If you want things to be different, really different, choose the party that is different - the Liberal Democrats. (South Suffolk Liberal Democrats)

South Suffolk Liberal Democrats <southsuffolklibdems@googlemail.com>

If you want things to be different, really different, choose the party that is different - the Liberal Democrats.

September 18, 2009 8:00 AM

Britain is facing very difficult challenges and will do for many years: young people out of work, broken politics, climate change spinning out of control, poor housing, civil liberties under threat.

Labour's time is up and they've let you down. The Liberal Democrats are the only strong progressive voice in British politics. We have already taken over from Labour as the leading progressive party in the battle of ideas.

The Tories simply believe that it's their turn. They just say what they think people want to hear. You don't know where they really stand. They offer phoney change, not real change.

The Lib Dems have been straight about the difficult choices we face, even when it hasn't been popular to speak out: on Iraq, the environment, the looming recession, Northern Rock, political reform, the Speaker, the Gurkhas, Trident, Afghanistan. On all these issues and more, we've been prepared to speak out when others have remained silent.

That's how we're different from the others. That's why we offer different, straight answers: fairer taxes, a country fit for all children, green jobs, a total clean-up of Westminster.

The next government will have to make hard choices about spending. The Liberal Democrats would go about making those choices to deliver three key priorities:

Create a sustainable economy: Putting people back to work through investment in green economic growth; breaking up banks so that the risks they take never again jeopardise the whole economy.

Build a fair society: The best start for every child - so that young people do not pay the price for mistakes made today, through smaller class sizes, extra help for children struggling at school, cutting student debt, training and jobs for young people.

Clean up Politics: Cleaning up Westminster - to stop Labour and Tories going back to business as usual after the expenses scandal; Fair votes - so that every vote counts and safe seats are a thing of the past.

And we will cut taxes for people on middle and low incomes - so that no one pays a penny on income tax on the first £10K they earn - paid for from green taxes and closing the loopholes for the very rich.