Freedom, Justice, Honesty Liberal Democrats will: Manifesto forWomen and £15fortheover80s. for eachsinglepensioner, £10fortheover75s Increase thebasicstatepensionby£5aweek tax altogether. incomes, oftenwomen,outofpayingincome Reform thetaxsystem,takingthoseonlow comprehensive Equality Act. Pay Acts withasingle, moreeffective and replacing theSexDiscriminationandEqual Strenghten anti-discriminationlegislationby Pay foralllongtermcarecosts. Liberal Democrat www.libdems.org.uk Freedom, Justice, Honesty same timeastheGeneralElectionmanifesto. Scottish andWelshLiberalDemocratsapplies.Afull costing documentwillbepublishedatthe This documentcontainsFederalLiberalDemocratpolicy, exceptinareaswherepolicyofthe Northants, NN188AL Printed byContractPrinting,1St JamesRoad,St JamesIndustrialEstate, Corby, both at4CowleyStreet, London,SW1P3NB. Promoted &publishedbyChrisRennardonbehalfoftheLiberalDemocrats, Liberal DemocratManifestoforWomen www.libdems.org.uk Charles Kennedy, Leaderofthe LiberalDemocrats. through realequalityofopportunity. and developtheirownpotential.Ourgoalisbetterrepresentationofwomenachieved opportunity. Wewanttoensurethatallindividualshavetheopportunitydiscover policies addresstheproblemsofwomenwhohavenotbeengivenanequal injustices andinequalitiesremainnewproblemshavearisen.LiberalDemocrat Women havemadegreatstridesoverthepastthirtyyearsbutformanyold social justicearearealityforallwomen,whatevertheiraspirations. are notforgotten. All LiberalDemocratMPswillfighttoensurethatfreedomand Fairer representationatWestminsterwillensurethattheissuesmostaffectwomen that itleadstowiderrepresentation,notjustforwomen,butminoritygroupstoo. apart fromSwedenandDenmark.Theclearbenefitofproportionalrepresentationis higher numberofwomenmembersParliamentthananywhereelseinEurope, of womenbeingelectedtoWestminster. A fairvotingsysteminScotlandproduceda mechanisms thatenablemorewomentostandinelectionswillleadgreaternumbers need togetmorewomenelectedatanationallevel.Selectionproceduresand However theHouseofCommonsstillfailstoreflecttruemakeupsociety. We the firstLiberalDemocratMPtobeelectedsinceIbecameleaderofparty. was addressed.ItthereforegavemegreatpleasuretowelcomeSandraGidleyas myself toensuringthattheunder-representationofwomeninHouseCommons When IwaselectedleaderoftheLiberalDemocrats in August 1999Icommitted Liberal DemocratManifestoforWomen www.libdems.org.uk Charles Kennedy A Messagefrom
Freedom, Justice, Honesty Freedom, Justice, Honesty when theyneedit.Wewould: Liberal Democratsarecommitmenttoprovidingthecarethatpatientsneed, run andproducingbetterresults.Wewould: health. Wewillinvestinpreventionandearlydetection,savingmoneythelong Health isafundamentalfreedom.Noonecanfulfiltheirpotentialwithoutgood Freedom toLive:Health Liberal DemocratManifestoforWomen technologies ataffordableprices. established drugsandsecurethemoresophisticated medicinesand Agency tousethepurchasingpowerofNHS todrivedownthepriceof available insomeparts ofthecountry. We willcreateaPharmaceutical Tackle thepostcodelotterythatmeanssomemedicinesareonly Pay foralllong-termpersonalcarecosts. midwives overfiveyears. Provide trainingplacesforanextra2,500doctorsand7,500nurses Provide anextra3000hospitalbedsoverfiveyears. paying themanadditional£1000onaverageeveryyear. Reward low-paidnurses,midwivesandotherprofessionalsby Restore freeNHSdentalcheck-upsandeyetests. and diagnosticequipment. Double thegovernment’scommitmenttoinvestinlatestscreening www.libdems.org.uk Liberal DemocratManifestoforWomen medical treatment.Wewilltherefore: We believethateveryoneshouldbetreatedwithdignitywhentheyarereceiving facilities forwomentoconsultfemalehealthprofessionals. Promote equaltreatmentofthesexeswithinhealthserviceandexpand End theuseofmixedsexwardsinhospitals. www.libdems.org.uk and gynaecologyhaverisenmaternity ending theuseofmixedsexwards.Thisis Sandra Gidley, LiberalDemocratHealth that womeninBritainhavearealchance “Under Labourwaitinglistsforobstetrics committed toincreasingthenumbersof the onlyrealsolutionsowecanensure resourced. LiberalDemocratsarefully services areunderstaffedand doctors, nursesandmidwivesto for realchange.” Spokesperson
Freedom, Justice, Honesty Freedom, Justice, Honesty men andwomenequalityintheworkplace.Wewould: suffer fromthisanomalyinthelaw. LiberalDemocrats arecommittedtogiving employees. As 80%ofparttimeemployeesarewomen,theydisproportionately discriminated againstbecausetheydonothavethesamerightsasfulltime still facediscriminationintheworkplace.Forexampleparttimeworkersare Despite legislationsuchastheSexDiscriminationandEqualPay Acts women Freedom toEarn:Employment Liberal DemocratManifestoforWomen comprehensive Equality Act. Discrimination andEqualPay Acts withasingle,moreeffective and Strengthen anti-discriminationlegislationbyreplacingtheSex be shared. time, totheequivalentoffullpayforatotal18weeks,whichcanalso maternity rights,andintroduceanewparentalbenefitextended,over Allow parentalleavetobesharedbetweenparents,replacingexisting responsibilities tocontinueinpart-timework. Reform thebenefitssystemtomakeiteasierforthosewithcaring Commission. wage annuallyonthebasisofrecommendationsfromLowPay Protect workersonlowincomesbyreviewingthenationalminimum time employees. moment. Thiswouldgiveparttimeemployeesthesamerightsasfull- cleaners, cooksandretailworkers,manyofwhomareexcludedatthe Amend thePart-timeWorkersRegulationstoensurethatitincludes Aim toremovetaxationforthelowestpaid. We believethatpeoplestart women) outoftax altogether. would take1.4millionpeopleonlowincomes (1.1millionofwhomare so nobobypays anytax ontheirearningsupto£6,500. At present,this taxation onthelowpaid.Overtime,wewillcut10ptaxratetozero, paying taxattoolowanincomeandwilworktoreducetheburdenof www.libdems.org.uk “Women inparttimeworkoftensufferfromunequal Democrats wilgivepart-timersequalrightsand Matthew Taylor, Liberal DemocratShadow rights andpayingtaxonlowincomes.Liberal cut taxonthelowpaid.” Chancellor have tostudyparttime.Wewill: available formaintenance.Thiswouldhelp,example,womenwithchildrenwho at timesimposedbythestate. Tuition wouldbepaid forandstudentloanswouldbe each person’sentitlementtopost-sixteeneducationthroughouttheirlife,ratherthan Ultimately thisapproachtolife-longlearningwouldprovidetheflexibilityaccess In thelongtermourgoalistogiveeverycitizenanIndividualLearning Account. prosperity. We will: the freedomtocontributefullysociety. EducationisalsothekeytoBritain’s future freedom tochooseafulfillingjob,theexploitone’stalentsfull,and High qualityeducationisthekeytopersonalfreedom.Educationprovides Freedom toLearn:Education Liberal DemocratManifestoforWomen thresholdatwhichstudentloansarerepaid. accesstobenefitsforallduringthesummerholidays,andraisesalary Reformstudentmaintenance.Wewouldrestoregrantsforpoorstudentsand Increase fundingforbooksandequipmentinschools. year-olds. Recruit 5000extrasecondaryschoolteacherstoreduceclasssizesfor11-16 Cut classsizesto25onaveragefor5-11 year-olds. to Level3(equivalent2 A-Levels atgrades A toE). equivalent of5GCSEsatgrades A toC).Wewillfundthoseaged1624up funding toallowanyadultthechanceacquireaLevel2qualification(the Give everyadultanentitlementtopubliclyfundedtuition.Wewillprovidethe and havesetabolitionintrainWales. Democrats havealreadyachievedthisinScotlandbymakingitapriorityissue Abolish universitytuitionfeesthroughouttheUnitedKingdom.Liberal backgrounds, removesomeoftheburden studentdebt, academics andtackletherecruitmentretention crisis carefully costedcommitmentswillallowusto restorethe principle ofhighereducationfreeatthepoint ofaccess, “Liberal Democratsarecommittedtoahigh quality free abolish thedisgracefulpaygapthatexistsfor female university provisionopentoallwhocanbeneifit. Our Evan Harris,LiberalDemocrat HigherEducation www.libdems.org.uk open upouruniversitiestostudentsfrompoorer affecting lecturersand researchers.” Spokesperson
Freedom, Justice, Honesty Freedom, Justice, Honesty committed totargetingresourcesatthepoorest pensioners,wewould: men bynearly2to1formeans-testedbenefits. LiberalDemocratsare women pensionershaveincomesofunder£100 perweekandtheyoutnumber Women makeupthemajorityofpoorestpensioners, asnearlytwofifthsof dependency onthewelfarestate.Wewould: In thelongtermweaimtohelppeopleliftthemselvesoutofpovertyand everyone deservesadecentstandardofliving.Wewould: people shouldbestigmatisedforrelyingonthewelfarestate.Webelieve lone parentshavenochoicebuttodependonthestate.Wedonotbelieve Liberal Democratsrecognisethatmanylowpaidworkerswithfamiliesand life. and thosewithlowincomestoensurethatallinBritainhaveabetterqualityof the opportunitiesenjoyedbyothers.Moreneedstobedoneforpensioners Poverty restrictsfreedombecausepeoplewithoutadecentincomedonothave Freedom fromPoverty Liberal DemocratManifestoforWomen existing sanctionshavebeenevaluated. suffer most.Wewillnotimposefurtherpenalties untiltheeffectsof in manycases,thechildrenofthosepenalised aretheoneswho These haveplacedharshburdensonpoorpeopleand Deal. Abolish thebenefitsanctionsthatwerebroughtinunderNew simplistic formula. and willsupplanttheroughjusticeofcurrentcrude courts. Theirmaintenanceassessmentswillbestronglyenforced hardship tosomanypeople,andreplaceitwithasystemoffamily Abolish theChildSupport Agency, whichhascausedunjustifiable themselves in. than ayear. Suchchildren suffer fromthepovertytheirparents find families withchildrenwhohavebeenonincomesupportformore Alleviate childpovertybypayinganadditional£200peryeartoall Liberal Democrat Manifesto for Women