Ming Campbell sets out Five Tests for Gordon Brown in his leaders speech to the Conference. (Warwick & Leamington Liberal Democrats)

Warwick & Leamington Liberal Democrats <info@warwick-leamington-libdems.org.uk>

Ming Campbell sets out Five Tests for Gordon Brown in his leaders speech to the Conference.

March 4, 2007 6:57 PM

Ming Campbell addressing the spring conference in Harrogate.

In his speech at the Liberal Democrats spring conference in Harrogate this afternoon, Ming Campbell outlined his vision for a Liberal Democrat Britain and set out Five Tests for Gordon Brown.

Gordon Brown should;

End Labour's authoritarian attack on civil liberties. Identity cards will not stop terrorism. They won't stop illegal immigration. They won't stop fraud. And they won't stop crime. Rather than spending billions of pounds on an expensive, ineffective, and unworkable identity card scheme. Liberal Democrats would spend the money on our police and security services instead.

Grasp the challenge posed by climate change. The environmental efforts in the Chancellor's budgets have been risible. Make the green tax switch proposed by the Liberal Democrats, so that we tax pollution more and earnings less.

Break open the poverty trap. How can it be fair that over two and a half million pensioners live in poverty? How can it be fair that over one and a half million families are on waiting lists for social housing? Give our children a proper chance in life. End the dependency culture. Give people a hand up, not a hand out.

Take localism seriously and free local communities from the shackles of Whitehall. Scrap the unfair Council Tax which penalises pensioners and poorer families and hamstrings local communities.

Britain's foreign policy should not be set in Washington.

You can read the transcript of Ming's Speech or watch it on the BBC website by following the links provided below.