Monthly Archive for January, 2010

Hilary Myers puts fairness at the heart of her Liberal Democrat campaign

Published on January 11, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

The Liberal Democrats have announced they will fight the General Election on four key principles, designed to make Britain a fairer place.

PPC for Calder Valley, Hilary Myers, has today set out her campaign priorities: fair taxes; a fair start for every child; fair, clean and local politics and a fair, green economy with jobs that last.

Hilary said, “People in Calder Valley have been let down by their politicians and are rightly frustrated. I am going into the election with a clear direction and a manifesto that is short, direct and to the point.

“We will introduce fairer taxes by closing loopholes for the richest, introducing a tax on mansions and tax cuts of £700 for everyone else.

“If your child is at school in Calder Valley, we can promise investment to help reduce class sizes, improve discipline and develop one-to-one tuition.

“We would also give you the right to sack your MP. The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to real change of our political system, flushing out big money and corrupt donors and reducing the number of MPs by 150.

“And we will rebuild the economy in every part of Britain in a way that promotes green technology and creates lasting jobs. We will put an end to casino banking, bring back competition and support local entrepreneurs to make sure Calder Valley businesses can find the money they need to grow.

“The coming months are a crucial time for politics and I will be using them to focus on these four priorities and delivering real change for Calder Valley.”

In his speech this morning (MON), Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg said:

“David Cameron and Gordon Brown are playing the politics of the airbrush and the focus group. One doesn’t know what he believes. The other doesn’t know what to do with the power he clings to so desperately. I believe the country wants something different. The Liberal Democrats are different. We offer credibility where it’s needed. And hope for our common future.”

Nick Clegg in Discussions on Local High Schools

Published on January 6, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Nick Clegg with Hilary Myers and Patrick Ottley-O’Connor


The Leader of the Liberal Democrats, on a recent visit to the Manchester area, took time out of his busy schedule to meet leaders of Todmorden High School. Chair of Governors, Hilary Myers, and Headteacher, Patrick Ottley-O’Connor, spoke to Nick Clegg about their concerns for the future of Todmorden and Calder High Schools. Both Upper Valley high schools are local priorities for rebuilding under the current government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. But Calderdale has been repeatedly knocked back for BSF in favour of other more deprived local authorities. “It is very disappointing”, said Hilary Myers, “when we know that our students are every bit as in need of an adequate learning environment as students anywhere in the country. But the current system is not flexible and cannot easily take account of local circumstances.”

Speaking afterwards to an audience of ordinary voters at Rochdale Town Hall, Nick Clegg answered questions on the war in Afghanistan, the recession and the national debt, the state of our democracy, healthcare and education. Asked about funding for education he responded, “How do we fill the black hole of education without short-changing our children? We need to target resources at those in greatest need.” He said BSF was a good scheme in principle but said he had major doubts about how it was working in practice in some areas. He went on to underline the importance of creating equality of opportunity for children of primary age. He said all the evidence showed that by the age of six or seven, a bright child from a poor family would be overtaken in class by a less bright child from a better off family. “This is just plain wrong”, he insisted. “Liberal Democrats would give schools extra funding for these children to stop them falling behind and to enable them to fulfil their potential.”

Patrick Ottley-O’Connor, who was a deputy headteacher in Rochdale before taking on the top job at Todmorden High at the start of 2008, was pleased to have the opportunity to put the case for the Upper Valley schools to one of the party leaders. “As results from both schools show, we have made exceptional progress in recent years, “ he said, “but so much money is being spent on the fabric of these buildings just to keep them open. As headteachers, Stephen Ball and I will continue to work with our Governing Bodies and with officers from the Local Authority, to press the politicians to take our case seriously.”