage bill majority of public spending.
• Look at where services are delivered and cut jobs strategically through voluntary redundancy.
• Senior Mgt reduction undertaken through negotiation with interested parties.
• Pay restraint of 2.5% or £400 per annum across the board.
• Public sector wages are an essential part of this constituencies economy, have been keeping it afloat in the downturn.

Labour:

• NI increase would mean that the govt can maintain investment in public services.
• Direct threat from Conservatives as they would not implement this.
• TUs should be included and negotiated with on all proposed changes to public services.
• As a trade unionist candidate, Civil Servants in this constituency should be assured that I will be looking out for their interests.

Green:

• Raise taxation on the rich and large corporations.
• Cutting public services harms the most vulnerable in society.
• The low tax burden on the rich under this govt has led to public services being under-funded.
• Anyone earning over £110k would face a 50% tax rate.
• Impose an environmental tax to raise funds.
• Scrap Trident and ID cards to raise funds.
• Ordinary people are paying for financial sector mistakes, this should not continue.
• Leading economists are advising against the other parties approaches as could lead to a double-dip recession.

Question 2: What would the parties do to address the impending oil crisis outlined in the J.O.E report?

Labour:

• Will look at renewable energy including nuclear, wind farms, tidal barrages.
• Need to reduce carbon emissions.
• No clear answer but can’t afford to rely on fossil fuels.
• These new energy sources would see jobs being created in the constituency and 1.2million jobs nationally.

Conservative:

• Agree with Labour candidate.
• Shortage of fossil fuels and dependency on countries such as Russia are not helpful.
• Nuclear provides a secure option.
• Support investment in electric cars etc to reduce dependency on oil.

Green:

• Against nuclear power as it is dangerous and still no clear plan as to how to dispose of waste.
• The Green new deal would see investment in renewable energy and is a jobs rich policy.
• Would create 1m new jobs in this area.
• Supports our tax gap pledge in order to generate revenue, an easy win.

Lib Dem:

• Vitally important that public sector react to energy crisis to ensure sustainability.
• Support 10/10 Friends of the Earth initiative and has implemented it in his role on city council.
• Initiatives like 10/10 improve working conditions, bring savings and improve services for the public.
• Reducing energy consumption in public sector is essential and works.

Question 3: Do the candidates feel there is an increased apathy among the electorate?

Lib Dem:

• Not seeing apathy on doorstep.Leaders’ debates have seen a surge in interest especially among young people.
• Did see apathy around the time of Euro elections though as MPs expenses scandal broke in the right wing press and democracy suffered as a result.
• Would bring about electoral reform through single transferrable vote option.

Green:

• Feels people are despairing and are looking for change.
• Green Party should have had a platform within Leaders debates.
• In 1997 public were excited by Labour landslide but have been let down.
• Green Party would see electoral reform through proportional representation which the Conservative party are against.

Question 4: Do GM crops cause more problems than they solve?

Green:

• GM crops causing serious problems not a solution.
• Seeds are being patented which is having a devastating effect on Farmers.

Conservative:

• Agree with Green Party.
• Need to improve food labelling to make it clearer.

Lib Dem:

• Agree with all of the previous candidates.
• Need to move towards more locally sourced food.

Labour:

• Agree with all the other candidates’ points.
• Need to ensure we know our food sources.