Here is the answer from the Libs.
Nice to know that they care enough to answer, and that they have a sense of humour ( see answer to last question)
Some questions that I would like answered by the political parties
1) Europe: EU Politicians like Lionel Jospin (French Premier) have just called for unified European Budgets, does this mean that they want a superstate. If this is the case we won’t be allowed to set our own tax levels, interests rates and we will lose the pound. What are your feelings on this question?
There are no plans by the EU to set a "unified budget" for every member state in the Union. To do so would require the agreement of every member state, including the UK. We are in favour of joining the Euro subject to a referendum of the people of the UK.
2) Asylum: Britain seems to be the place that most asylum seekers favour. As the governments efforts to control illegal immigration has failed, how do ministers propose to tackle this problem. (And I’m not talking about those who are real asylum seekers)
We believe in treating all asylum seekers fairly. We would remove the voucher system and return asylum seekers to cash benefits and allow them to do voluntary work. We would speed up the decision making system to give asylum seekers a quick decision.
3) Taxation: T B Liar promised no tax increases’. We have had 45 stealth taxes imposed on us; this is the equivalent of 10p on the basic rate of tax. So why should we now listen to them saying that they are not going to raise taxes. Just how much tax are you going raise?
We will add 1p onto the basic rate of income tax and levy a rate of 50p on earnings over £100.000
4) Crime: New York has proportionally 4 times as many police as London has, and in fact there are less police now than when NL came to power. Is this the way to tackle crime?
We will recruit 6000 extra police officers and ensure that rehabilitation takes place in prisons to prevent reoffending. We will tackle the causes of crime by helping drug and alcohol abusers and establish a National Crime Reduction Agency.
5) Hospitals: The BMA has revealed today SIX YEAR WAITS FOR HOSPITAL CARE. Isn’t it about time that we had private/public funding for the NHS, they have this system across the water and this allows them to spend more on health than we do.
We believe that the NHS should be funded by general taxation and we will reduce waiting lists by recruiting more nurses, doctors and professionals.
6) Defence: We are supposed to be joining a European Armed Force, which means more time spent abroad. We now spend less on defence than in the 1930’s and we have to borrow submarines from Germany. How are you going to address this situation?
We will resist any further reductions in the defence budget and honour our commitments to the EU, NATO the UN and the Commonwealth.
7) Schools: So they fulfilled one pledge to lower the class sizes in primary schools.
What about Secondary schools? Class sizes are now higher than when the Tories were in power. Children are our future and this needs to be sorted NOW.
Our extra 1p in the pound on the basic rate will be spent improving education at all levels.
8) Transport: We don’t have a viable transport system in this country. Roads or rail and John Prescott hasn’t helped, what are you going to do about our failing transport system in this country?
We believe in an integrated public transport system and would turn Railtrack into a not-for-profit public trust.
9) Trust: How can we trust a party that was going to be purer than pure. When they have Geoffrey Robinson on their backbenches and Keith Vaz among their ministers?
Would you as a party have sacked these ministers if this was you?
Charles would never have appointed them in the first place, being Labour members of parliament.
Yours sincerely
Richard Coxon
Information Unit