Vince Cable, LibDem Shadow Chancellor, writes about Gordon Brown's budget

12.00.00am GMT Thu 17th Mar 2005

The Chancellor has delivered a budget which is little more than a sticking plaster for the General Election (writes Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor). He is offering small bribes to people that Labour has let down, but no long-term solutions.

I'd like to tell you about our alternative budget, and I'm asking you to go to http://click.cminteractive.com/?K0fncSt=116362 and write to your local paper to tell people in your area about it too.

The Real Alternative on Pensions:

Under Labour's plans Britain's pensioners continue to receive poverty pensions. The LibDem proposal for a Citizen's Pension ends the discrimination against women and ends poverty pensions. It is expensive, but it is a matter of priority - we'd start with the poorest and most vulnerable - those over 75.

Our fully costed package would give over-75s a pension rise of over £100 a month.

The Real Alternative to the Council Tax:

The tax rise the Chancellor didn't mention is Council Tax revaluation, which is due to start on 1st April. The Welsh experience suggests over 7 million people in England will pay significantly more. LibDems would scrap the Council Tax, and replace it with a fair tax based on the ability to pay. Half would pay less. A quarter would be unaffected. A quarter would pay a bit more.

A typical family would be £450 a year better off. Half of all pensioners wouldn't pay at all.

The Real Alternative on Taxation:

At the last General Election Labour promised they wouldn't raise income tax - so they raised National Insurance instead. The Chancellor is reluctant to impose a 50% tax rate on 400,000 top earners but happy to see 1.7 million low-paid families pay over 60p in tax for every pound earned.

As we've already done so in Scotland, LibDems would abolish top-up and tuition fees and provide free personal care for the elderly - as well as keeping down local taxes. These three measures would be paid for by the introduction of a top rate of tax capped at 50% for every pound earned over £100,000.

Please go to http://click.cminteractive.com/?K0fncSt=116362 and write to your local paper and let them know about LibDem policies. You'll find a basic letter has been written for you. All you need to do is personalise it and send it.