Chris Huhne
Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh
Beliefs
I am a Liberal Democrat because I want a real change in our society, not just a change of government or of ministers. We need fairness in everything we do. That means new jobs that are sustainable, because unemployment is the most unfair blight anyone can face. It means fair taxes, because it is scandalous that the rich pay less than the poor.
No-one should pay tax on their first £10,000 of income, giving low and middle income families a £700 a year tax cut. This must be a higher priority than the Tories’ plans to cut taxes for millionaires when they die. We need fairness for our children too: every child has to have a fair start in life whatever their background, and that means smaller class sizes and special help for strugglers.
And we need fairness in our political system: you cannot build a fair society on an unfair political system that gives governments complete power with just 35 per cent of the vote, and which gives more than half our MPs safe seats and jobs for life. No wonder expenses abuses soared. Only fair votes that give you control over your MP will clean up politics and set us on the right path.