Why Warminster should vote Liberal Democrat, by Trevor Carbin

Our parliamentary system is institutionally corrupt, and in its present form it is incapable of dealing effectively with the economic crisis and the threats to our natural environment.

The fields around Warminster are decorated with posters saying, “Vote for Change.” This is a laudable slogan when you consider that all four Wiltshire MPs are Conservative at the moment, but of course the Conservatives don't want to change our institutionally corrupt system of government, they just want to inherit it again so they can carry on as usual.

Reform is needed not just for its own sake. By subverting our democracy Labour and the Conservatives hold us back as a nation, and create an unhealthy gulf between the people and the political establishment.

Reform should lead to a more mature system of government. Recent squabbles about whether to increase National Insurance or VAT or whether or not to give married couples three quid a week are missing the point. We are in a very serious economic situation. We didn't cause it - the bankers, politicians and regulators did. But we are going to have to dig the country out of it. What's important is that overall taxation should not penalise working people or pensioners who have already paid their share, nor wreck the real economy by stifling activity and the circulation of money through local businesses. Our policy of raising the tax threshold to £10,000 would help most families and the local economy.

Our ‘pupil premium’ would mean an investment of £11million in Wiltshire Schools. By helping our children we will build a better society for the future.

There is a green road out of the recession which we should be following. The best way of cutting CO2 emissions is to reduce energy use by insulating homes, schools and hospitals. The fact that much of this work is labour-intensive is also beneficial to the real economy. We should be developing new alternative technologies for power generation, building new homes to 'zero-carbon' standards, and revitalising our railway system.
We want to see an hourly service on the Swindon via Melksham and Warminster to Salisbury line - Network Rail agree it's possible and desirable.
On the subject of roads, Wiltshire’s Conservative council has allowed our roads to become amongst the worst in the country. We need to maintain them properly, and to forget crazy ideas for massive new road-building schemes.

You don’t get change by voting for the same old parties. As your Liberal Democrat candidate I offer you a genuine alternative which will take this country forward.