Bristol East Liberal Democrats

This was a week that put things in perspective. I know I speak for all Liberal Democrats when I say that our thoughts are with the family and friends of Drummer Lee Rigby - the British soldier attacked and killed in Woolwich on Wednesday. And I've made it clear, on the party's behalf, that we are immensely grateful to our police, security services and armed forces, who do an extraordinarily important job.

That last few days have reminded me, and probably many of you, of a simple but important truth: when your values are under attack, you have to hold on to them even more firmly than before.

Yesterday, at the request of some friends in the Muslim community, I convened a meeting, in London, of representatives from different faiths, community organisations and secular groups. Before the speeches I held a private discussion with a smaller group, and I wish I could have broadcast it across the nation. Just days after a brutal act of terror, men and women from across the faiths and political parties, gathered around the table, each calling for the same thing: unity. It would have made you immensely proud.

And there have been other victories for our values this week. Getting the Equal Marriage Bill through the House of Commons was no mean feat and it's something all Liberal Democrats should feel good about. Britain is now one step closer to being a country where all forms of love - gay or straight - are celebrated equally, and that wouldn't have happened without our party.

The Coalition was also able to confirm that hundreds of Afghan interpreters who served bravely alongside British forces will have the chance to settle in the UK. Paddy's been heavily involved with this campaign for a while. At one point, it was suggested that Afghan interpreters might not be granted this right, but clearly that was something I - we - couldn't accept. Don't forget, it was under pressure from the Liberal Democrats that the previous Labour government extended the right to reside here to Iraqi interpreters. When someone has risked their life to help our servicemen and women, it seems so obvious to me that we owe them a debt.

So it's been a difficult week, but it's also been a week which has reminded us who we are. This is an open, diverse and generous nation, where, in our toughest moments, we come together. That's something no act of hate or violence will change.

Yours,

Nick Clegg

The speakers at the Hugh Cubitt Peabody Centre in Islington were the Deputy Prime Minister, Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan, Conservative whip Lord Tariq Ahmad, former Army captain Afzal Amin, imam Shaykh Shams ad-Duha Muhammad of Ebrahim College and the co-chairs of Faith Forum for London, Canon Guy Wilkinson and Leonie Lewis.

Also in attendance were Colonel Hugh Bodington, Chief of Staff of the Army Headquarters at London District, and Commander Mak Chishty of the Metropolitan Police, who has been the force's community liaison for the events in Woolwich.

Representatives of London's political leaders included Damian Johnson, Chair of the London Assembly, Andrew Boff, leader of the Assembly's Conservative group, Jenny Jones, leader of the Green Party Group and Stephen Knight, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Group. The local MP Emily Thornberry also took part, along with Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, Tom Brake.

Transcript of the Deputy Prime Minister's speech

Can I thank you all very, very much for being here and can I thank, particularly, everybody at the Hugh Cubitt Centre, all the volunteers here, everyone from the Peabody operation. You've helped us to organise this at very, very short notice indeed.

It was a suggestion made to me by friends of mine in the London Muslim community just yesterday, that we should get together at a time of obviously heightened anxiety, given the horrific events in Woolwich. And to be able to gather together like this, given how busy everybody is, is a real tribute to everybody at the centre, and indeed to all of you.

We are represented here in all of the wonderful diversity that we know is modern London: different political parties, different faiths, different communities, representatives from the armed services, from the police. I really am very, very grateful to you all for being here. And I hope that - in fact I know that I speak on behalf of everybody here when I say that my heart goes out and my thoughts are with the family and the friends of Drummer Lee Rigby, who as so brutally and savagely killed in Woolwich.

I think in many ways, the fact that we've come together is much more important than what anyone's actually going to say at the event because the fact that we're here together from so many different directions, from so many parts of the diversity that is London is a - sends out a message.

It sends out a very, very simple message of hope over fear, of community over division and that is immensely important. I think that you've done all of that and that by coming together in that way, by sending out that clear signal, you really have provided a great service to all of the communities who are asking themselves searching questions in London and across the country today.

Because let's be clear. People who inflict such random, savage violence in the name of some entirely warped ideology or some entirely perverted concept of religion in the way that we have seen on our television screens - which has been made all the more unsettling I think, because the individuals concerned dressed, spoke, appeared to all intents and purposes like so many other young Londoners that we might come across every day of the week.

Let's be under no illusion. What they want, of course, is to sow that corrosive seed of fear and division. What they want is for governments and the authorities to overreact in their immediate reaction. What they want is for communities to turn inwards and away from each other. What they want, in short, is to spread fear.

Fear is an extraordinarily powerful emotion and when fear takes root, all of us as individuals, we will avert our gaze from someone who we might be fearful of, who we weren't before. We might cross the street away from an individual who we're not so sure about. We might worry about our children and about our families in a way that we haven't done before.

It has a very, very corrosive effect on every part of our lives and we have a choice. We have a choice to either allow that powerful corrosive feeling of fear to seep into every second and minute and hour of our lives or we can make a choice that we're not going to change our behaviour. We're not going to disrupt normal life. We're going to continue our life as before. We're going to continue to reach out to each other. We're going to continue to look people in the eye. We're going to continue to be the diverse community that we are, and you have made that choice by coming to this event.

London has made that choice by celebrating this kind of event and it has shown once again how unbeatable London is in the face of this attempt to sow fear, sow division and sow mutual suspicion in our community. So I want to pay genuine tribute, to each and every one of you for making that choice. It is a positive choice and is the most powerful dignified reply and rejection of what we saw and what we heard on Wednesday in Woolwich.

Finally, before I ask the Deacon and others to speak for themselves, I want to pay special tribute to those amongst you who are leaders and spokespeople of our Muslim communities. The fact that all of you who've spoken out so very clearly and so very cogently and so very quickly to reject it utterly. As the Prime Minister quite rightly said, what we heard from these two individuals was a total unqualified betrayal of Islam, a religion of peace was being distorted, turned upside down and inside out, perverted in the cause of an abhorrent and violent set of intentions from those individuals.

As I heard from someone in a discussion we just had earlier this morning, terrorism has no religion because there is no religious conviction that can justify the kind of arbitrary, savage, random violence that we saw on the streets of Woolwich. So thank you for speaking out as forcefully as you have done. Thank you for speaking out as clearly as you have done for a great salvation religion, for your faith, and for the communities in which you live and in which you lead.

And in that spirit I would like to simply conclude by repeating a verse from the holy Quran, verse 32, chapter five. If anyone kills a human being, it shall be as though he killed all mankind, whereas if anyone saves a life it shall be as though he saved the whole of mankind.

Thank you very much.

"On Wednesday, we witnessed a shocking and horrifying murder on the streets of our capital.

"The whole nation's thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim.

"People across our country, whatever background they are from, will be united in condemning this attack and we will stand together, as we always do, in our response."

One minute, a Coalition Government publishing its third Queen's Speech: fundamentally reforming pensions; tackling longstanding problems with social care; getting to grips with immigration. Big, bold measures that will leave a lasting imprint on millions of Britons' lives.

The next? Westminster consumed by game-playing over Europe and gay marriage; MPs disappearing into a parliamentary rabbit warren, obsessing over this new tactic or that new trick: paving legislation, enabling referendums, wrecking amendments...

Anyone watching would be forgiven for asking: what are these politicians doing?

So it's time to get back to governing; providing the leadership and focus the people of Britain deserve in these difficult times.

This morning I want to give three simple and clear reassurances; the three things I will work flat out to deliver to keep the government and the country on track.

Reassurance number one: Coalition until 2015

First, I am absolutely committed to this Coalition lasting until 2015 - as is the Prime Minister.

At the weekend I saw some rather creative coverage of comments made by the Prime Minister about the future of the Government.

In fact, he echoed exactly what both of us have always believed:

This Coalition has been remarkably radical; it still has work to do; and the best way for us to serve and improve Britain is by finishing what we started.

To those voices who say that it will be in either, or both, parties' interests to prematurely pull the plug: I couldn't disagree more.

In 2010 the British people dealt us this hand. And they will not forgive either party if we call time ahead of the election that has been legislated for in 2015 - destabilising the nation in the vague hope of short-term political gain.

I know some commentators think it would be clever to duck out six months early. But that doesn't make any sense either.

The idea that the Liberal Democrats could suddenly win back those people who have never liked us going into government with the Conservatives is nonsense. As if we could pull the wool over people's eyes, using an early exit to somehow erase the previous four and a half years.

And, frankly, that isn't what we want. The Liberal Democrats look forward to fighting the next election as a party of government, on our record in government, and with a distinct vision of our own for the next government - having seen this one through until the end.

Reassurance number two: our priority is the economy

Reassurance number two: from now until that election, the Coalition will remain focused on the biggest task at hand - fixing the economy.

Of course Europe and gay marriage are important. These are issues my party cares deeply about.

But Britain is facing the most profound economic challenge in living memory. And now, more than ever, we cannot allow Parliament to be clogged up by these matters simply because they cause the biggest political punch ups.

Our priorities must be people's priorities: boosting business, creating jobs, helping with the cost of living.

On the big ticket items the Coalition parties must continue to find a way forward together. Just as we have done on cutting income tax; dealing with the deficit; creating a million new jobs; transforming the education and welfare systems; providing unprecedented guarantees - £50bn worth - for infrastructure and new homes; greening our economy; creating record numbers of apprenticeships...

And there must be no doubt that this Coalition remains united on the end we all seek:

A stronger, rebalanced economy, built on sound public finances, with opportunities spread to every corner of the UK.

Two staunch opponents, working together to find answers to the most critical questions facing Britain today, pioneering major reforms that will stand the test of time. That's what this Coalition has always been about - and it's what it must continue to be about.

Reassurance number three: we will remain anchored in the centre

Lastly, reassurance number three: this Government will not vacate the centre ground.

There's a mistaken idea, shared by both the Labour leadership and some in the Conservative party, that they decide what people care about in Britain today. The idea you can take a big marker pen and draw the centre ground wherever it's ideologically convenient for you.

Ed Miliband thinks he can nudge the country to the left, luring people over with unfunded spending promises: more borrowing, bigger budgets, a risk-free, pain-free end to austerity.

Some Conservatives insist the centre of gravity has swung the other way. They seize on people's reasonable concerns over things like immigration and welfare as proof the nation has shifted to the right.

Yet in reality millions of people across Britain continue to shun the extremes of left and right.

They want a stronger economy - but they also want a fairer society; not one or the other, both.

They want us to maintain stability by taking responsibility for our debts - but with the burden spread fairly.

These are the people who get angry when they see abuse of the benefits system - but they are still proud that their country provides help to the vulnerable, the sick and the poor.

They don't believe it's right when illegal immigrants get a free ride - but they still value the benefits that immigration has bought to the UK.

They emphatically agree that we should cut red tape to help business - but not at the expense of workers' rights.

They want more choice in our public services - but could never support privatising the NHS or profit-making in schools.

They think gay people should be treated as equal with straight people, and so able to get married - but they wouldn't condone forcing a church to conduct those ceremonies against its will.

In the 21st Century, Britain's centre ground is modern; balanced; inclusive.

It doesn't face left; it doesn't face right; it faces forward.

And if you stand in the centre ground, rest assured: so long as I am Deputy Prime Minister this Coalition will not walk away from you.

Not plain-sailing

Coalition until 2015. Cleaning up the mess in the economy Labour left us. Anchored in the centre ground. Exactly as we set out in May 2010.

It won't all be plain-sailing.

Some of the most divisive issues - like the UK's role in Europe - are not going to go away.

We also have to be realistic about the other challenges that come with the later stages of Coalition. As we head towards the election there will be increasing pressure on David Cameron and myself to act as party leaders as much as PM and DPM: pressure to put party before nation. And I don't pretend I won't relish the moment I can hit the campaign trail on behalf of the Liberal Democrats in the run up to the General Election.

But here's the bigger truth: whether you are the larger or smaller party, the fact is governing together in the public interest carries a cost. Making compromises; doing things you find uncomfortable; challenging some of your traditional support - these are the dilemmas the Conservatives are coming to terms with, just as my party has had to.

The next two years will not be without their hurdles and no doubt there will be disagreements between the Coalition parties along the way. Let's be clear: sincere policy debates and ideological differences are, and will continue to be, a part of coalition.

But the parliamentary game playing we've seen over the last few weeks discredits the importance of these issues, and it's an unwelcome distraction.

Our parties made a commitment to the people of Britain: we promised to govern responsibly and to stay focused on the issues that matter most.

That has not changed. It will not change. And I am more determined than ever that we finish what we started.

Almost ten years ago, I started my career on the Liberal Democrat Frontbench as Home Affairs' Spokesman. Back then I argued that what was needed to reduce crime was simply a focus from Government on firm, practical solutions that addressed the root causes of crime and that were proven to work.

It's a view I've retained. And an approach the Liberal Democrats have pursued in Coalition Government. Because ensuring people are free from crime and free from the fear of crime is essential to the foundation of any liberal society. And it's why tackling crime effectively is central to our party's vision of a Britain where everyone can get on in life.


Free From Crime, Free From The Fear of Crime:

Old or young, rich or poor, you are not free to live your life, realise your ambitions, or hope for the future, if you are scared of what lies just beyond your front door.

The populist rhetoric of the last Government played up public fears and promised to tackle the root causes of crime. But what actually happened, they implemented more often than not heavy-handed measures designed to chase headlines: policies that sought to restrict the freedom of criminals by taking away the civil liberties of innocent citizens.

Unprecedented expansion of state surveillance, a wasteful ID cards' programme and the inclusion of innocent people on the DNA database - these policies reinforced the views of both commentators on the Right, who argue we're a nation stuck in a spiral of moral decline, and those on the Left, who believe we're in a state of irreversible social decline.

Liberalism Is The Solution, Not The Problem:

But, this pessimistic vision of Britain ignores just how far we've come as a country and how much things have changed for the better. Most importantly, they deny a brighter future for our children - a younger generation, which government data shows, is actually less likely to take drugs, drink or smoke.

In fact, I would argue that it is the more liberal, more tolerant and less violent society - in which we live now - which has provided us with the right conditions for a substantial and sustainable fall in crime

When I was growing up, images of communities torn apart by riots, football games destroyed by hooligans and violent clashes between police and striking unions routinely dominated the news. These images are largely consigned to the past.

Now...of course there are exceptions. The senseless riots in 2011 were a powerful reminder of just how vital our work together - the Government, the police and the public - is to make our communities safer.

But our country is far less accepting of such violence. We are more ready to challenge racism, sexism and homophobia.

And we remain fully committed to tackling crimes such as domestic violence, or other abuses that happen behind closed doors.

For example, last year I launched the government's Teen Rape Prevention campaign. We have a long way to go, but action like this is hugely important in making sure that young people everywhere understand that sexual abuse isn't something that happens in a dark alley, but can be something that happens in your own home, perpetrated by someone you thought you could trust.

This Government has been committed to tackling these hidden crimes. We have introduced legislation to criminalise forced marriage, introduced new laws against stalking and the Home Secretary is leading important work into the dreadful cases of sexual abuse against young people who are vulnerable and need protecting, including those in care.

But while this crucial work continues, it is important that we recognise that, given more freedom and given more choice, the vast majority of us are exercising it more responsibly. And we're doing so at a time of tough economic conditions.

Greater liberty, in other words, has not frayed the fabric of society. It has brought us closer together as a society and has brought a long-term fall in crime.


Fall in Crime:

Under this Government, crime is at its lowest levels since independent records began. That's fewer homes burgled and possessions stolen. Fewer communities blighted by vandalism. And fewer people hurt, or killed in violent attacks.

This continuing fall in crime is one of the biggest untold success stories of this Coalition.

Lots of people predicted that in tough economic conditions, crime would go up, as it has done in the past. But it hasn't and we should be proud of that fact. It has been achieved without excessive bureaucracy or increasing intrusion.

We have done this by focusing, quite simply, on what works.

Freeing the Police to Cut Crime:

And much of that is down to the work of the police. In a time of economic austerity, where every public service is having to take its share of cuts, the police have stayed focused on cutting crime and they have succeeded.

Every police officer, every PCSO, should be extremely proud that, on their watch, crime has dropped.

Even as they have faced difficult decisions on police budgets and the pay and pensions provided to police officers. And they have done this with professionalism, with care and by developing relationships with their local communities that last.

By ending the target-driven culture of form filling and red-tape, the Coalition Government has ensured officers are free to do what works.

And it's an approach that has delivered results: ensuring that England and Wales are now safer than at any time since independent records began.

Empowering Communities & Victims:

We are also empowering communities to take control of the problems in their own areas.

Take restorative justice. An approach championed by local Liberal Democrat Councils taking tough, but practical solutions that actually work in bringing down crime.

Now we're in government, we're introducing Neighbourhood Justice Panels in 15 places across the country. They help victims deal with crime in a way that benefits their community and makes the offender face up to the wrong they have done.
We're also empowering the public to trigger action from the police and their local partners on persistent anti-social behaviour.

And we've ensured that sentences in the community are a genuine and tough alternative to custody, where locking someone up isn't the best solution.
By making more offenders perform unpaid work in the community, we will make sure that they pay back to their community, while also being rehabilitated through meaningful activity that teaches discipline and hard work.

And through restorative justice, these offenders can make a real difference to a victim's ability to cope and recover from the damage that they themselves have suffered.

Doing What Works:

Of course, community approaches are not suitable for every crime. And when your house is burgled, or your car stolen, it doesn't feel like crime is falling. If you're attacked, or abused, society doesn't feel that safe.

So sometimes prison is the right option and those who commit serious offences should serve their sentence behind bars.

But the story shouldn't end when the cell door slams shut. Prisoners' time behind bars must be used to change behaviour for good, not just take someone off the streets for a while. A lesson must be learnt. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

Every year, reoffending costs our economy around £10 billion. Almost half of those leaving prison are reconvicted within a year.

Considering that the cost of sending a criminal to prison is more than it costs to go to Eton, we need a better return on our investment.

For years, the Liberal Democrats have argued that you only truly break the cycle of crime when you cut reoffending. That is why in Government, we've been determined to reduce both its economic and social costs.

And as their current Shadow Justice Secretary admitted himself, this is where Labour got it so wrong.

The last Government talked tough on crime, but appeared to believe that a ballooning prison population was a good thing.

So be tough on crime, sure. Be tough on the causes of crime, yes. But none of it matters unless you are also tough on breaking the cycle of crime. As a society, we want a justice system that punishes people where it must, but also seeks to change people where it can.

For me, criminal justice policy should not be ideological, but pragmatic. It should have a relentless focus on what works. So this Government is using our investment more wisely - to ensure our prison and probation services are equipped to produce better citizens, not better criminals.

We know that those on short sentences are most likely to reoffend and yet shockingly they are the ones who have, until now, received almost no rehabilitation, or support. That is why the Coalition Government is driving a rehabilitation revolution. It's a programme of legislation and innovative public service delivery that will transform the way offenders are dealt with once they leave prison and address persistent reoffending.

It is a radical, but practical approach that has the potential - in my view - to leave a bigger, more lasting imprint on British society than almost anything else that the Coalition Government might achieve. And I'm proud of the changes we're implementing now and our plans for the future.

A Never-Ending Cycle:

Imagine a young 21 year old offender released from a 6 month prison sentence for burglary today.

He's been brought up in care. Since leaving there at 18, he's not had a permanent place to live. In and out of trouble, he's not found much in the way of work. He can't read, or write well so he's struggled to get a job. He also suffers from mental health issues and drug problems that are influencing his actions and have intensified in prison.

And just in case you think I'm relying on lazy stereotypes here, let me spell out what the statistics themselves say. Only around a third of prisoners are in work a month before custody. Fifteen percent of them are homeless. And it is estimated that around a quarter of offenders suffer from anxiety and depression. While 81% of them have used illegal drugs before entering prison.

Today, that young offender would leave prison with 46 pounds in his pocket and not much else. There would probably be no-one to meet him outside and nowhere for him to go.

If he's lucky, he'll find a temporary bed on a friend's sofa. If not, he'll end up homeless. And within days he could end up back in the Criminal Justice System after breaking into another house; stood in front of a custody sergeant, who probably already knows his name.

People tell him to get a job. But he doesn't know how. And he has nowhere to live. Nobody will give him a chance. And the only people he can rely on, of course, are the ones that got him into this mess in the first place.

That has to change. Because it is the victims of crime and the wider public that reoffending impacts the most. Whether that's because they are directly hurt by re-offenders' crimes, or because they read about what's happening and think it says everything they need to know about modern Britain.

A Rehabilitation Revolution:

This destructive cycle of crime is what we are working to break. If we are going to do all we can for the victims of crime and our communities, we can't allow this problem to go unsolved. Our Offender Rehabilitation Bill receives its Second Reading in Parliament today.

It brings forward for the first time a mandatory requirement for the most prevalent re-offenders - those serving sentences of 12 months or less - to undergo a targeted programme of support on release to help them turn their lives around.

Because we know that the majority of those sentenced to prison are sent there for 12 months or less. And that of those almost 60% of them reoffend on release.

This will have a significant impact on women offenders also. Proportionally, more women than men are serving short-term prison sentences. Many of these women have complex needs. For example, they are more likely to have mental health problems than male prisoners, more likely to have reported experiencing some sort of childhood abuse. And they are more likely to be the primary carer for children. This Government is determined that these reforms will help women prisoners too.

Change will start in the police station and courts with experts on hand to identify whether a mental health or drug problem could be one of the main drivers behind this young offender's behaviour. So he can be dealt with in a way that is appropriate for his illness and crime.

Following conviction, for example, he could be sent to a drug recovery wing in prison to help him get through withdrawal and the most intense, early stages of recovery.

Work in Prison:

The changes will continue in prison. We are putting more and more offenders like him to work in prison every year: making sure he doesn't lie idle in his bed. That he is paying back to society and learning the pride and value that comes from a hard day's work. What's more, the money he earns from the work he does will go into a compensation fund for victims.

Alongside action to improve prisoners' core skills, this will ensure that a young offender can get experience to help him find work outside the prison walls. And employers like Timpsons, Network Rail and the National Grid are already going into prisons and training prisoners in skills that can translate into real-life employment.

We've already increased the work hours of prisoners by over 800,000 hours last year.

And we want to get more businesses involved in these schemes as well as find more commercial work for prisoners to do, without undercutting local businesses.

Beyond the Prison Gates:

But the real change comes when our offender is released. A few weeks before he leaves, he will start working with a new provider organisation to organise and plan for his resettlement beyond the prison gates.

If possible, the young offender would have been sent to a prison close to his local community. So that any positive, personal ties that he did have - with family, or friends - could be maintained. If that can't happen, we would then aim to relocate him closer to home towards the end of his sentence.

In prison, he'd work with the service provider to develop a programme of tailored support that fits his needs.

This could mean getting him a place on a basic skills course at the local college, or finding him somewhere to live.

They'll ensure that from day one - if he is claiming JobSeekers allowance on release - he has a place on the Government's work programme, with access to information and training that will help him get a job.

If required, they could also organise additional drugs treatment and testing to help him stay clean.

Most importantly, when he gets out there will be someone there to meet him. A mentor - someone experienced, potentially someone whose been an offender themselves and knows what it takes to build a life free of crime outside - who can help this young man through advice and support stay on the straight and narrow in that critical first year after release.

We are already seeing some positive results. For example, in Peterborough Prison where older, longer serving prisoners are actively mentoring those serving shorter-sentences. Given their experiences, these mentors are proving to be some of the most effective people to convince those who've made a mistake not to repeat it over and over again.

We're not ideological about this approach.

What we want to see is something that takes and builds on the best from the public sector, the best from the private sector and the best from the voluntary sector to break the cycle of crime for good.

That is why we are reorganising the Probation Service, so that the public, voluntary and private sectors can work more flexibly and effectively side by side.

We want to extend the good work that is taking place all over the country, including right here. And we want to ensure that all of those with a strong track record in this area - including smaller regional rehabilitation charities, social enterprises or entrepreneurial staff from Probation Trusts interested in starting an employee mutual to bid for work - are able to get involved

That is why I'm pleased to announce today a package of tailored support to help fledgling mutuals and smaller rehabilitation organisations bid for contracts.
This includes access to around £7 million worth of funds to help these groups bid and support their work in communities. This is addition to the £10 million mutuals support programme, which is open to probation staff.

We are also making available to these groups valuable financial tools, legal advice, coaching and training and a network of peers and expert contacts to help take them through the bidding process.

We are serious about getting those who know what they are doing involved in our rehabilitation revolution.

Conclusion:

So in conclusion, let me be clear, I am wholly committed to that Rehabilitation Revolution. And we are putting in place the legislation, innovative policies and providers to deliver solutions that work. That will tackle, for the first time ever on a mandatory basis, the complex issues and drivers behind the persistent problem of reoffending.

And provide the support needed to fundamentally change the lives of those released from prison.

As a society, I believe, we're more progressive and we're more liberal. These are the best conditions in which to cut crime. A society, in which the Government and public can bring about the necessary changes that will ensure a future, where more people are free from crime and the fear of crime: in short - a stronger, a fairer Britain.

Thank you very much.

"HS2 is a huge leap forward for our rail network and will improve connectivity for generations to come.

"Liberal Democrats support HS2 because it will build a stronger economy and a fairer society, creating 40,000 direct and thousands more indirect jobs, as well as bridge the gap between the north and south. And that's before you consider the economic benefits to the wider areas serviced by HS2.

"In assessing the value of HS2 we must look at all the overall benefits, including for passengers by increasing capacity on existing lines and significantly cutting the travel time, and to the environment by reducing our reliance on domestic flights and transferring millions of journeys from road to rail."

"While it is disappointing that overall unemployment is up, it is good news that youth unemployment has fallen as that will be encouraging for young people who are looking for work.

"To build a stronger economy in a fairer society, Liberal Democrats have been focusing on giving young people the skills and experience necessary for a successful career.

"That is why Nick Clegg has introduced the £1bn Youth Contract that will ensure young people have the opportunity to earn or learn and Business Secretary Vince Cable has overseen the creation of more than 1m apprenticeships.

"We will continue to work hard to get more people in employment and build a stronger economy."

Let me first thank the African Diplomatic Corps, African Heads of Mission and Commonwealth Business Council for inviting me to open this business forum and for organising this event.

Today is a chance for all of us to recognise the businesses and jobs being created by African and British entrepreneurs together. And to focus on securing the wealth of investment opportunities available to us in the future. So I'm also pleased to see so many business leaders here with us as well.

It's a fitting tribute, I think, to mark the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union. I want to welcome my old friend Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus - Chairman of the Executive Council of the African Union - as we recognise and celebrate some of the achievements of that partnership.

Five decades ago, the Organisation of African Unity was there to help countries across the region transition from colonial rule. And as the African Union, it is there again now to support the continent as it takes on an increasingly global role.

On a recent visit to Mozambique and Ethiopia, I saw for myself how successful businesses, both large and small, are transforming millions of people's day-to-day lives.

In Ethiopia, for example, I met female entrepreneur Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu. What others saw as scrap, Bethlehem saw as a business opportunity.

Her company Sole Rebels, which turns old car tyres into shoes, now employs around 80 people. It's an enterprise that's transforming the lives not just of Bethlehem and her workers, but also their families and the people they do business with elsewhere.

As a quick aside, Bethlehem would never forgive me if I didn't tell you that you can buy her shoes online, here in the UK. I still wear the fabulously comfortable and very brightly coloured shoes that I got from her myself earlier this year.

Also Vodafone's innovative M-Pesa system. Recently launched in Mozambique, it's a money transfer service enabling people to carry out financial transactions on their mobile phones.

Started first in Kenya, with investment from Vodafone and support from the UK Government, this extends access to vital banking services for millions of people, who would otherwise only be able to trade in cash.

In Kenya alone, there are now 17 million users, with around 10% of Kenya's GDP being processed through the system per year.

What these stories show us is the positive change that success, however big or small, can bring. Seven of the world's fastest growing economies are in Africa.

Recent research shows that almost a quarter of African countries' GDP grew at 7% or higher in 2012. It's estimated that that growth across the continent could rival China in years to come.

Now that's a story worth telling, but one often lost in the customary narrative of conflict and instability in Africa. So it's time to rewrite the script. Africa is being transformed: once perceived by the outside world as merely a continent in distress; now looked to as a great continent of opportunity.

And as Africa's presence on the global stage increases, we need to secure economic success for every country in the region. For the good of Africa, for the good of the UK and for the good of the world.

Everybody, of course, wants growth - the key decision is how you achieve it. More and more African countries face a choice between the economic models of authoritarian capitalism, on the one hand, and liberal democracy, on the other.

In countries like China, authoritarian capitalism argues the case for economic growth ahead of political freedoms. And it's a seductive argument in view of surging growth rates, which have occurred in the absence of political freedom.

But ultimately it is a false promise. My view, the liberal view, is that economic progress and political rights are inseparable. They are parallel tracks, each reinforcing the other.

Fairness, freedom, empowerment, education, the rule of law - these are not so-called Western values. They are the values that will underpin healthy economies across the globe, long into the future.

And in a world of younger populations, growing middle classes and technological innovations that allow relationships and communities to form across traditional state borders, the demand for both economic success and political freedom - will only increase. Lasting stability depends not just on opening up our economies, but creating open societies too.

As nations across Africa continue to grow and prosper, the UK will seek to be an effective partner. First, in terms of the UK's own changing relationship with Africa. And second, how the UK through European and international channels, not least our current G8 presidency, is determined to address the fundamental barriers to further growth and investment in Africa and the rest of the world.

Our focus is more trade; fairer tax; and greater business transparency.

The UK remains a strong partner with Africa. I'm proud that we will honour our commitment to spend 0.7% of this nation's wealth helping the world's poorest countries.

As you may know, legislation to enshrine this commitment in law was not included in last week's Queen's Speech - it's an issue that has proved highly controversial amongst some Conservative MPs - but I'm pleased that the Coalition Government in its deeds and actions will continue to meet our commitments abroad: and our actions show that we will not balance the books on the backs of the world's poorest.

But we also understand that aid must be properly targeted and that longer-term success depends on supporting businesses and trade in new and emerging markets.

UK companies already export more to Africa than they do to Brazil, India and Russia combined. That's good, but we can always do more.

Especially, if we're to compete effectively with companies and governments in Europe and elsewhere, who are making a determined push to seek out their own opportunities in Africa.

In line with Africa's vision for a Continental Free Trade Area and the African Mining Initiative, we also want to explore how the G8 can help to unblock trade corridors across Africa, building on the successful trade facilitation programmes run by the DFID-supported Trademark East Africa.

As well as what Britain can do bilaterally, there is also the question of what Europe can do collectively. We are two great neighbouring continents joined by the Mediterranean.

Yet somehow, I don't feel the EU acts with the coherence and leadership, which Africa deserves.

Other world powers, notably China, have a clear and consistent strategy: China invests big. It invests fast in pursuit of clear economic objectives.

I believe the EU could and should offer an alternative approach - one that can contribute to lasting success in Africa built on economic, political and social reform. Prosperity and stability in Africa and Europe are mutually reinforcing: when Europe fails, Africa is affected; when Africa fails, Europe is affected. So we must work together, continent to continent, so we both succeed.

Through the UK's presidency of the G8, we are also keen to focus the agenda on issues that are fundamental not only to your success, but also, in the long-term, our own and the rest of the world.

Eight years ago at Gleneagles, we secured an agreement to cancel debt for the world's poorest countries and to double aid. That action contributed to strong economic performances across Africa over the last decade.

Working together again now, focused on the 3Ts of Trade, Transparency and Tax, we can achieve even more.

Over the next decade revenues from newly discovered extractive resources in Africa will increase massively, dwarfing aid volumes.

In 2010 exports of oil and minerals from Africa were worth £216 billion - nearly seven times the value of international aid in the same year - £31 billion.

Too often in the past such revenues have bypassed Africans - due to unfair tax systems and opaque business deals. Lining the pockets of the few. Denying investment and jobs for the many. That has to stop.

We want to make sure Africans receive their fair share from the resources they have and the business they do. That demands fairer tax rules and greater transparency around what is being paid for oil, gas and mining resources and where the profits then flow.

We are pushing for more companies to report on the revenues they pay to governments, and for more governments to report on the revenues they receive.

The EU has just agreed legislation that will require all oil, gas and mining companies listed in Europe to publish what they pay to governments, in line with the US. Through the G8, we are pushing for equivalent standards to be applied globally.

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative sets a global standard for this. The UK helped establish EITI in 2003 and has been one of its staunchest backers. We're now actively considering whether and how the UK should implement this initiative.

We also want to support greater transparency around land transactions; and to publish more G8 government data, including about aid budgets, in an open and accessible format - so it's of real use to citizens across the world. Information empowers citizens and allows them to take control of their own development. Governments across the world must be accountable to their citizens.

Equally important is ensuring that tax regimes are transparent and efficient. Already, the UK's flagship governance programme in Ethiopia has helped their authorities increase tax revenue from £8.2bn per year in 2002 to £55bn in 2011.

Only in partnership together - developed and developing countries- can we ensure our systems work as they should. These tax revenues are integral to deliver the infrastructure and skills that will drive growth in the future.

The Prime Minister and I will be chairing a high-level G8 event on 15 June to drive forward progress on tax, trade and transparency. We want to discuss with businesses, NGOs and governments how to achieve real progress on the agenda.

So today is about celebrating the next 50 years of Africa's unity. We can't ignore the challenges we face, but we also need to focus on the major, growing commercial opportunities that do exist. Building on our work together through the African Union, EU and G8 and directly with African States, I can see opportunities that benefit both Africa and the UK.

Today's forum is another important step in the right direction. I look forward to hearing the outcome of your discussions. Our relationship with Africa remains strong, but is changing.

We are partners focused on growth, jobs and security. So let's look to the next fifty years of the African Union and the success of our work together in the future.

Thank you.

Raising the tax-free allowance is the Liberal Democrats' flagship policy and has so far seen Income Tax bills slashed by £600 a year for millions of low and middle income workers compared to what they were paying under Labour. As a result, more than 2m people on low pay have been lifted out of paying Income Tax altogether.

The tax-free allowance will rise again next year to £10,000, fulfilling a commitment from the front page of the Liberal Democrats' 2010 General Election manifesto and resulting in a total tax cut of £700.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said:

"If you get paid today, take a moment to compare your pay slip to last month's. You'll see that Liberal Democrats have cut your taxes.

"From this month, the Liberal Democrats will have lifted 2m people out of Income Tax and given a tax cut of £600 to more than 20m people.

"It has taken the Liberal Democrats being in Government to deliver the largest programme of tax cuts for working people for a generation.

"The Liberal Democrats are the only party that will radically cut taxes for people on low and middle incomes to build a stronger economy and a fairer society so that everyone can get on in life."

Click to Tweet:

• Happy Pay Day! Check your pay slip & you'll see @libdems have cut your taxes pic.twitter.com/FgFNzAHwIu

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• If you get paid today, check your pay slip. @libdems have cut your taxes pic.twitter.com/FgFNzAHwIu

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• Your pay slip is slightly bigger this month because @libdems have cut your taxes pic.twitter.com/FgFNzAHwIu

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• Today is the day millions get a tax cut in their pay slips thanks to @libdems pic.twitter.com/FgFNzAHwIu

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• Happy Pay Day! £600 a year back in your pockets, starting today pic.twitter.com/FgFNzAHwIu

"I am delighted that Nick Clegg has stood up for the British public on this.

"He was right to demand that these proposals be published as a draft, which gave us all a chance to see just how badly thought through the Home Office proposals were. And he is now right to say that what the Home Office propose is unacceptable.

"Spending billions of pounds to keep track of every website we go to and what we do on Facebook or Google, is simply wrong. If we want to actually cut crime then we should spend the extra money on the police."

• Make the super-rich pay their fair share.
• Lower taxes for the average worker.

Click to Tweet:

• WATCH: What will you do with #600pounds? http://youtu.be/npd_e2juZOQ

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• .@LibDems have cut taxes for working people by #600pounds. What will you do with yours? http://youtu.be/npd_e2juZOQ

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• WATCH: @nick_clegg on cutting your taxes by #600pounds. What will you do with yours? http://youtu.be/npd_e2juZOQ

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• I'm proud that @LibDems have cut taxes for working people. What will you do with your #600pounds? http://youtu.be/npd_e2juZOQ

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• Cutting taxes for working people. Vote @LibDems on May 2nd. http://youtu.be/npd_e2juZOQ

In three and a half weeks, people up and down the country will elect their local councillors. Each council seat will be fought on different terms. Each neighbourhood has its own, unique needs.

But I bet you that, when all those people are deciding which name to put a cross by on 2 May, ultimately they'll be asking themselves the same question: 'While cuts are being made to public spending, who can I rely on to spend the money that is available on the right things?'

'Which party can I rely on to strike the right balance: taking the difficult decisions to make savings, but doing so the fairest possible way?' These elections are about one thing: priorities.

Difficult decisions will need to be made in local government, just as in national Government, and people understand that. But they - rightly - expect that their representatives should make the fairest possible decisions.

Next month, in wards across the country, people will be confronted with the same choice. Despite all their stated differences, a vote for Labour or the Tories will be a vote for the same thing.

Their record in local government shows that, even when millions of families are feeling the pinch, they'll both squander taxpayers' money on waste, inefficiency and their own vanity projects.

A vote for the Liberal Democrats, on the other hand, is a vote for a party which - wherever we're in power - does it's best to spread the burden of austerity fairly, investing in jobs and help for hard-pressed families. Only the Liberal Democrats will build a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life.

Only the Liberal Democrats have the right priorities in tough times. Just take our tax changes. Today is the first working day of the new tax year. Today, because of Liberal Democrat tax reforms, more of the money you earn will go into your own pocket, and less to the taxman.

That's because we've raised the point at which you start paying income tax, and now over 20 million people will pay £600 less in income tax than they did under Labour.

In households where two people are working, that's an extra £1200 a year. £1200 to cover energy bills, or car insurance, or mortgage repayments, or to go towards a family holiday.

And next April it'll go up again. People won't pay a penny of income tax on the first £10,000 they earn. Millions of the lowest earners won't pay any at all. At the same time we've asked for a bit more from those who can afford it. We've increased capital gains tax; introduced a higher rate of stamp duty and a £12.5bn banking levy; we've closed loopholes and capped tax relief to stop the very rich from gaming the system. And the Liberal Democrats will continue to argue for our mansion tax. The right priorities in tough times.

I know that Labour are trying desperately to gloss over these changes. They want to pretend that the only tax change this week is the reduction of the top rate, from 50p to 45p. But it's the same old selective amnesia we always get from the two Eds about Labour's time in office.

Out of the 13 years they were in power, Labour had the 50p rate in place for just 36 days. For most of the time, Labour's top rate was 40p. Not 45p. Not 50p. 40p - 5p less than now. And under the previous government a cleaner paid a higher rate of tax on their wages than a hedge fund manager selling their shares - a gross unfairness that we have fixed.

The sudden, synthetic fury we're seeing from the Labour party is nothing more than an attempt to distract people from the most important change coming into effect: the tax cut for ordinary working people delivered by the Liberal Democrats.

That policy was on the front page of our manifesto, it's been my priority from the moment we entered the Coalition, and now millions of people will feel the benefits.

In every single year of this Parliament the rich will pay a greater share of our nation's tax revenues than in any one year of the last government. The IFS have confirmed that, as a result of our changes, the wealthiest 10% of people are making the greatest contribution. So I will take no lectures from the Labour party on tax - the Liberal Democrats are making the tax system fair.

And it's not just in Whitehall that we're making the right choices, but in Liberal Democrat Town Halls too. Our councillors, like all councillors, have had to take some controversial decisions - I don't deny that.

But look at our record and it's clear that, wherever we can, Liberal Democrats are spreading the burden fairly, investing in ways that enable everyone to get on in life, not just the well off. That's why, for example, this year the Liberal Democrats haven't closed a single library.

Who have we done that for? For the bright teenager who comes from a chaotic home, but who wants a place to study so they can do well in their exams and go on to something better.

For the ambitious young men and women whose parents can't afford to buy them the books and technology they need, but who want to forge a different path. And, despite money being tight, we're investing in jobs for these young people too.

In Eastbourne and Watford, the Liberal Democrat councils are giving their town centres a boost - supporting thousands of local jobs. In Eastleigh, the Liberal Democrats are revitalising the local cricket ground so that it can host international test matches - that alone will create 500 new jobs. In Bath we're supporting high tech start-ups so that they can grow and take on more staff. In Northumberland we're building new council houses this year, providing homes as well as giving the local construction industry a shot in the arm. The right priorities in tough times.

You won't get that from the Conservatives. In Leicestershire, the former Conservative Council Leader spent £210,000 on his own personal chauffeur. In Somerset, because the Tories have insisted on cutting opening hours for rubbish tips and introducing charges to use them - a "tip tax" - flytipping has rocketed, leaving local residents stuck with the bill for cleaning it up. In the Cotswolds, after announcing nearly one and a half million pounds worth of cuts, how did the Conservative council try to boost staff morale? They hired a motivational magician - costing £19,000.

Here in Cornwall we've even seen the Conservative's waste money hiring taxis to ferry teas and coffees between council buildings - again, while trying to push through an increase in Council tax. A rise Cornish Liberal Democrats successfully stopped. When savings need to be made, you just cannot rely on the Tories to make the fairest decisions. Their instincts drag them in the wrong direction.

And what about Labour? What are their priorities? Today we'll hear from Ed Miliband about why people should vote for his party. Here's what he won't say. He won't say: Labour are sorry they crashed the economy. And he won't present a serious and detailed plan to fix the mess they created. That much we know.

The Labour party continue to be a blank page in British politics: they won't accept for responsibility for what went wrong; they haven't learnt from their mistakes; they have no ideas for the future. Above all, they are incapable of delivering a stronger economy. And it's the same from the leadership all the way down.

Do you know how the Labour council in Derby are choosing to spend residents' money? On emotive street posters passing all the blame for their cuts on to the Coalition Government, costing thousands of pounds - while at the same time they're looking to make drastic cuts to homelessness services.

The Liberal Democrats are different. Only we can deliver a stronger economy and a fairer society - both. Only we have the right priorities in tough times. And we now have a national and local record to prove it. Our party has a strong story to tell - a story not of promises, but of action.

But people won't hear our message unless you tell it to them. I know how hard you're all working. I am grateful for all of the hours you put in. But I need to ask you to work even harder.

If you are fighting an election in your area - deliver more leaflets, canvass more people, make more calls. If you're not fighting a council election - go somewhere that is, or make calls from wherever you are. Every wing of this party now needs to pull together, reminding our opponents that we have a unity, a resolve and a sense of purpose they could never compete with.

When the Liberal Democrats organise, no one campaigns like we do. Labour know it. The Tories know it. And they are going to throw everything at us - they haven't forgotten Eastleigh. But guess what? Nor have we. And when you feel that you've given all you can, I want you to think back to that great victory.

I want you to remember how good it felt to confound our critics; remember how good it felt to win. It's time to do it again, Liberal Democrats. Get out there and win.

The Independent Inquiry follows a series of high profile allegations that the party failed to act on complaints of sexual harassment.

The Independent Inquiry is looking at harassment, including sexual harassment, within the Party, how it has been dealt with in the past and recommendations for the future including as to training. It's remit covers the entire party including staff, elected officials and volunteers.

Helena Morrissey is keen to hear from all those who have relevant experiences and views to help form an accurate picture - whether they are Party members, staff or the public.

The Independent Inquiry will not be making judgements on specific cases or making any assumptions regarding the innocence or guilt of individuals.

Helena Morrissey said:

"While prompted in difficult circumstances, this independent inquiry is a very important step in giving everyone, especially women, a greater confidence in politics and the Liberal Democrats.

"I will be talking to people at all levels of the Party to understand where there may have been failings and to help guide any required culture shift and the development of a best practice set of standards for the future of the Party."

Commenting, Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Gordon said:

"Following recent allegations it is clear that we in the Liberal Democrats failed to live up to our political ideals.

"We recognise that we need to adapt how we operate. As a political party which prides itself on equality, we must give everyone confidence they will be treated fairly and equally and that they will be listened to.

"It is vital this review is done independently of the party, in a way which can be frank and can scrutinise thoroughly. I am delighted Helena has agreed to chair the review. She has been a leading light in the development of women in business and breaking barriers, and I am sure that she will make an immensely positive difference to both our party and to politics."

Appeal for witnesses
Helena is keen to hear from all those who have relevant experiences and views to help form an accurate picture, whether they are Party members, staff or the public. This also includes people who are no longer connected to the Liberal Democrats, but who may have information connected to past events. Please pass this appeal for witnesses on to anyone you know might be interested in making a submission.

If you feel you have information which may help or be relevant to the independent review please email it to Helena Morrissey by the (now extended) deadline of 12th April , even if it is just a holding note with further detail to follow.

• Do you have examples of specific incidences of complaints about harassment in the Party, what processes were available to deal with these complaints, were they or were they not followed, were there gaps in policies or procedures for dealing with such complaints?
• Can you provide examples which illustrate weaknesses in the Party's attitudes and culture - past and present?
• Do you have ideas about what needs to change for the Party to look to the future with confidence that any form of harassment within the Party will be properly dealt with?

All submissions will be treated in confidence. Helena Morrissey will follow up with a number of those who submit written evidence where it is needed to explore specific aspects of testimony, either in-person, email or other means. The Independent Review will also be conducting a range of interviews with people inside the party at all levels.

How to get in contact with the Independent Inquiry
Please submit written evidence direct to Helena by Friday 12th April to contact@independentinquiry.org.uk.
Or by post to:

Helena Morrissey
C/O LDHQ
8-10 Great George Street
London
SW1P3AE

A confidential voicemail is also available until 8pm on Friday April 12th on: 0207 340 4998. This phone number is a LibDem HQ number, but it is a voicemail only service which can only be accessed by Helena. Anything sent through the post will go through the standard Royal Mail screening. It and any emails will not be opened by anyone other than Helena.

Review Team
Helena Morrissey CBE, Chief executive officer Newton Investment Management Helena joined Newton in 1994 as a fixed income fund manager and was appointed CEO in 2001. During her time running Newton's bond funds she was twice-winner of Investment Week's Global Bond Fund Manager of the year.

Helena is involved in many aspects of the UK fund management industry and was named the Financial News 'Most Influential Woman in European Asset Management' in 2010. She was the first female director of the UK's Investment Management Association, serving from 2005 till 2012. She represents the investment industry on the FSA's Practitioner Panel, a statutory body providing input to the regulators from practitioners' perspectives . She is a member of the University of Cambridge Endowment Investment Board and chairman of the Eve Appeal, which funds research into gynaecological cancers. Helena is also the Chair of the Corporate Board of the Royal Academy of Arts. In 2010, Helena founded the 30% Club, a cross-business initiative aimed at achieving 30% women on UK corporate boards by 2015 through voluntary, business-led change. She was appointed CBE in the 2012 New Year's Honours list.

A Cambridge philosophy graduate, she began her career as a global bond analyst with Schroders in New York. She is married with nine children.

Helena Morrissey is being assisted by Jane Smithard, who qualified as a barrister and is a former chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidates Association. Jane's role is to advise Helena on the party structure and process and will not be involved in any witness statements.

Witness information
All submissions will be treated in confidence. Helena Morrissey will follow up with a number of those who submit written evidence where a need is felt to explore specific aspects of testimony, either in-person or through other means.

If requested to attend a face to face interview with Helena, witnesses will have their reasonable travel costs covered.

Meetings will be entirely independent of the Party and will not take place within Liberal Democrat associated buildings.

If attending an interview, please feel free to bring a family member or friend with you. Their reasonable travel expenses will also be covered. You are also welcome to bring a legal representative.

Confidential counselling support has also been set up through an independent provider of qualified counsellors. You can access this service at any time. Contact Public Concern at Work on 020 7404 6609 who are acting as the gateway to this service.

Witness support
The Liberal Democrats have sought the assistance of Public Concern at Work, the UK's leading whistle-blowing authority, to ensure that the whistle-blowing arrangements in relation to the allegations against Lord Rennard are sufficiently independent to provide the required support to those wishing to come forward.

Public Concern at Work have agreed to take over the role, previously filled by Kate Parminter, as the main point of contact for anyone wishing to come forward with further allegations or information.

Public Concern at Work are also able to provide witnesses with independent and confidential advice. They are able to provide guidance and help to victims with regard to who they should go to in the context of the reviews and investigations under way. They will assist individuals in contacting investigators, only where the individual wishes to do so.

Those wishing to come forward under this arrangement can do so by calling: 020 7404 6609.

If you have already contacted Kate Parminter, she will continue to support you and pass on information to the two investigations (the Independent Inquiry into Harassment within the Party and the Internal Investigation into specific allegations against Lord Rennard) as instructed by you. There is no need to repeat this process with Public Concern at Work, unless you would like to do so.

Confidential counselling support has also been set up through an independent provider of qualified counsellors. You can access this service at any time. Contact Public Concern at Work (020 7404 6609) who are acting as the gateway to this service.

Criminal investigation
If you have information that may help the police with their inquiries you are strongly encouraged to contact them. You can do so by calling: 0208 721 4601. The initial call will be taken by clerical staff and will then be followed up by specially trained officers.

Internal Party Disciplinary Investigation
The Party has appointed Alistair Webster QC to lead the formal Internal Investigation under the Party's disciplinary rules into specific allegations. However, please note that the internal disciplinary investigation has been put on hold to allow the police to continue with their investigation.

Alistair has prosecuted and defended many prominent cases. He has been a recorder of the Crown Court since 1991 and a QC since 1995. He is a former Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association and practices from chambers in Manchester and London. He is one of the country's most experienced criminal lawyers and is currently the joint head of Lincoln House Chambers. In accordance with the party constitution, internal party disciplinary investigations are conducted by people who hold current membership of the party.

Cutting taxes for working people is our number one priority. It is so important to Liberal Democrats that we put it on the front page of our manifesto, argued for it in the coalition negotiations and are delivering it in government.

From 6 April more than 20m working people will be paying £600 a year less than they were under Labour, as the tax threshold rises to £9,440. Someone earning the minimum wage will have seen their Income Tax bill cut in half.


How would you use and extra £600?




Click on each picture to see what they would do with their extra £600

Alan [Teacher]	Ali [Mechanic]
Alice [Student]	Ben [Councillor]
Nikki [Church Worker]	Peter [Consultant]
Hilary [Youth Worker]	Vicky [Single Mum]
Julia [Marketing]	Kevin [Youth Worker]
Joanne [Retail]	Joy [Retired]
Philomena [Market Researcher]	Zem [Support Worker]

"For years the UK Border Agency has failed to get control of immigration and asylum. Labour put the whole border control operation at arm's length: they ended exit checks and pushed control of our borders away from the Home Office. But they had a backlog of hundreds of thousands of people - they completely lost control of the system.

"After years of neglect the Coalition Government has recognised the scale of the problem and is getting rid of the failed UK Border Agency. I hope this change will begin to get to grips with the immense backlog we face.

"When the agency responsible for immigration - established by Labour - can't say who is actually in the country, and who should or should not be here, it is no wonder that immigration remains one for the public's biggest concerns. To fix this, Lib Dems have always argued you have to have a proper enforcement agency and exit checks, and that's what the Coalition is doing.

"Building a fairer society means making sure everyone plays by the rules. That means an immigration system that works for those who should be here, and acts against those who shouldn't. Today's announcement is a big step towards that."

Robert Francis QC, who led the inquiry, recommended that there should be a legal duty of candour to ensure that patients and families are informed if treatment or care has caused death or serious injury.

The Coalition Government has also announced there will be a new role of Chief Inspector of Social Care to oversee the care received by elderly and vulnerable people, whether care homes or in their own home, and to improve standards.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb said:

"This is a Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment that we are delivering on in Coalition. Poor care is simply unacceptable and staff at every level have a professional duty to speak up about it - and we will support them in doing so.

"The last Labour Government ignored calls from the Liberal Democrats and campaigners to introduce a duty of candour.

"The new statutory duty of candour sends a very clear message about the importance of transparency and openness in the NHS.

"The Liberal Democrats are building a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life. And it's because we want to make society fairer that we have campaigned for rules to prevent cover ups of poor care."

"Dr Beeching's report sent shockwaves through the British rail industry and resulted in the closure of thousands of stations and the loss of thousands of jobs.

"Liberal Democrats recognise the central importance of an easily accessible public transport system to building a stronger economy in a fairer society.

"That's why Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government are making huge investments in projects like High Speed Rail and making £20m available to reopen stations closed following the Beeching report.

"We must continue to build on this work and make public transport, including rail, as widely available as possible and a recognised alternative to journeys by car."

Today I want to talk about immigration. Not asylum; that's an important distinction to make - immigration. The debate is opening up, and that's a good thing.

We've now heard from the Labour party about some of their mistakes in office. And the Prime Minister and I are setting out how the Coalition is correcting those mistakes. Me today, David Cameron on Monday.

The political mainstream has a duty to wrestle this issue away from populists and extremists. A duty to shift what can be a highly polarised debate - particularly in difficult economic times - onto practical and sensible ground. And the Liberal Democrats take that responsibility very seriously.

This morning I will explain why, in order to remain an open and tolerant Britain, we need an immigration system that is zero-tolerant towards abuse. Tolerant Britain, zero-tolerant of abuse. That's the vision the Coalition is working towards.

Before I do, I want to make one thing clear: the Liberal Democrats will never seek to outflank our opponents because we think that's what people want to hear.

Yvette Cooper said, recently, that we must avoid an "arms race of rhetoric" on immigration. I agree. That kind of low populism patronizes the British people and it is an insult to the many migrants who have contributed to our country. British society has been shaped by migrant communities in ways more profound than any cliché about chicken tikka masala, or Notting Hill Carnival, or Polish builders can ever express.

I'm the son of a Dutch mother - she, herself, raised in Indonesia; a half-Russian father; husband to a Spanish wife. Like millions of Brits, if you trace our blood lines back through the generations, you end up travelling around the globe. And I'm a liberal. I'm immensely proud of this nation's wonderful diversity and openness. Those are great British traditions too.

Of course, if you believed every headline, you'd think that when immigrants aren't stealing British jobs. They're all living the high life in 12-bedroom Kensington mansions, courtesy of the state. But that's a complete caricature of the truth.

The majority of people who come here work hard and make a contribution. Many have served - and still serve - in our armed forces. And if every member of an immigrant community suddenly downed tools, countless businesses and services would suffer. The NHS would fall over. And in a globalised economy, where talent is as mobile as capital, no nation can succeed by pulling up the drawbridge.

British firms depend on outside skills and expertise in order to compete. British universities too. The reason this country has a world-beating research base is because we are a magnet for the brightest and the best. That's why, when the Coalition put limits on the number of migrants coming here from outside Europe, it was important to Vince Cable and me that students - genuine students - were excluded from that.

It's why, more recently, the Coalition has rejected proposals to impose a visa regime on visitors from Brazil. Where a minority are abusing the system, we need to deal with that - whatever nationality they are. But a new visa regime would deter Brazilian tourists, discourage Brazilian investors and Brazil would simply do the same to us, hampering the access British companies have to one of the world's fastest growing markets.

So, yes we are bringing immigration under control, and I will explain how. But I want UK firms to be in no doubt. The Coalition's priority continues to be growth and building a stronger economy. I'm clear that well-managed immigration is a key part of that.

The problem is that the system has not been well-managed. It has been grossly mismanaged. I welcome Labour's recent admission that they got it wrong. But the fact that this mea culpa is immediately followed by mud-slinging, by an attempt to blame the Coalition for the problems that remain, suggests to me Labour still don't understand just how wrong they got it.

The previous government left us an immigration system in disarray. I cannot stress enough just how chaotic it was. The first thing they did, after coming into office, was stop checking if people were leaving the country. They got rid of exit checks. They weren't counting people in and they weren't counting people out either.

Seven different immigration Bills; six different Home Secretaries and yet, in the course of a decade, just 114 prosecutions for employing illegal immigrants.

And Labour were completely caught off guard by the impact of their decision to lift transitional controls on new EU member states when other EU countries did not. By the time they finally woke up to the mess they'd created, to the real strain immigration was placing on some communities, it was already too late.

Is it any wonder that there has been a crisis of public confidence in our immigration system? People's anxieties are not, generally-speaking, driven by prejudice or racism. We are, by nature, a tolerant people. But, for too long, British people's legitimate concerns have been downplayed. For too long their worries were met with words but not action.

There's a common allegation that, among the political elite there's been a conspiracy of silence on immigration. But over the years there's been lots of talk, lots of posturing, lots of promises. Plenty's been said. The problem is: not enough's been done.

Where there is resentment towards the immigration system, we must now confront it. For a diverse society like ours to function successfully, for different groups to integrate and co-exist, British citizens must believe that the rules by which migrants come and settle here are reasonable, just, and properly enforced. The immigration system must command public confidence.

Since we came into government, net migration has fallen by a third. We've limited immigration from outside Europe. And within the EU, we have kept the transitional limits on Romania and Bulgaria, until the point where every member state has to remove them.

But it's not just about the overall numbers. People need three basic assurances:

One: that we are getting a grip on who's coming in and who's going out.
Two: that we can deal with people staying here illegally.
Three: that the system as a whole benefits the UK and doesn't put too much pressure on our state - particularly in these straitened times.

Give British citizens those assurances, and you will see this nation's most welcoming side.

The Coalition is creating a system people can be confident in. A system that contributes to both a stronger economy and a fairer society - we need to deliver both. Tolerant Britain, zero-tolerant of abuse.

Assurance number one: that we're getting on top of who's here. The Coalition is building a much clearer picture of who's coming in and going out. We're building up Britain's entry checks, increasing the information we get in advance of people travelling. And we are reintroducing exit checks.

Exit checks tell us whether the people who should have left actually have. Britain used to have them, but they were dismantled by previous governments. The process began under the Major government and was carried on by the Blair administration and the Liberal Democrats have been campaigning to bring them back since 2004.

To us it always seemed obvious that exit checks are an essential feature of an efficient and competent immigration system. And so we ensured that this Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment was written into the Coalition agreement. Bit by bit we are filling in the gaping holes Labour left.

Assurance number two: that we can prevent people from staying here illegally. Before I come onto what we are doing in Government, let me say a word on Liberal Democrat party policy.

My party will always advocate immigration policies that respect the rights and dignity of individuals - particularly the vulnerable. It's because of us that children are no longer detained for immigration purposes. It's because of us that the UK no longer deports people to countries where we know they'll be persecuted for their sexuality. Both straight from our manifesto and two of my proudest achievements in government.

But, at the last election we suggested that any illegal immigrant who had been here for 10 years should be able to earn their citizenship. We called it an earned route to citizenship. Our opponents dubbed it an 'amnesty'.

We felt it was an honest and pragmatic solution given the chaos in the Home Office and the obvious failure by Labour to identify where thousands of illegal immigrants were. Better surely, we asked, to get them to pay their taxes and make a proper contribution to our society, than to continue to live in the shadows?

But, despite the policy's aims, it was seen by many people as a reward for those who have broken the law. And so it risked undermining public confidence in the immigration system.
The very public confidence that is essential to a tolerant and open Britain. That is why I am no longer convinced this specific policy should be retained in our manifesto for the next General Election.

So I have asked Andrew Stunell, the former Integration Minister, to lead a review of this and our other immigration policies in the run up to 2015.

In Coalition, the Liberal Democrats are seeking to restore people's faith in the system, confronting illegal activity with a vigour never seen from Labour, and in 2015 people will know that a vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for an immigration system they can believe in. A vote for a tolerant Britain that is zero-tolerant towards abuse.

We're clamping down on the most exploited routes into the country: tightening up what's known as the 'tier one route', for example. It was supposedly for highly skilled visa applicants, but was routinely exploited by people who did not have those skills.

The student route was riddled with holes. So we're cracking down on bogus colleges. UKBA officers visited a college which had requested permission to bring in over 200 students. How many did they find studying that day? Two. Since 2010, almost 600 colleges have been removed from the list of registered visa sponsors.

While we have to be realistic about UKBA's enforcement budget in the current climate, we're making sure money is better spent. For instance, reducing the opportunity for long, vexatious and costly appeals by those who have been refused the right to remain in Britain, while still safeguarding the right to a fair hearing.

We're cracking down on the profiteers. I can confirm today that the Coalition will increase the cash penalties for unscrupulous employers who hire illegal immigrants because they're cheaper. Currently, the maximum fine is £10,000 per illegal worker. I've asked the Home Secretary to look into the right amount but personally I'd like to see it double.

Employers need to get the message: they have an inescapable duty to employ people who are working here legally, not to turn a blind eye to those working illegally.

And I'm determined that our police can come down on the criminal gangs who smuggle and traffic people into the country. We're currently reviewing policing cooperation with our European partners. But I'm clear that we must not jeopardise any arrangements that help us tackle this kind of cross-border crime. Criminals go across borders; so must we.

In addition to these crackdowns, I can also confirm we're looking at a powerful new tool to help deal with the problem of people overstaying on their visas.

Visa overstayers make up a major part of UKBA's enforcement caseload - clogging up the system. As early as 2006 we had reports from Select Committees, arguing that visa overstaying would be one of the biggest challenges for our immigration system in the 21st century. As people travel more - for work, for holidays - you have more people coming into the country for temporary periods and so you need to find ways to make sure they leave.

The challenge isn't just stopping people coming into Britain illegally, it's about dealing with individuals who come over legitimately but then become illegal once they're already here.

One idea, which appeals to me, is a system of security bonds. And so I've asked the Home Office to do some work on it with a view to running a pilot before the end of the year.

The basic premise is simple: in certain cases, when a visa applicant is coming from a high risk country, in addition to satisfying the normal criteria, UKBA would be able to request a deposit - a kind of cash guarantee. Once the visitor leaves Britain, the bond will be repaid. Clearly, we need to look into the detail and seek a wide range of views, including from the Home Affairs Select Committee.

The bonds would need to be well-targeted - so that they don't unfairly discriminate against particular groups. The amounts would need to be proportionate - we mustn't penalise legitimate visa applicants who will struggle to get hold of the money. Visiting Britain to celebrate a family birth, or a relative's graduation, or wedding should not become entirely dependant on your ability to pay the security bond.

And I would want a system that is welcomed by legitimate visitors rather than place a great burden on them. Done right, this would speed up the application process, giving UKBA greater confidence about people's intentions, allowing them to make better, faster decisions.

In today's world, illegal immigration happens in different ways - and we need to think innovatively to keep up.

Finally, assurance number three: that immigration as a whole benefits Britain and British citizens.

Migration contributes to the public purse - we mustn't forget that. But it is important, with budgets under strain that as many people as possible contribute to the economy and support themselves. We're asking that of British citizens - it is right that we ask the same of visitors to Britain.

So the Coalition has reformed work visas so that every worker coming here has a proper job offer and a minimum salary. And we've changed family visas to introduce a minimum income for anyone bringing over a partner or spouse.

While it's right that, if businesses can't find the skills they need they can bring people in from outside the UK.

As we tackle unemployment and rebuild our economy, we also need to be asking why that's the case at all. Why aren't our young men and women equipped to do these jobs? So the Coalition is creating record numbers of apprenticeships - over one million since the election. And I want to make sure we have the right plans in place for so-called 'shortage occupations' - the specific professions where we lack skills.

There are 34 currently on the list. Paediatricians, maths teachers, chemical and mechanical engineers, to name a few. And we are now asking employers and their representative bodies, including Sector Skills Councils, to work with the Government on our plans to build up Britain's homegrown skills for each profession: making sure we're on track.

I believe people will have more faith in our immigration system if they see that we are doing everything we can to help young British men and women into work. To that end, the Coalition has also capped unskilled migration from outside the EU. The Government is also looking at the access migrants have to services and benefits. Fairness isn't just about what people put into the system: it's what also about what they take out.

This work is extremely complex. Labour left us a huge, unwieldy welfare state, full of contradiction. In some place the arrangements are already quite strict, in others they are much more loose and opaque. So now we are systematically working through to see where reform is necessary.

No decisions have been taken yet and the PM will be saying more about his views on Monday. But I want to make clear that this is very much a Coalition agenda, with both sides working together. For the Liberal Democrats, it is entirely right that we close loopholes and ensure that the welfare system is not open to abuse.

For social cohesion, as much as anything else. One area where I've asked for further work, for instance is on the translation services available to individuals accessing public services. The Government currently spends tens of millions of pounds on translation services and materials. And, of course, people should get help, if they need it to understand what their doctor is saying, or how to sign their children up for school, or what's going on at a court hearing.

But there's a missed opportunity here to improve people's English so that, in the long term, they don't need those translators and the taxpayer spends less.

We've already raised the level of English required from a number of different groups: skilled workers, the husbands and wives of migrants coming to the UK. But we need to do more to help people who are already here.

In 2011 we introduced powers for Jobcentre advisers to mandate people on job-related benefits to learn English if their level of language skills is stopping them from finding work.
I've asked Iain Duncan Smith to report back to me on how this is being implemented. I want to make sure it's being rolled out effectively across the country.

And where people need a translator to interact with services, I've asked Mark Harper, the Immigration Minister, to look at whether we could refer them onto an English language course. And, if people refuse to stick with those courses, we should consider making them pay for their translation services instead. To a lot of people, that's just common sense.

We'll be saying more about this, and the other areas under review, over the coming weeks and months.

So in conclusion, we are grappling with the difficult challenges in our immigration system.
Brick by brick, we are rebuilding it. Day by day we are making sure, quite simply, that it works. All the British people ask is for a system they can have confidence in. We hear that, and we are delivering it.

I'm determined we lay the foundations for an immigration system that embodies this nation's instincts and its values: our openness and tolerance on one hand; our sense of fair play, on the other.

The Liberal Democrats are at the forefront of that. We want to stay a tolerant Britain, and to that end we will be zero-tolerant of abuse.

This means 24.5m working people will get a further Income Tax cut, bringing the total tax cut to £700 a year since Liberal Democrats joined the Coalition Government.

It also means 2.7m low-paid workers will be lifted out of paying Income Tax altogether.

Cutting taxes by £700 for working people is the Liberal Democrats' top priority. We put it on the front page of our 2010 manifesto, argued for it in the coalition negotiations and are delivering it in Government.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said:

"Liberal Democrats are building a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life. That's why we are cutting taxes for working people.

"When times are as tough as they are now, our focus must be on helping those on low and middle incomes. The right to earn £10,000 income tax free has gone from the front page of our manifesto to the pockets of 27m hardworking people. By keeping this promise we are giving practical help to millions of families.

"It's also why we have scrapped another of Labour's fuel duty rises, so filling up your car will be £7 cheaper than under Labour plans. And why we are cracking down on tax dodgers so that everyone is paying their fair share."

The announcement that the Income Tax Personal Allowance will rise to £10,000, confirmed in the Budget, means the Liberal Democrats' top priority at the 2010 General Election has been delivered in full by the Coalition Government. It means:

· A £700 tax cut for 24.5m working people across the UK since the Liberal Democrats came to power.

· 2.7m low paid workers will no longer pay Income Tax at all.

· For the average family, we have cut the Income Tax bill by a third.

· It is enough for a working couple to pay their council tax or combined gas and electricity bills for a year.

· The Coalition commitment to raise the threshold to £10,000 by 2015 will be achieved a year early, in April 2014.

Letting you keep more of the money you earn is a key part of our plan to build a stronger economy in a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life.

The £700 tax cut comes alongside more help for working families in the Budget, which confirmed a freeze in fuel duty and £1,200 off the cost of childcare for every child.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: "When times are as tough as they are now, our focus must be on helping those on low and middle incomes. That's why we've made delivering on this promise our number one priority in Government.

"It's also why we have scrapped another of Labour's fuel duty rises, so filling up your car will be £7 cheaper than under Labour plans. And why we are cracking down on tax dodgers so that everyone is paying their fair share.

"All of this has been done while sticking to our tough but necessary plan to deal with this country's financial problems. Britain can't afford unfunded giveaways - unlike the last Labour government, we have made sure everything is paid for.

"The success of the Liberal Democrats in delivering fairer taxes is in stark contrast to record of the Labour Party. In Government, Labour increased tax on low income households; in Government the Liberal Democrats have led the largest programme of tax cuts for working people for a generation.

"I'd like us to go further after the election - with the goal that you don't pay Income Tax until you earn more than the minimum wage. That is the sign of a fair tax party. Today we should celebrate the fact that this Budget is getting real help to millions of working people at a time when they need it most."

While today's announced rise in the Personal Allowance to £10,000 comes into effect next year, people on low and middle incomes will see more money in their pay packets next month. This April sees the biggest ever rise in the Personal Allowance - to £9,440. That's a £600 tax cut for working people since the Liberal Democrats came to power, with more to come next year.

The Liberal Democrats are building a stronger economy and a fairer society enabling everyone to get on in life. That's why we believe helping working families is so important. As well as tax-free childcare, Liberal Democrats are helping working parents by cutting their Income Tax bills, by £600 a year as of April, and extending the amount of free early years education available for all children.

Commenting, Nick Clegg said: "I want to help every family to get on in life. Already we have created a million private sector jobs, put money back in people's pockets by cutting Income Tax and extended free childcare entitlements for pre-school children.

"Delivering tax-free childcare is the next step to ensuring all families can work and get on. The rising cost of childcare is one of the biggest challenges parents face and it means many mums and dads simply can't afford to work. This not only hurts them financially, but is bad for the economy too. This announcement of a £1bn investment in childcare will make sure it pays to work.

"An extra £1,200 for each child will make a real difference to families who find themselves constantly worrying about how to juggle their family budget. And extending support for working families on Universal Credit will make sure it is worth working extra hours even if you're on low wages."

The new tax-free childcare scheme will double the amount of support available compared to the current employer supported childcare scheme, opening it to around five times as many families. Once fully up and running, it will be worth up to £1,200 per child. It will be phased in from autumn 2015 and will ultimately be open to around 2.5m families with children under 12.

To be eligible, families will have both parents in work, with each earning less than £150,000 a year, and will not already receive support through tax credits and later, Universal Credit. They will receive 20% - equivalent to the basic rate of tax - of their yearly childcare costs up to £6,000 per child.

The Coalition will also increase the amount of childcare support available through Universal Credit by £200m help improve work incentives and ensure it is worthwhile to work up to full time hours for low and middle income parents.

"Liberal Democrats were the first political party to back a new High Speed Rail Network in the UK. This is a fantastic investment in our infrastructure and will help to build a stronger economy.

"The first phase will support the creation of more than 40,000 jobs, while phase two will support around 100,000 jobs across the country, regenerating areas around the route and bringing new services and amenities for local communities.

"Increasing rail capacity is also good for the environment and is expected to dramatically reduce our reliance on domestic flights and transfer nine million journeys from road to rail. Even those cities not directly on the network after phase two will benefit, with journeys between London and Edinburgh reduced by almost an hour."

Commenting, Co-chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Work and Pensions, Greg Mulholland said:

"There is a real need to deal with the chronic shortage of social housing. It is therefore important to encourage people who are under-occupying to move in to smaller accommodation to free up desperately needed family homes.

"There has, however, been concern that a number of groups have not been exempt from the plans for the spare room subsidy.

"I am delighted that as a result of Liberal Democrat pressure the Secretary of State has announced that families with severely disabled children who cannot share with a sibling, Armed Forces families and foster carers will now be exempt from the loss of part of their housing benefit."

"With these revised regulations, Liberal Democrats have ensured that competition in the NHS is put back in its box.

"Liberal Democrat peers in the House of Lords worked hard during the debates on the Health and Social Care Act to ensure that patients come first at all times and are never placed second for the sake of unnecessary competition.

"The revised regulations are now turning these assurances into reality. It is now clear that Clinical Commissioning Groups have to decide what is best to serve patients' interests and none should be forced to introduce competition."

"Liberal Democrats having been working hard in government to deliver a strong manufacturing sector in a stronger economy.

"Under the last Labour government the competitive concerns of this vital part of our economy were ignored.

"Vince Cable has made a vital start to help revitalise manufacturing, but we must not stop there. The Government must take an active role in supporting manufacturing. We need further rounds of the regional growth fund to help create a more geographically sustainable economy. And we need a renewed commitment to ensure new workers have the skills necessary to support a strong manufacturing sector."

"In passing my corporate tax avoidance motion, the Liberal Democrats have again shown that we are the fiercest political opponents of tax dodging.

"The Coalition Government can go into the G8 with a strong mandate for real change.

"Supporters of Action Aid, Christian Aid and many more charities have chosen this important issue as their 2013 campaign and I am proud that the Liberal Democrats will stand side by side with them in making this the year of tax justice."

"Liberal Democrats are committed to creating a fairer society. We want to ensure that those people who need help through the benefit system receive proper support and, if things go wrong, have access to justice.

"That is why Liberal Democrats in Government have been fighting hard to ensure that the Government accepted the recommendations of the independent review of Employment and Support Allowance. These changes are already meaning that more disability benefit decisions are being got right first time.

"There is of course more to do, and we also need to make sure that the difficult decisions we are taking to cut the deficit, including changes to legal aid, do not have an adverse effect on disabled people. It is vital the Government continues to monitor these changes and to protect vulnerable people."

"Rural communities can and should be thriving and vibrant places but in reality, that's not the case everywhere. Our rural communities face many issues from unemployment to high housing and energy prices.

"Liberal Democrats want to support these communities because they add to the diversity of Britain and form a vital part of our society. The Coalition Government has already done much to support them, such as ending the Council Tax discount for second homes and the Grocery Code Adjudicator.

"We want to do more to build sustainable rural communities with strong local economies, where everyone can get on. Through investing in broadband, reforming European agricultural policies, joined-up local transport policies and creating more affordable housing, Liberal Democrat Conference has endorsed a clear vision for the future of rural communities."

The motion calls for:

• All teachers, including those in academies and free schools, to have appropriate qualifications
• More freedom and autonomy for teachers backed up by strong accountability
• Clear guidance for schools on performance management

Commenting, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Education, Dan Rogerson said:

"Every child should be taught by a qualified teacher, or someone working towards a teaching qualification. Parents quite rightly want to see high standards and professional staff in all schools, including academies and free schools.

"Excellent teaching is the best way to make sure all children achieve their full potential. We are lucky to have many outstanding teachers. I want us to celebrate the best teachers, while urgently helping the small minority of underperforming teachers to improve.

"Supporting qualified teachers, while giving more freedom in the classroom to tailor lessons to individual children, sends a clear signal that Liberal Democrats want to raise the prestige of the teaching profession. This will help attract more of the brightest graduates and most inspirational people into the classroom."

I vividly recall how activists trekked to Fife, finding the experience of pounding the pavements and listening to voters unexpectedly therapeutic.

And over the last 3 weeks, as we have pulled together as a party, pouring our energy into Eastleigh has had a similar effect.

But no doubt many of you have been shocked at the revelations on Channel 4 News.

And whilst I've had numerous invitations to talk to the media about this, conference, I wanted to speak to you directly.

When a friend, Alison Smith, told me she had experienced unwanted advances I was shocked and concerned. When it was suggested that this was not an isolated incident I was deeply troubled, and sought advice.

I think it's fair to say that back then our party processes for dealing with this kind of situation were lacking. So it was a case of trying to deal with it in the best way possible - while recognising that great sensitivity was needed and the important liberal principle that you are innocent until proven guilty.

A number of women confided in me about similar experiences. We shared the objective of preventing other women from experiencing this kind of behaviour - they wanted to make it stop.

The women also had an entirely understandable wish for privacy which I was careful to respect - so of course I didn't name names when I spoke to people in the leader's office to express these concerns.

I made sure that further action was taken, and as you know Danny Alexander made clear that any such behaviour was unacceptable and had to stop.

I told the women who had confided in me what I had done, and encouraged them to let me know if they became aware of any subsequent incidents. If there were fresh reports of this kind of behaviour, I would have insisted on further action.

Let me be clear, to this day, I have not heard any account of inappropriate behaviour subsequent to the action Danny and I took.

Liberal Democrats, I'm sure we have lessons to learn. And the best way to learn those lessons is a thorough, independent, considered review that can gather all the facts, both from people who are willing to speak publicly, and from those who are not.

The findings will rightly be published. Transparency is important to give the whole of our party confidence that the Liberal Democrats have recognised our duty of care, reflected on our past shortcomings and that we are resolute in our determination to put things right for the future.

I wanted to tell you about what had happened directly. As you know, there is now a police investigation and two party investigations. The allegations have been made and they have also been denied. That is for the police and the investigations to resolve.

Conference, you know I have spent more than a decade campaigning for women to be respected for who they are and against their sexual objectification.

Contrary to some comments in the press I most certainly do not believe that women should ever have to put up with unwanted sexual advances to be successful in politics - or any walk of life for that matter. This has never been my view.

Anyone who knows me will immediately realise this would never have been said by me.

Conference, there has been intense scrutiny on the experiences of women in the Liberal Democrats.

But let's be clear, this is not just a "Liberal Democrat" problem

It's not even just a problem in politics

Or in business

Or the media

It's part and parcel of a wider problem. The year is 2013, but society is stuck in the past.

One in four women experience domestic violence

One in three girls have experienced unwanted sexual touching at school

In less than a year, the Everyday Sexism project has been overwhelmed by 20,000 women posting their experiences:
- A 12 year old schoolgirl catcalled by grown men on her way home
- Baby t-shirts for sale online with the slogan "Where's my bottle, bitch?"
- Countless women sharing shocking stories using the hashtag #followed

Anyone who thinks the battle for equality has already been won is sadly mistaken.

We will only build a stronger economy if women play a full part in the boardroom, in the newsroom and in the Cabinet room.

We will only build a fairer society if we challenge the casual culture where men are dominant by default.

That's why we should resolve today, on International Women's Day, to keep fighting for fairness.

As citizens in our communities, as activists in our party, and as Liberal Democrats in our government.


Conference, we have made great strides in government - with shared parental leave, flexible working and getting more women on boards.

But we must do more, we will do more.

Together we can make society fairer.

For women, for everyone.

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I know it is unusual for me to speak at the start of the rally but there's an issue I want to address head on.

Today is International Women's Day. It is right that we come together as a party to celebrate the life changing advances in women's rights both at home and around the world. Advances that Liberal Democrats championed in opposition and are delivering in Government.

But it is also right that - following the events of recent weeks - we take a long, hard look in the mirror. No doubt you will be aware of the recent allegations that have been made about sexual harassment in our party. I won't talk about the specific allegations. They will be investigated thoroughly and independently and we must respect due process. And we must remember that due process is for the accused as well as the accusers.

But I do want to talk about the other side of this. The fact that the women involved feel let down. They deserved to have their concerns and allegations examined thoroughly and properly dealt with. But clearly, that has not always been the case.

When concerns were brought to the attention of members of my team we acted to address them. But this should not have just been the responsibility of a few individuals acting with the best of intentions. It must be the responsibility of the party as a whole to make sure we have the processes and support structures in place now and in the future.

We didn't, and as a result we let people down. Liberal Democrats, that is not acceptable to me.

For a party that cherishes equality and women's rights, we have no excuse for failing to live up to the highest standards in the treatment of women. The standards we - rightly - expect of others.

I joined this party because I believe in empowerment; freedom; dignity. I believe that, where an individual feels that they have been badly treated, or that power has been abused, they must have confidence that those concerns will be properly addressed.

That's why we have set up two inquiries. The first to look at the allegations that have been made, led by Alistair Webster QC. And the second, independent inquiry, to look at our party's procedures, organisational culture and how allegations made in the past have been handled.

We announced earlier today that this will be led by Helena Morrissey - who is known for her unmatched expertise in pushing equality and diversity at the top of the corporate world. And I will personally put in place whatever additional safeguards are needed.

In the meantime, we have set up a whistle-blower hotline, run by Public Concern at Work, for those who have information to come forward and to receive confidential advice. We have made counselling services available for those in need of support. And we will of course co-operate with the police if and when appropriate.

I will drive whatever changes are necessary to stop this ever happening again.

From now on, if you feel you have been a victim of harassment, it will be easy and straightforward to report it. And if you report it, it will be investigated fully and acted on effectively.

But the lessons we must learn are not just about the rules and processes we must put in place. This is about something bigger than that. It is about the way we conduct ourselves. It's about treating one another with respect.

Sexism must have no place in the Liberal Democrats. Harassment must have no place in the Liberal Democrats. Abuse of power and position must have no place in the Liberal Democrats.

I won't tolerate it. Our party should be better than that.

It is often said that Westminster is an old boy's club. It is. Parliament is stuffed full, in both the Commons and Lords, of hundreds and hundreds of men and precious few women. Men outnumber women by nearly four to one.

Too often, barriers are put in front of talented and committed women to stop them progressing. It's a male world, made by men for men, occupied for centuries by men and designed to work to the advantage of men. And Westminster is far from the only boy's club in our country.

In business, in the legal profession, in journalism and in countless workplaces up and down the country, men dominate and men make the rules. Where the man at the next desk does the same job as you but gets paid more. Where you're in a meeting full of men and you're treated like your voice doesn't count. Where you want to progress in your career but know that starting a family will make it impossible to get ahead.

In 21st century Britain there are glass ceilings for women everywhere you look. The loss of talent is immense. Our economy, and more importantly our entire society, misses out.

We need a culture change, in Westminster and beyond. If we want to lead that change then we have to set an example.

I am proud of what the Liberal Democrats are doing to make our country and our world a place where all women can have the same opportunities as men. The Liberal Democrats are building a stronger economy. To do that we need to harness the talents of women across the country.

And we are building a fairer society - where women are free to realise their potential.

Modern empowerment is about creating choices and spreading opportunity. This April, we will have cut taxes for millions of working people by £600, by raising the point at which you start paying Income Tax.

And because women are disproportionately in part-time work and low-paid jobs, it is women who benefit the most: as of this April, 1.3m women on low pay will no longer pay Income Tax at all.

We are levelling the playing field by introducing shared parental leave and flexible working - policies Liberal Democrats have campaigned on for years.

And they can be transformative. Right now, if a young couple are expecting a baby and they sit down to discuss how they will balance work and home. A life changing experience boils down to basic sums: How will we manage our income? How much will bills cost? How many hours do we need to work and where does childcare fit in?

And it's an equation where the answer is so often rigged because, whichever way you look at it, the solution ends up being the mother doing more of the caring, and the father doing more of the earning - even if that isn't what the young couple wants.

She gets the year-long maternity leave; after that, the expectation is she'll continue to be the primary carer - so she's the one who goes part-time. Lower pay, fewer shots at promotion. Work less, earn less.

It's heartbreaking to watch women who feel forced to lower their ambitions for themselves. And it's heartbreaking to see fathers missing out on being with their children.
As a father, I find the outdated assumption that men should go out and work and women should stay at home and look after the children frankly absurd.

So we are giving mothers and fathers more choice to decide for themselves how to balance their families and their careers. And we're helping parents with childcare, with more free early years education for all three and four-year-olds and for two-year-olds from lower income families.

That's not all we're doing.

At the top of our biggest companies, Vince Cable is pushing for greater and greater female representation in the boardroom. And he's getting results - there are now only seven FTSE 100 companies with all-male boards, down from 21 in 2010.

That's important progress, but we have to keep up momentum. There was some worrying evidence reported today, which warns this may have stalled. And Lord Davies is right to say that, if we don't make sufficient progress in the future, we may need to move to a more direct approach, like quotas.

For those whose working life is over we are levelling the playing field too. A generous new flat rate pension - designed and delivered by Steve Webb - means that women will no longer be punished in retirement for taking time out of their working lives to raise children or care for relatives.

We are creating a safer society for women, with measures to tackle domestic violence, forced marriage and stalking. And tonight, you'll hear from Lynne Featherstone how we have put lifting women and girls out of poverty at the heart of our international aid policy.

Lynne and I recently visited a dusty, old school in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, to see how an aid scheme to fund girls' education that I announced in 2011 - the biggest of its kind ever - was being put into practice. The children travelled from miles and miles around to get to the school.

And despite the poverty, despite the conditions, the young girls we met there dreamed big. Every single one of them wanted to be an engineer, or a doctor, or a lawyer. One even said she wanted to be Prime Minister. I said I had no doubt she could achieve it.

To think that girls like those Lynne and I met in Ethiopia might have their ambitions crushed just because they are girls - that they might die younger and live their lives in poverty and servitude - is devastating.

In Ethiopia, fewer than one in six girls go to secondary school. And we know the difference education can make to their lives. Girls who are educated will earn more. They are more likely to marry later. They are more likely to get themselves and their babies immunised against fatal diseases and those who have a secondary education are three times less likely to be HIV positive.

To meet them, to hear their stories and their ambitions, brings home the difference we - the Liberal Democrats - can make to their lives. At home and abroad, the Liberal Democrats are helping women take more control over their careers, their money and their lives.

But there is one area where we have not provided enough opportunity for women - in our own ranks. We need more female councillors, assembly members, MSPs and MEPs. And we need more women Liberal Democrats MPs.

I'm proud that we've already selected Julia Cambridge in Chesterfield, Claire Thomas in Hull, and Judith Bunting in Newbury. I'm proud that Layla Moran, who spoke so passionately and eloquently at our last conference rally in Brighton, was the first of our Leadership Programme candidates to be selected in Oxford West and Abingdon.

And you'll hear from another of our fantastic female Leadership Programme candidates, Sarah Yong, this evening. I know she'll be hugely impressive on stage tonight. But she'll be even more impressive when she's in Parliament.

Our job now is to get these women, and those we select in the coming months, elected. And my challenge to you - in every selection committee you sit on, with every candidate you support and every vote you cast - is to consider how you can help us change for the better.

When I speak to our leadership programme candidates I know that the future of our party is bright. When I saw the huge numbers of young people pile through the doors of our HQ in Eastleigh, I could see that the future of our party is bright.

We must be a more diverse party. And we will be a better party for it.

It now gives me great pleasure to introduce someone who has smashed more glass ceilings and done more for women in our politics and our party than just about anyone - Shirley Williams.



Last weekend we passed a milestone for our party - our 25th anniversary. A quarter of a century since the Liberal Party and the SDP merged and the Liberal Democrats were created. We have come a very long way.

So many times in those two and a half decades we have been written off. But every time we confounded our critics. The history of the Liberal Democrats is marked with elections we were not supposed to win: Eastbourne; Ribble Valley; Kincardine and Deeside; Newbury; Christchurch; Eastleigh (the first time); Littleborough and Saddleworth; Winchester; Romsey; Brent East; Leicester South; Dunfermline and West Fife.

So how better to mark that milestone - to celebrate our birthday - than by doing what we have done over and over when the chips were down: win a crucial by-election.

What we did eight days ago was remarkable. People said that by joining the Coalition we would lose our identity, our soul. That it would make it impossible to win elections in our own right. Some said that we were finished.

We proved, once again, you should never write off the Liberal Democrats. But it wasn't just about last Thursday.

For the three weeks beforehand, hundreds and hundreds of you turned out day after day, rain or shine, to make sure we won. We smashed our own by-election records left, right and centre:

- More volunteers through the door every day than ever before;
- More phone calls, from all over the country, than ever before;
- More donations from individuals than ever before.

What was especially exciting was how many young people took part in the campaign - many of whom were not even born 25 years ago. Everyone who came to Eastleigh saw the enthusiasm, the energy and the vibrancy of our campaign.

I want to thank every single one of you for all your effort and commitment. I want to thank Keith House and his formidable Eastleigh team. Victoria Marsom, our superb campaign manager, and Hilary Stephenson, our deputy chief executive. Two brilliant women who masterminded our by-election campaign. And, of course, our new MP for Eastleigh - Mike Thornton.

The unspoken story of the last year has been that Liberal Democrats are winning again. In council by-elections in every corner of the country, Conservative-facing and Labour-facing, we have been making gain after gain after gain.

Last year, contrary to the impression you'd get from the media, we actually made an overall gain at council by-elections. And then came Eastleigh.

It was not a campaign we wanted to have to fight. The circumstances that caused it were not ones we would ever have wished for. But we dusted ourselves off and we said bring it on. Our opponents threw everything they had at us. Controversy dominated the headlines. And yet, despite all that, we won.

Now no one can be in any doubt: the Liberal Democrats are winning again. And we won't stop here.

This May, we have county council elections across England. Many, once again, in areas where our principle rivals are the Conservatives. We showed in Eastleigh what we have always known - where we work we win.

So take nothing for granted. Work, work and work some more. If you do, we can and will win. In Eastleigh we showed something else too. We have a fantastic record locally - cutting council tax, creating jobs and protecting green spaces.

And we have a fantastic record nationally - cutting people's taxes, boosting the state pension, more money for schools, and creating more apprenticeships than ever before.

In Eastleigh, we didn't shy away from being in government, we embraced it and we campaigned on it with confidence. Every leaflet had a local message and a national message.

We won not in spite of being in power, we won because we are in power - locally and nationally.

I heard, shortly after the result, the Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps explaining that the Conservatives lost Eastleigh because governing parties don't win mid-term by-elections. I know denial can be a powerful thing, but he seemed to have missed entirely what happened.

Well, Grant Shapps I've got news for you. The Conservatives might not be able to win by-elections when they're in government. But the Liberal Democrats can. So when you speak to people ahead of May's elections, tell them what you are doing for them and their community locally.

And tell them what we are doing nationally. Tell them how we are building a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life. Tell them what we are doing and they will respond.

And when our opponents tell us we are finished, remember Eastleigh. Remember what we did, together, for three weeks in February. Remember the buzz, and the enthusiasm. Remember how it felt when the result was announced.

When people tell you we don't have a chance, tell them: The Liberal Democrats are winning again.

The review will also look at attitudes towards women in the party, as well as the employment relationship between staff, elected officials and volunteers; training; and how to lead a wider change in Westminster.

Commenting, Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Gordon said:

"Following recent allegations it is clear that we in the Liberal Democrats failed to live up to our political ideals.

"We recognise that we need to adapt how we operate. As a political party which prides itself on equality, we must give everyone confidence they will be treated fairly and equally and that they will be listened to.

"It is vital this review is done independently of the party, in a way which can be frank and can scrutinise thoroughly. I am delighted Helena has agreed to chair the review. She has been a leading light in the development of women and breaking barriers, and I am sure that she will make an immensely positive difference to both our party and to politics."

Commenting further, Helena Morrissey said:

"Too much of our society has operated in old-boys' networks. It leads to an atmosphere where women don't feel valued or listened to. We can only make changes in society when those at the top in business and politics lead by example.

"While prompted in difficult circumstances, this review is a very important step in giving everyone, especially women, a greater confidence in politics and the Liberal Democrats.

"I will be talking to people at all levels of the party to recognise where there have been failings to help guide a culture shift and develop a much more equal and trusting set of standards.

"As I embark on my independent inquiry I would like to set out the structure of the review and how I am going to gather input. The review will cover three overlapping areas:

• Processes (and what did and did not happen)
• Attitudes and culture within the Party
• A blueprint for the future

"I am keen to hear from all those who have relevant experiences and views to help me form an accurate picture (whether Party members, staff or public).

"This is a Call for Written Evidence for three questions around the areas outlined above:

1. Do you have examples of specific incidences where processes around complaints were not followed or where there appeared to be gaps in policies or procedures for dealing with such complaints?
2. Can you provide examples which illustrate weaknesses in the Party's attitudes and culture - past and present?
3. Do you have ideas about what needs to change for the Party to look to the future with confidence that any form of harassment within the Party will be properly dealt with?

"All submissions will be treated in confidence. I will follow up with a number of those who submit written evidence where I need to explore specific aspects of your testimony, either in-person or via other means. I will also be gathering all the formal policies and how these have evolved and will be interviewing a range of individuals, both within the Party and those who may have since moved on but whose voices should be heard.

"For the avoidance of doubt, I will not be making judgements on specific cases or making any assumptions regarding the innocence or guilt of individuals.

"I will be structuring and preparing the review over the remainder of this month, along with conducting some key early interviews. The bulk of witness interviews will be conducted in April and I aim to write the report in May with a view to a June publication date. I will be supported in the work by Jane Smithard and an administrative assistant.

"Please submit all written evidence by Friday 5th April to contact@independentinquiry.org.uk. Thank you."

This campaign has been a fantastic sign of our strength and a huge testament to the hundreds of volunteers who gave their time and effort for us throughout the campaign. There have been huge levels of enthusiasm shown by our activists throughout the campaign.

Our focus throughout the campaign was to knock on as many doors and speak to as many people as possible to tell them about our excellent local candidate, Mike Thornton, and the Liberal Democrats' strong local and national record delivering for people in Eastleigh.

We fought this campaign on the issues that matter to local people: jobs; growth; protecting green spaces; cutting taxes; and more money for pensioners and schools.

"It is important that people with information have the confidence to come forward and that their information is dealt with sensitively and appropriately.

"We are working closely with the police to help establish if any criminal activity has taken place.

"We would encourage anyone with information to contact the police and speak to specially trained officers on 0208 721 4601.

"While we establish if criminal activity has taken place we will continue with the two inquiries set up by the Party."

The representatives from the Liberal Democrats were led by the Chief Executive, Tim Gordon.

Allegations regarding the conduct of Lord Rennard and the Party's response

Update on the Party's processes following the allegations concerning the conduct of Lord Rennard

"The two Eds are rather late to the party, wanting to cut taxes for those on low and middle incomes.

"After 13 years in Government, the only action Ed Balls took was to raise the amount of tax those on low incomes paid by abolishing the 10p rate. It was the biggest tax mistake they ever made and it has taken them until now to realise their error.

"The best way to cut taxes for those on low incomes is take them out of tax altogether. That is why Liberal Democrats in Government are raising the Personal Allowance. From April, nearly 25m people will get a further Income Tax cut so they will be £600 a year better off than under Labour.

"Labour had 13 years in Government to make property taxes fairer by introducing the Liberal Democrat policy of a Mansion Tax. With the Liberal Democrats in Government the wealthy are paying more in each year of this Parliament compared to any under Labour."

"In order to build a stronger economy and a fairer society we have to make sure everyone obeys the rules, especially those who are charged with enforcing them.

"From the case of Ian Tomlinson through to the hacking scandal, Liberal Democrats have always been clear that the public must have a transparent way to hold the police to account. That is why Liberal Democrat Conference voted to reform the IPCC and called for new ways to professionalise the police service.

"I'm delighted that the Home Secretary agrees and that the Coalition Government is now opening up the police service to greater accountability by giving the IPCC new powers and resources.

"It is also great news that the coverage of the IPCC will be expanded to include private contractors. Liberal Democrats have long said that if they act like police, they should be accountable like the police."

Mike is a popular local borough councillor, who has lived locally for 19 years, and has kept council tax bills down, while protecting front line local services.

He has led local opposition to Conservative County Council cuts to libraries, children's centres, buses and youth centres.

As Eastleigh MP, Mike Thornton will -

• Fight to protect green spaces from Tory development and gravel extraction
• Work to bring more jobs and investment to our area - the 500 jobs and £60m a year into the local economy at the Lib Dem Council backed Ageas Bowl are a good start
• Campaign to cut income tax for local workers - that's on top the £600 a year tax cut that the Lib Dems have already won

Voting Liberal Democrat will give Eastleigh residents an excellent local MP who will work to deliver a stronger economy in a fairer society, allowing everyone to get on in life.

Mike Thornton, a business and development manager and has been a parish and borough councillor since 2007. He is involved with the annual Bishopstoke Carnival and is an active member of the local church.

Mike lives with his wife and daughter in Bishopstoke. In his spare time, Mike enjoys playing squash and tennis.

"These encouraging figures demonstrate that students understand today more than ever that a university degree is an important investment for the rest of their lives.

"University is also a vital engine of social mobility so it is important that students from poorer backgrounds are not put off from applying. Today's figures - an all time high- clearly show they are not. Government is increasing funding for the National Scholarship programme, which Institutions can use to provide benefits including bursaries and grants, from £50m in this academic year to £150m in 2014-15.

"Thanks to this government's reforms, most new students will now not pay anything upfront, there is more financial support for those from poorer families and everyone will make lower loan repayments once they are in well paid jobs."

"Today Parliament made history by supporting my motion to give 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote.

"The debate was followed by young people up and down the country - I believe my twitter account nearly crashed with messages of support from all sections of society.

"We must now see action from the Government: the House of Commons has expressed its view and it must be heard. I have introduced a bill to put this motion into law and I call on the Government to give it a fair hearing."