Parliament has been dissolved and the 2015 general election campaign is officially under way – with Labour offering the only alternative to the failed coalition government. Only Labour can save the NHS, tackle the cost of living crisis, create opportunities for the young and build an economy that benefits everyone, not just the rich.
In Somerset, observers are predicting disaster for the Lib-Dems, as voters weigh up their record in propping up Cameron’s government. Here and across the country, a Labour vote is the only vote that will bring change after five years of attacks on the NHS and the living standards of working people.
A Labour government will:
• Stop the creeping privatisation of the NHS and put patients’ needs first
• Raise incomes with a higher minimum wage and tax breaks to support the living wage
• Balance the books fairly, with higher taxes for the rich and a mansion tax on luxury homes
• Guarantee work and training for the young unemployed
• Scrap the bedroom tax
• End rip-off prices on energy bills
• Improve schools by making sure all permanent teachers are fully qualified
• Build the homes Britain needs and give tenants a better deal
Labour’s candidate in Bridgwater and West Somerset, Mick Lerry, said:“The choice is now quite clear . Only Labour has a clear plan for working families. A Labour Government will provide 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more GPs and care workers for the NHS. A Labour Government will reduce Tuition Fees to £6000.00 and an apprenticeship for all school leavers who get the necessary qualifications. Only a Labour Government will reform the Energy market to obtain cheaper energy bills. After 5 years of Austerity what is now needed is strong economic foundation and the balancing of the books, by cutting the deficit every year. Britain now needs a Labour Government to bring real prosperity, by putting working families first”.
Labour’s candidate for Taunton, Neil Guild, said “There is a real choice to be made in this coming general election. A Labour government would work for the whole UK by protecting the NHS, setting a higher minimum wage, giving more power to local people, investing in sustainable energy and transport, and building a fairer economy that works for the majority and not just for the few at the top. The Labour Party understands that in order to have a fair, successful and sustainable economy for the future then we need to address the causes of the problems of the past. Rather than simplistic Tory rhetoric blaming the last Labour government for all the ills of the world, we need considered policy responses that address the true causes of instability in the UK economy. This is what Labour is offering through a broad based economic recovery that puts the living standards of working people at its heart. History has shown that Britain does best when all boats rise together not just the super yachts. Ed Miliband understands this; that not only is a fairer, more equal society a good thing on its own terms but that it offers the stability needed for long term sustained growth.”