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Under starter's orders, ready for the election - for the Inverness Courier
IT now seems highly likely that the date of the next general election will be 6th May. It has been an enormous honour and privilege to serve the people of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey over the last five years - taking action on some hugely important issues.
The shortage of affordable housing is the biggest issue raised with me. So in 2005 it was very important that we were able to defeat the government's plans to give a huge pensions tax break on second homes, which would have led to a rocketing demand for homes in the Highlands from wealthy investors. Sadly the Labour government still fails to understand the need for homes here and refuses to deal with the council's housing debt.
Campaigning to save local post offices against government closure plans has been a major feature. While we have been successful in most cases, sadly some of these vital community services have been forced to close..
The situation would have been even worse had a Liberal Democrat debate in Parliament not precipitated a government u-turn on its plans to scrap the Post Office card account.
The high cost of fuel locally has always been an issue. Despite Highland MPs and others voting against last week, the government has decided to press on with another fuel tax rise that will hit the Highlands hard. At every Finance Bill over the last five years I have put forward a plan to cut fuel duty in rural areas - as is done in other countries - but every time Labour and Tories have blocked it. That is unfinished business.
But it was good to help bring to a successful conclusion one local campaign - to get Tesco to treat Inverness fuel customers fairly. After I met Tesco boss Terry Leahy in Westminster they finally backed down on inflating local prices over those in Elgin. We need more competition in Inverness - at the moment every second square on the Highland Monopoly board would be Tesco! Government must let planners take competition into account - a change many local people, including me, have pressed for..
Matters of war and fairness to our military personnel have been very important over the last five years. Charles Kennedy led the opposition to the Iraq war. Last year it was Nick Clegg who forced Gordon Brown to hold the Iraq Inquiry in public - and then embarrassed him into giving his evidence before the election. And it was a victory for justice that Parliament finally voted to give Gurkhas the right to live in this country - for a long time a campaign that we were the only party to back.
Perhaps the greatest frustration has been the lack of progress on the Inverness bypass, despite years of local campaigning on it. Again and again we have demonstrated the strength of local support for the bypass, but each time government has found an excuse not to act. The link is desperately needed for our city - for safety, to ease congestion, and to help the economy..
The most important thing I have learned over the last five years is the power of persistent campaigning - and we certainly should not give up on this one.
The expenses scandal has rightly exposed the corrupt practices of some MPs and shed light onto a system that others fought to keep secret for too long. Years before the scandal broke, it was Liberal Democrat MPs who blocked attempts by Labour and Tories to exempt the House of Commons from freedom of information..
I have listened to five Budgets as an MP, and it has been shocking how often the truth about the measures is the opposite of what was said. The worst example is the 10p tax rate, but it still took over a year to force the government to admit that it was trying to raid the poorest. The unfairness of our tax system still shames this country.
The greatest satisfaction has come from trying to help local people with problems and I am very grateful indeed to all the Courier readers who have attended my surgeries or written or called to ask for assistance..
Whatever the result of the election locally, it has been a privilege to be able to work alongside so many local people, for the Highlands. I am still the local MP until Parliament is dissolved, so please feel free to get in touch by calling 01463 711280 or emailing danny@highlandlibdems.org.uk
Posted on: 06/04/2010
