Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell is demanding that Tony Blair must apologise to the nation for tragedy of the Iraq war. Sir Menzies said Iraq was no closer to peace despite the deaths of thousands of people. He said the Prime Minister should apologise to the people of Britain particularly the families of those killed or injured. He branded the war the greatest tragedy of Blair’s Leadership.

He said at the recent Lib-Dem regional conference "We stand now at the third anniversary of the tragedy of the invasion of Iraq, a military action Liberal Democrats opposed."

"Thousands are dead - Iraqi civilians, servicemen and women, aid workers, hostages and children."

"It is now time for the Prime Minister, his Cabinet and his Government to make an apology to all those who have suffered as a result of the war he led this country into"

Cllr. Jacqueline Basu with Ming Campbell at the West Midlands Regional Party Comference in Coventry on 18th february, 2006.

Liberal democrats favour a fairer system of local income tax based on ability to pay

Liberal Democrats believe the government has not given residents the ability to influence the conditions imposed on drinks licences as they promised when the new act was introduced

Liberal Democrats believe maintenance of our highways is essential for the benefit of our citizens and impression it gives to visitors and attracting outside investment in the city and updated lighting is essential for improved safety

Liberal Democrats believe Government action is needed to resolve the problem of pee wee and similar bikes

Liberal Democrats believe local places should provided (not old fashioned youth clubs) with innovative schemes to divert their energy into being an asset to the community sited of a source of annoyance

Liberal Democrats believe that a central coach and bus station is essential for a vibrant city . It is unfortunate this issue is being confused with the hasty implementation of new bus routes

Liberal Democrats believe more emphasis should be put on prevention of crime and rehabilitation of offenders particularly where crime is related to feeding drug habits. Drug dealers perpetrators of violence should receive severe penalties

Liberal Democrats believe recycling needs to be extended to many more substances and packaging reduced if we are to reach the same level as the best European countries

Liberal Democrats believe it is time pensioners finances were put on a firm footing and they did not have to rely on Gordon Brown’s handouts at budget time.

FULL MANIFESTO FOR 2006...    

Liberal Democrats welcome the revival of Pool Meadow despite the Labour council allowing it to become little used when several millions were spent building it a few years ago.

                        Cllr. . Jacqueline Basu views Pool Meadow

Jacueline Basu says:

"The previous Coventry Labour Council made a serious error by closing Pool Meadow, a facility most passengers want to keep . We fully supported the new administration and local MPs Jim Cunningham and Geoffrey Robinson in their calls for an investigation to find a viable way of reinstating Pool Meadowand I am delighted as most of coventry bus travellers are that it has been successful"

Liberal Democrats main concern is the extension of licenses in what are primarily residential areas. We are not so opposed to licenses being extended in the city centre where residents would expect a night life to exist and if properly controlled by the police and environment authorities it would not be allowed to create problems for residents. Suburban residential areas are not the place for all year round night life. Residents and children need their sleep and 11 o'clock is late enough to be disturbed by cars , people leaving licensed premises and discos.

The police consider they have the manpower to control the city centre, but have admitted they do not have sufficient to cover any problems that may arise in the suburbs.

Committee members are virtually without power to restrict licenses or put on conditions even though the government suggested that they would be able to.

Licensees are usually represented by a solicitor fully aware of how the law operates, whereas residents objecting usually present their case badly due to their lack of knowledge of the act and do not realise that many of the issues they raise are irrelevant to the decision.

The act is weighted entirely in the applicants favour and there is little that objectors can do about it. Contrary to what was promised by the government.

They can appeal or ask for a review but they will need substantial written records probably for 3 months or more of the problems occurring due to the extended hours. They would need to have records of calling the Police and Environmental and other departments many times and ensure that attend the hearing to support them.

It is also essential that all residents objecting attend hearings. Committee members are advised that little notice can be taken of petitions, however large, as only the spokesperson will be taken into account, only letters or objectors attending the hearing or appeal will be taken into account Even then there is little indication that the objectors will be successful or taken notice of if their objection is not worded correctly and the issues raised are not strictly according to the act’s guidelines.

Councillor Derek Benefield who resigned from the hearing committee says.

"I was elected to represent the people of Coventry and look after their interests not the breweries. Under the new licensing laws and the advice being given to the committee I was unable to do this."

Lib-Dem View on Anti Social Behaviour

Identity Cards

Future of the water feature at the memorial park

Final costs could be in excess of £1 million.

Even if the recommended improvements, at considerable extra cost, there is no guarantee that it would not have to be closed again.

Many parents would have lost confidence in using the facility. It would be blamed if any child with an upset tummy after being there.

Despite the increased, costly, daily control of the use of the feature to bring it up to swimming pool standards, this cannot be achieved as there is no control over birds, particularly pigeons which are the worst of all disease carriers.

Cllr. Derek Benefield says:

"As I have questioned before, is it really worth spending all this money on one gimmicky play feature when the City is so desperately short of facilities for youngsters throughout the City?

A facility which can only be used for a few summer weeks of the year."

The Future of Pool Meadow

Highways

Liberal Democrats continue as the main challenger to Labour

Liberal Democrat policies are based on Fairness and Trust

If you would like more information, or wish to help or join the Lib-Dems please click the link above. Or :

Liberal Democrats firmly established themselves on the political arena in Coventry, after securing all three seats in their target ward of Upper Stoke. Despite a massive effort by the Labour Party, the sitting Lord Mayor was defeated and Lib Dem Councillors Derek Benefield and Russell Field were joined by Jacqueline Basu.

Councillor Jacqueline Basu said:
“Labour tried very hard to win back Upper Stoke, but in the end the Lib Dem commitment to standing up for local people and talking about local issues won through.

We now have a secure base to build on and target other seats in Coventry.”

With a massive swing of voters, by passing the Tories, and choosing Lib-Dems as their first choice.

This surge of voters to the Liberal Democrats will bring even Coventry’s Labour M.P.s under threat.

Whilst our stand against the war played a part in both Birmingham and Leicester, our other policies had a strong influence on many voters deciding to vote for Lib-Dem policies rather than Labour or Conservative.

Voters have recognised our concern of the need to improve public services, particularly local services in the community which are important to them and have been neglected and run down by Labour and Conservatives in the past.

Lib-Dems would scrap the expensive ID card scheme and use the £3billion to increase police numbers on the streets.

Lib-Dem policies offer better pensions, free travel and an end to the elderly being forced to sell their homes to pay for care.

Our policy is to scrap tuition fees.

We say axe Council Tax for a fairer Local Income Tax (collected by the Government's existing tax system) which Labour and Tories are determined to keep despite 70% rise since 1997.

Many of Lib-Dem Policies are already in force or being seriously considered in Scotland where we share power in the Scottish Assembly.

Even the Treasury's twice inflation forecast of 4% increase looks optimistic when related to Gordon Brown's spending predictions, which could result increases approaching 7%, adding to the 70% increase in council tax since Labour came into power in 1997. Gordon Brown’s figures will also result in £billions being cut from local services such as road repairs, Social Services and street cleaning areas that have already had cuts in the past few years.

On top of this, there is the impending revaluation of property which will take into account any extensions and modernisation, as well as higher prices moving many homes into a higher band of council tax.

Only the Liberal Democrats have a policy to change the system of funding local services and getting rid of unfair council tax.

Whilst agreeing that Civil Service needs to be cut, the Government needs to prioritize where the savings will be spent. Otherwise it will result in more waste. We might ask, as the Labour Government has been in power for seven years, why haven’t they cut the waste before now.

Cllr Derek Benefield says:
"We could have used the savings for a generous non- means- tested pension."

The former Council Housing stocks in Coventry are being drastically reduced despite thousands of families on the waiting list. Former Council Estates are being demolished and rebuilt with only a fraction of the new properties available to let, the rest being sold. This is forcing tenants to seek private landlords, charging rents twice that of social landlords and with more and more landlords buying houses to let, causing house prices to escalate out of reach of first time buyers on low incomes.

Cllr. Derek Benefield says:
"Social Landlords should be in the business of providing housing for those on low income who cannot afford to buy or pay high rents and deposits to private landlords.

Social Landlords need to fulfill their obligation to provide affordable housing other than becoming property developers, otherwise we are going to have serious difficulties with homelessness in the future"