LIBERAL DEMOCRATS LAUNCH 'THE REAL ALTERNATIVE FOR LONDON'

12.28.28pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 29th Apr 2005

The Liberal Democrats will today launch their London Manifesto, The Real Alternative for London. The document outlines key, costed commitments to tackle crime, reduce class sizes and abolish the unfair Council tax - which by itself would make the average London family £420 better off.

Liberal Democrats would:

· Scrap compulsory ID cards to help fund an extra 2,000 police and more than 1,000 Police Community Support Officers for London, enabling the full roll out of the Safer Neighbourhood programme.

· Axe Council Tax and replace it with a fairer Local Income Tax. The average family would be £420 a year better off in the capital, with around 500,000 pensioners not paying any Local Income Tax at all.

· Cut infant class sizes in the capital from a maximum of 30 to an average of 20, and junior class sizes to an average of 25.

· Provide free eye and dental checks for Londoners, and free personal care for those with long-term health conditions.

· Terminate the PPP contract on the Tube, and seek to take maintenance and upgrades back 'in house' in a way which does not impact on London's taxpayers.

· Bring the 90,000 empty homes in London back into use as affordable housing.

Launching the manifesto, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Charles Kennedy, said:

"London is one of the great capitals of the world. Above all, Londoners themselves make this city one of the most interesting and exciting places on earth.

"But we can do better.

"London should be a place where crime or the fear of crime is not a routine experience. London should be a place where journeys around the capital cease to be stressful and unpredictable and become easier and more reliable. London should be a greener city.

"Research by the Evening Standard has found that Liberal Democrat MP's in London work the hardest of any in the capital. Three of the top five were Lib Dems.

"As in the rest of urban Britain, the Real Alternative at this election is the Liberal Democrats."

Liberal Democrat London spokesperson, Sarah Teather, said:

"The Liberal Democrat vision is nothing less than a Greater London, the most exciting place in Europe and the world.

"Londoners want to see a transformation in transport, and a capital that celebrates its tradition of tolerance, diversity and vibrancy. Liberal Democrats' positive programme offers that choice.

"London is a liberal city, where people should be free from crime and the fear of crime, where they can know that they will not be burdened by the unfair Council Tax, they will have an education system fit for all of the children in the capital with a world class health service free at the point of delivery.

"The Liberal Democrats are the only real alternative to Labour in London."

ENDS