Fresh Start for Britain: Lib Dem Conference Roundup

The Lib Dem Conference in Bournemouth last week saw the party set out clear priorities for the country: Building a sustainable economy, Making society fairer, and Reforming our broken political system.

Key policies agreed by the Lib Dems include switching Government spending into environmental projects that will create jobs and build a greener future. This will include investment in public transport infrastructure and major energy efficiency schemes.

To make taxes fairer, the Lib Dems will raise the basic allowance to £10,000 - taking millions of people out of paying tax altogether and saving low and middle income earners £700 a year. This will be paid for by closing many of the tax loopholes which benefit the best off.

The Lib Dems want to increase spending on education, paid for by cutting lower priority spending. They will fund smaller infant class sizes and provide extra funds for pupils from the poorest backgrounds, and reiterated their opposition to Tuition and Top-Up Fees.

The Lib Dems agreed a range of measures to reform the political system. They want to give voters the right to sack MPs who have been shown to be guilty of fraud, and to curb big donations to political parties so that no-one can 'buy' our political system.