My political priorities

Fair, healthy and safe communities

Fair - the gap between rich and poor has grown LARGER under Labour. Everyone on low and middle incomes are feeling the burden of Labour's stealth taxes. We need tax cuts now - abolish council tax and cut national income tax by £705 per year per head. Pay for this by closing loopholes for the super-rich, and tax rises on pollution so we can REALLY do something about climate change. See www.greentaxswitch.com

We also need to give all children the best start in life. Quality pre-schools for everyone, cutting class sizes and abolishing university tuition fees will help Britain be successful in future.

Healthy - We need good, local health services, run by people accountable to Chelmsford residents. Not run by the politicians and civil servants in Whitehall, as under the Conservatives and Labour over the last 25 years. We need to cut out bureaucracy (such as regional health authorities and too many targets) and spend the money on preventing people becoming ill.

Safe - We need real action to cut crime and the fear of crime. More police on the beat and youth workers; not spending billions on a database of all your personal details. Sentences that mean what they say; and stopping ex-prisoners reoffend after they leave prison. An end to the 'sound tough' words from the other parties that actually lead to MORE criminals. See www.libdems.org.uk/law_and_order.aspx

Read more about our SOS for the NHS campaign.

Green jobs AND protect the environment

We must take climate change seriously - or Essex disappears under water!

I have been an environmental campaigner all my political life. I was the founding chairman of Epping Forest's Environmental Protection Committee in the early 1990s.

In 1992 there was the Rio treaty and talk of Agenda 21. Well, here we are now well into the 21st century and not much has improved.

The world's climate is already committed to change for the worse over the next few decades. Whether it improves when my son and his friends have children depends on decisions we take now.

If we act today, we can create new jobs AND protect the environment. Green jobs can come from investing in renewable energy, affordable homes, recycling not incineration and new high-speed rail links.

Our local Conservatives still refuse to meet this challenge. All they ever want to do is build more roads across Essex. They must ACT green not just talk green.

If I am elected as your MP, I will place this top of my agenda. Read more at http://www.greenerchelmsford.org.uk/

Take Back Power - Clean Up Politics

It's about THEIR future

Information and knowledge is power. It always has been, down the ages. Those who have power rarely want to give it away. But I do.

I want to win power for the Liberal Democrats in order to give everyone - young or old - equal access to information and knowledge, in powerful local communities.

But will you? they say. Wherever I have served as a Councillor I have a track record of doing exactly that. I campaigned for public rights to speak at planning committees and for devolving decision making.

Through my own newsletters and more recently email bulletins, and also pushing for my local councils to do better, I have tried to keep people properly informed.

Stephen Robinson discussing issues with local resident

Read more at www.takebackpower.org

Education is part of information. Whatever your age you should have the right to improve your education. It is in all our interests that ALL our young people grow up with the best possible education. Unrestricted by their family background or income.

Like all parents, I want the best for my child. But I went into politics because I want the best for ALL children.

Politics is about THEIR future, in a fairer Britain.

So, these are my priorities, amongst much else on which the Liberal Democrats will campaign. I hope you will back me to take them forwards.

Stephen Robinson

More about Stephen's background and family.

More about Stephen's campaigns.

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