South Dorset Liberal Democrats

Don't be fooled again by Labour's confidence trick

So the election campaign has begun - with the predictable sparring between Labour and the Conservatives that makes it clear why the public are sick of politics.

And the predictable attempt to squeeze out the Lib Dems - to pretend we don't exist - pull the magic trick with the British people that says 'You can't win- it's a wasted vote - vote Labour here to keep the Tories out!"

The age old confidence trick that's pulled because Liberal Democrats have been too ' nice ' not to put up with it.

The trick Labour is playing here right now in South Dorset… because despite only gaining 13% of the vote in the June elections, despite South Dorset being the only seat save Bristol in the South West where the Lib Dems made gains - one from Labour, two from the Tories - apparently 'this election is a straight fight between Labour and the Tories' !

Oh really ?

Jim Knight has a majority of 1800 - one of the smallest in the country. He achieved this when labour were 6% ahead in the polls. They are now 6% behind. How is he going to make up that 12% ? How is Labour in South Dorset going to catch up the Lib Dems' 37% of the vote in the June elections ? Today's News of the World poll shows the Lib Dems surging by 5% in Labour marginals .

Why is Labour saying we can't win ? Because they know it's not true.

Because they know the bottom has dropped out of their support. They know the Labour voters I meet on the street every day aren't going to vote Labour any more - but they think Liberal Democrat supporters might be stupid enough to : after all, aren't we good at putting the needs of other people first ?

A confidence trick.

Look at Andrew Adonis in the Independent yesterday………Lib Dems are nothing without Labour……we will make a pact with you………come on, take the candy…

No…No…No !

Andrew, it won't work this time.

Lib Dem voters have watched Labour pretend to put our core values into practice time and time again over the last 13 years & it hasn't worked. Apart from devolution, on EVERY major issue you have let us down:

- no real reform of the House of Lords

- palming us off with the promise of voting reform at the fag end of a Parliament

- No Constitution

- No reform of party funding

- No fixed term parliaments

- No regional assemblies

- mass centralisation of power in the state

- no real change

and so, tell you what; we no longer believe you !

And I have a secret to unfold…………when it comes to our values, our beliefs, our credibility , I am not 'nice' - you can't pull the wool over my eyes !

The Labour party in South Dorset is scared - why ? Because we are spoiling the cosy confidence trick by which it could assume those nice Liberals would back it all the way - those Liberals who can't tell the difference between a party that claims it is the only radical party, but goes to war in Iraq, locks up suspects without legal advice, prevents people from demonstrating outside the House of Commons , tries to abolish trial by jury, and rides rough shod over every one of our ancient rights in the name of 'freedom' !

Well I tell you what - this lot don't know what the word radical means. And I know I sound angry, but I am. because this is Jim Knight's voting record:

- FOR the programme of Post Office closures

- FOR indefinite detention in custody without charge

- AGAINST measures to cur emissions from aircraft

- FOR student tuition fees and top up fees

- FOR universal ID cards and an extended DNA database

- FOR the Iraq war

- AGAINST any inquiry into the Iraq war

- FOR giving ministers the power to by pass Parliament

- CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT from EVERY SINGLE vote on MPs expenses

(source www.publicwhip.co.uk)

A voting record closer to Gordon Brown's than that of any other MP save Tony Blair. How is that defending South Dorset ?

And look at Adonis - according to him it wasn't the Liberals who brought in national insurance, pensions, abolished the veto for the hereditary House of Lords, introduced the People's Budget, Homes for Heroes, who got us out of the 1930s recession…….apparently Lloyd George was Labour then ? More Labour distortion of the truth. How dare he,

A confidence trick: and more fool voters this time round if they believe it.

But Adonis shows just how much Labour is running scared. And that's why NOW is the time to stand up for what Liberal Democrats believe in:

- genuine, far-reaching reform of our political system

- decentralising the power of the Labour state

- ethical foreign policy

- fair taxes, and a fair chance for all

- a genuine green agenda

- responsible and fair economics - including reining in the banks

- and politics that listens to the community and gives power back to the people.

And so what I want you to do is to insist on two things in the next 4 weeks

1) That Labour can't be trusted because after 13 years they have let us down & we know we can't believe them. Their pledges at the end of 13 years are the same as they were at the start ! We don't believe you; you've failed; get out; it's time to go ; you are not credible any more.

2) The second thing is this:

We can win here . When I took over 18 months ago it was only an outside chance. But since May last year, our level of support here has drastically changed.

30 - 40 % of voters are undecided. 30 % of voters I speak to say they are going to support us. And you know what ? Only 10 % are saying they will vote Labour.

But Labour will continue to try the old confidence tick - after all , it's the only weapon they have left.

That's why you must tell your friends, tell everyone you speak to that you are voting Liberal Democrat this time because Labour have failed. Labour have not delivered.

Tell them you won't give your vote to Labour again because you know they can't be trusted. Tell them the Labour vote has collapsed here to only 13 % compared to our 37%.

Tell them the truth about Jim Knight; Tell them about his voting record. We won't be fooled again !

Above all tell them one other thing: we ARE here; we WON'T go away; we WILL tell it like it is; we WILL defend their communities and give power back to the people.

The power to do this is in your hands: we have the bit between our teeth: let's go and win the race !