Liberal Democrats in Glasgow North have welcomed the launch of the Liberal Democrats’ vision for Britain by Party Leader Nick Clegg MP. Called ‘Make it Happen’, the paper will be debated at the party’s conference in Bournemouth in September.

In ‘Make it Happen’ the Liberal Democrats say:

• They will cut taxes for ordinary families
• They will switch taxes from people to pollution – so it pays to go green
• To improve standards in education, they will fund extra help for those who need it most
• They will put Britain at the heart of Europe to make us a force for good in the world
• They will stop ID cards so we can keep control of our privacy
• They will change the voting system so everyone’s voice counts
• They will bring communities together with local people in charge

Katy Gordon, Spokesperson for Glasgow North, said:

“I am delighted to be able to back ‘Make it Happen’. It sets out how the Liberal Democrats will run Britain.

“No resident of Glasgow North has escaped the rising cost of food and fuel. The credit crunch is biting hard and local people are feeling the pinch.

“Nick Clegg has set out how we can help ordinary people through cutting taxes on those on low and middle incomes. Thousands of people in Glasgow North will benefit from this.

“We are taking the plans in ‘Make it Happen’ to the people of Glasgow North during the summer to get their response. And in September, we will be heading to the Liberal Democrats’ conference where we are looking forward to taking part in the debate.”

LIBERAL Democrats in Glasgow North are calling for government action to tackle the growing shortage of affordable homes. The call was made after Katy Gordon met leading affordable housing campaigner Julia Goldsworthy MP at the party’s recent Spring Conference in Liverpool.

“I know that many people in Glasgow North have difficulty finding an affordable home,” said Katy. “Many young people are stuck in the parental home unable to move out. Many young families cannot afford to move to the larger home they need.

“The plans agreed by the Liberal Democrats would help those on council and housing association waiting lists to get the home they need at the price they can afford.

Julia Goldsworthy MP said, “I was pleased to be able to discuss housing with Katy. Across the country, the Government has failed to ensure there is enough social and affordable housing available. The Liberal Democrats have now agreed plans that will ensure we have enough homes for all.”

This policy builds on Liberal Democrat success in Scotland where we introduced free personal care for the elderly, free eye and dental check ups and were first with a smoking ban. In the very different health and social landscape in England, it is great to see the lessons we learnt and the challenges we faced being used to inform party policy in England.

Speaking in support of the outstanding Lib Dem record in government for education and skills, she will urge party colleagues to maintain Glasgow’s reputation as an excellent place to study.

Overseas students contribute thousands to university finances and Glasgow’s economy. So the least we can do is make sure they are made welcome, not ripped off and leave with a great impression of Scotland.

She raised the problems foreign students face in opening bank accounts, in the restrictions on whether they can work and in the bogus colleges that can lose unsuspecting students thousands of pounds. She said:

It is ridiculous that it can take so long for students to open bank accounts. In our computerised and globalised world, it should not be impossible to come up with a speedier way of proving identity.

Higher education is a devolved issue with international repercussions. I want our reputation as a great place to study to continue to grow, with all our institutions rated as highly as Glasgow Caledonian was this week for the overseas student experience. So we need to get the banks and the Holyrood and Westminster governments to work together to sort out these difficulties.