Campbell: ‘reject the failure of New Labour’
The Liberal Democrats today launched their campaign for the upcoming local election and urged voters to “reject New Labour and their mimics”.
Instead the Lib Dems are a “national party of local government” and offer a proven track record of success at the local level, Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell said.
Launching the campaign, Sir Menzies focused on the Lib Dem’s record on crime and environment, claiming the party had a proven track record on both.
On crime, Sir Menzies argued it is “not a question of getting tougher, it is a question of getting smarter”. Lib Dem policies would focus on engaging offenders and doing what works, he added.
Looking towards the environment, the Lib Dem leader said green taxes would work, while the revenue raised could be used to cut income taxes for low to middle earners.
It would be a “disaster” for Labour to remain in power, he insisted. “These local elections are an opportunity to reject the failure of new Labour after ten years in government.”
Sir Menzies also called on voters to reject “New Labour’s mimics”. David Cameron has “learnt all the wrong lessons” from Tony Blair, he argued.
Labour and the Conservatives will also launch their local election campaign today. On May 3rd, elections take place in 312 local authorities in England, while voters in Scotland and Wales will go to the polls to elect a new devolved parliament.
