Rarely do political parties, even the Tories, dispose of a leader with the degree of ruthlessness witnessed as Charles Kennedy was dumped out of office. The membership must now exercise the same ruthlessness in the election of a new leader if the Liberal Democrats are to be taken seriously as a mainstream political party in the 21st Century.

To achieve this the candidates, all extremely able, must take risks with their ideas and courage with their responses to a number of key questions.

1. What is the role of the state in both local and central government. Do the candidates believe in liberal tradition of a smaller state and greater freedoms for the individual? If so how would they reverse the trend, under successive Liberal Democrat leaders to legislate and control even more than Labour!

2. How do we improve our key public services now that unprecedented resources have been applied? Do we join the ‘Toryblairite’ consensus over the use of the market or do we look for radical solutions in the Liberal tradition?

3. How do we create a fair system of taxation which supports the poor without penalising the wealth creators? Should we abandon the principles of progressive taxation and if so what should we put in its place?

4. Given that we are committed to devolved government should Scots, Northern Ireland and Welsh MP’s be barred from voting on areas of business where there is already devolved responsibility?

Phil Willis MP
Harrogate and Knaresborough