My political priorities
A sustainable environment
I have been an environmental campaigner all my political life. I was the founding chairman of Epping Forest's Environmental Protection Committee in the early 1990s.
In 1992 there was the Rio treaty and talk of Agenda 21. Well, here we are now well into the 21st century and not much has changed.
Climate change is the single biggest issue facing the planet. It will kill thousands of people EVEN if we change our lifestyle today, and many more if we do not.
Our local Conservatives still refuse to meet this challenge. All they ever want to do is build more roads across Essex. They must ACT green not just talk green.
The world's climate is already committed to change for the worse over the next few decades. Whether it improves when my son and his friends have children depends on decisions we take now.
Read more at Greener Chelmsford.
Education and information
It's about THEIR future
Information and knowledge is power. It always has been, down the ages. Those who have power rarely want to give it away. But I do.
I want to win power for the Liberal Democrats in order to give everyone - young or old - equal access to information and knowledge, in powerful local communities.
But will you? they say. Wherever I have served as a Councillor I have a track record of doing exactly that. I campaigned for public rights to speak at planning committees and for devolving decision making.
Through my own newsletters and more recently email bulletins, and also pushing for my local councils to do better, I have tried to keep people properly informed.
Education is part of information. Whatever your age you should have the right to improve your education. It is in all our interests that ALL our young people grow up with the best possible education. Unrestricted by their family background or income.
Like all parents, I want the best for my child. But I went into politics because I want the best for ALL children. Politics is about THEIR future, in a fairer Britain.
So, these are my priorities, amongst much else on which the Liberal Democrats will campaign. I hope you will back me to take them forwards.
