ELECTION 2005: WEST WORCESTERSHIRE

At public meetings in towns and villages throughout West Worcestershire, and on hundreds of doorsteps, people are telling me that they think a third term in office for Labour would be a very bad thing for our country.

A vote for the Conservative Party is the only way to stop this.

A vote for any other party simply helps Labour to survive.

Conservatives stand for freedom of opportunity and self-responsibility under the law, within a properly accountable democracy. In the next parliament we are committed to:

Bring down taxes, for instance council taxes for pensioners and stamp duty for first time homebuyers.

Raise state pensions in line with earnings.

Cut taxes for those who save for their pensions.

Ensure we have a properly staffed police force.

Raise health/education standards.

Abolish top-up fees for university students.

Stop the encroachment of a Federal State of Europe.

Introduce a quota on immigration.

In the last few weeks, I have found that those who are most anxious are the elderly and pensioners. That is why we give such priority to their needs in what we are saying.

TOM WELLS, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

I am proud to have been born and bred here.

And for as long as I can remember, we have been short-changed by successive Governments when it comes to funding and investment in key local services such as transport, education and health.

Our older people should be treated with respect and our young people deserve the very best start in life.

So here are my six priorities as your new member of Parliament:

n Build on the firm commitment we have already received and make sure we get our new hospitals in Malvern and Pershore

n Demand a fairer deal from the Government for our local schools

n Support plans to raise pensions by £25 per week and provide free personal care for the elderly

n Support proposals to increase the number of police on patrol

n Demand investment in our rural economy and public transport

n Make sure we manage our local rural and urban environments in a sustainable manner.

This is a beautiful place in which to live and work. Let's make sure future generations can say the same.

I very much hope you will feel able to support me.

MALCOLM VICTORY, GREEN PARTY

While the main parties all squabble about how much tax they will need to raise to fulfil their campaign pledges and argue about the problems of immigration into this country, and whether identity cards are necessary to control terrorism; while they hold a Dutch auction as to how many more police they will employ, while they call each other liars and argue over Health and pensions, do not let them distract you.

It was only last Friday that the real problem affecting our civilisation entered the debate, after publication of reputable findings that the Antarctic icecap is receding faster than ever, because of Mankind.

That topic is climate change, and do not expect any party other than the Green Party to address that issue.

Without the Green lobby there could have been no agreement that climate change is real, and that it threatens our food supply and our existence.

Likewise, the Green Party has had the foresight to address the many threats to our country which the other parties would rather ignore, or pay lip service to.

Their ignorance over 40 years has caused this crisis. Go to www.greenparty.org.uk and read their manifesto; it is radical.

CAROLINE BOVEY, UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY

Why is it that elections seem to bring out the worst in some people?

Does anyone really think that sabotaging posters is going to influence voters?

No wonder people don't vote when politics is reduced to the level of schoolboy pranks.

Apart from poster problems it has been an excellent week.

Sustained by some three-year-old Kendal mint cake, found in my glove box, I have covered a lot of territory.

By now you know what UKIP stands for.

All three other main parties are advocating further integration into the EU, and actively supporting the Constitution, yet no one has said that UKIP's policies are wrong.

We are gaining votes from right across the political spectrum: literally left, right, and centre.

It seems that UKIP is the only party that speaks for the great majority of British people who do not want to be dictated to by Brussels.

So please don't be one of those disillusioned people who say they won't vote because all the parties are the same. Vote for the only one that will give you MPs who will campaign to restore British government to the British people. Vote UKIP.

Blair: Personal attacks are just a Tory smokescreen

Prime Minister Tony Blair today accused the Conservatives of making personal attacks on him in order to draw attention away from their planned "assault" on the public services.

Tory leader Michael Howard has opened a new front in the general election campaign by urging voters to "take a stand" against Mr Blair personally.

On Sunday, he accused the PM of lying to win the election, and this was followed yesterday by a new poster and TV broadcast questioning Mr Blair's trustworthiness.

In a major speech on education in the northwest, Mr Blair dismissed the "personality stuff" as a desperate bid by the Tories to avoid discussing their plans to subsidise private school fees.

Labour alleges that the Conservative "pupils' passport" scheme would take £2bn a year - around £200 a pupil - out of the state system. The Tories dispute this figure.

Mr Blair said: "The Conservatives can mount any number of attacks on me personally,"

"They don't matter. They're just part and parcel of the Tory plan to sneak to power through the back door.

"What matters to me is stopping the attack they are planning on every school in the country.

"What angers me is that the Conservatives have a plan to cut £200 per pupil per year from local schools and they're trying desperately to hide it. That's what all the personality stuff is really about."

But Mr Howard today defended his decision to attack Mr Blair's character.

He told The Times: "I have given many examples of where I think Mr Blair has not told the truth.

"Trust and character are important aspects of this campaign."

If re-elected, Labour has pledged to increase spending on state education to £5,500 per pupil a year by 2008. Yesterday, they highlighted plans for a 15-year renovation programme to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school and half of all primaries in England and Wales.

Returning to a mantra endlessly repeated by ministers as the election draws nearer, Mr Blair will today warn voters that if they value Labour's planned investment in education and new school buildings, they must vote for them on May 5.

Mr Kennedy will highlight statistics showing that almost half a million lessons in the core disciplines of English, maths, science, modern languages and information and communications technology each year are taken by teachers who are not specialists in those subjects. A quarter of maths teachers have no qualification in the subject beyond A-level, he will say.

He will give a pledge that the Lib Dems would spend £230 million providing additional training to 44,000 teachers to ensure that all lessons in these subjects are led by people with appropriate qualifications.

Speaking at a press conference in London, Mr Kennedy is expected to say: "There is no substitute for expert, enthusiastic teaching when it comes to bringing out the best in our children.

"Enthusiasm. Dedication. Optimism. Expertise. These are the qualities of our best teachers and I want the whole profession to be equipped with the skills and support they need to do the job.

"Our guarantee is that in the core subjects - maths, English, science, modern languages and information and communications technology - all pupils will be taught by a properly qualified teacher who is expert in that subject.

"We will offer high-level in-service training to teachers who would like to teach a new subject. This will be fair to teachers - giving them the tools to do the job. And fair to pupils - ensuring quality and expert teaching."

Following visits to Scotland and Staffordshire, Mr Howard will this evening spell out Conservative plans for "honesty in sentencing", which would see criminals serving the full prison term imposed by the courts.

He will also give details of Tory proposals for mandatory jail sentences for third-time burglaries and class A drug trafficking, the scrapping of the early-release scheme and measures to offer greater protection to householders defending themselves against intruders.

:: Mori interviewed 2,256 adults for the FT between April 21 and 25.

end

MPs did not back national

rail idea

MPs in Worcestershire and Herefordshire voted not to re-nationalise the rail system, as people are marching from Glasgow to London in support of the idea.

A motion to support the principle of an integrated, public-owned, publicly accountable, railway was tabled at the House of Commons during the last session.

Only 10 West Midlands MPs signed and 47 did not. Those who didn't included Michael Foster (Worcester), Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire), Bill Wiggin (Leominster) and Paul Keetch (Hereford).

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union are marching from Glasgow to London in favour of the initiative. The are due to finish this Saturday, April 30.

They will be at the junction of High Street/Union Street in Birmingham today.

Dowson is 'no spoiler'

AN independent candidate standing in Worcester has denied she is doing it because she is pro-hunting.

Prudence Dowson admitted she opposed the fox hunting ban but denied she was running because Labour candidate Mike Foster supported the legislation.

She confirmed one hunt was held on her land near Evesham 'many years ago' but said she considered running 10 years ago.

"I'm not a hunts person but I don't like spoiling other people's fun. I don't like boxing, potholing or hang-gliding but I wouldn't ban it," said the 56-year-old, from Bricklehampton.

Women on top in polls

WOMEN in Worcestershire and Herefordshire are bucking a national trend in the number of female candidates running in the General Election.

Equality pressure group The Fawcett Society has been disappointed after all-male candidates were put forward by the main three parties in nearly half of all constituencies.

But the two counties are running way above the figure - at least one woman is running for either Labour, the Conservatives or the Liberal Democrats in six of the eight seats.

In total, nine of the 23 main parties' candidates and 14 of all 41 candidates are female.

Destroy card

UNUSED polling cards should be destroyed rather than binned because of the threat from identity fraudsters.

That is the warning from a criminologist who used cards given to everyone eligible to vote in the general and county elections, and extracted cash from a credit card account.