Liberal Democrats launch 'fair' manifesto
Updated on 14 April 2010
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has launched his party's election manifesto, pledging to build a "fairer Britain" based on "four steps".
The party's 103-page manifesto promises fairer taxes, more chances for children, a fairer and greener economy, and to clean up politics.
Nick Clegg said: "Our manifesto will hard-wire fairness into British society. This isn't a promise. It's a plan. A plan based on four steps that will make a real difference to you and your family.
"Four steps to a fairer Britain. Specific, concrete, tangible, so you know what fairness really feels like. Change that you can trust.
"Four steps right there on the front cover of our manifesto."
However the party says it can not rule out tax rises.
The Liberal Democrat plans include banning loss-making banks from paying discretionary bonuses. Clegg said the measure will ensure there are "no rewards for failure".
In the event of a hung parliament, Clegg says banking reform will be one of the main Lib Dem conditions for supporting another party.
The "new approach" from the Lib Dems will be based on severing the reliance of the economy on the city. Clegg said he wants the country to be based on equity not debt: "where we learn as a country to build things again, not just bet on things on computer screens in the City of London".
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The Lib Dems also pledged to raise the state pension each year. This will be based on earnings or to come in line with the Retail Price Index measure of inflation.
They pledged "fairer pay" for fully-trained military personnel to bring new recruits in line with starter posts in the emergency services.
Party donations will also be capped under the Lib Dems to £10,000.
Nick Clegg's party has already pledged to raise the threshold of income tax to £10,000, which will help low-income and middle-income earners.
It argues this will "put £700 back in the pockets of tens of millions of low and middle-income families, paid for by ensuring the wealthy pay their fair share".
The costings of this policy and the party's other policies, Clegg says, are tabled at the back of the manifesto. Clegg says this means that voters can "trust" the Lib Dems sums, unlike the Tories and Labour.
He said: "There isn't a line or a policy in the book that will cost money we haven't accounted for with savings elsewhere.
"We have scrutinised public spending line by line and found the savings we need to pay for all our priorities.
"Also to put well over £10 billion in the deficit every year from 2012.
"I believe this is the first time a political party has spelt out, line by line its figures, right there in its manifesto."
Dismissing David Cameron's Conservative party manifesto as one "of style over substance", Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said he was determined to offer "something different" to the British people.
Attacking the Tories for their manifesto launch at Battersea power station yesterday, Clegg said: "You can't trust the Conservatives.
"They have just launched a manifesto in a power station that doesn't generate power. It's a manifesto of style over substance.
"You can't trust the Conservatives when they want to give tax breaks to double millionaires not tax breaks to everybody else.
"You can't trust the Conservatives when they don't want to clamp down on the bonuses of greedy bankers.
"You can't trust the Conservatives when they don't really want to clean out the corrupt state of politics in Westminster. That's why I think we need something different."
He claimed that the Lib Dems will produce "a manifesto that you can trust, a manifesto that you can believe in".
He added: "We are not going to promise something for nothing, which is what we've had now from Labour and the Conservatives today.
"That will be one big difference between the Liberal Democrats and the other two old parties."
He said his manifesto is "not a pick-and-mix menu".
