LIBERAL DEMOCRAT PARTY
STUART LANGHORN
website 5 Hawthorn Close, Brookhouse, Lancaster LA2 9NR tel: 01524 770957
email:

Introduction:

I was born in Bingley, near Bradford, West Yorkshire; but have had links with the area since my childhood holidays in Morecambe. I have lived in the Lancaster area for over 14 years; during this time I have completed a degree in English Literature and Religious Studies at Lancaster University and a PGCE in Religious Education at St. Martin's College - training at Morecambe High School and Garstang High School.
After 2 years teaching in Blackpool, I returned to Morecambe High School as Head of RE where I have worked ever since.
I have been married for over 12 years to Louise. We have one son, Harry, who is 7 years old and attends Caton St. Pauls Primary School in Brookhouse where we have lived for the past 8 years.
Hobbies include; looking after our garden, walks with our dog, and Doctor Who!
Experience
2003 - Lancaster City Councillor - University Ward
2003 - Caton w Littledale Parish Councillor

What's the best thing about the area?

There are two things I love about living here. Firstly, the friendly people – one of my wife’s friends was shocked to see so many people waving and saying hello to each other as we walked up Brookhouse Road The second thing is the countryside – absolutely stunning.

And the worst?

Litter is the number one complaint wherever you go. The way into Lancaster is a disgrace and fly tipping is a major problem. The system for choosing a secondary school is the number one talking point amongst parents with primary aged children. They feel that they have no choices and struggle to know what to do for the best for their child. Traffic is also a problem; Lancaster grinds to a halt and rural roads are becoming death traps.

What local issues do you consider the most pressing at this time?

Stopping the Gas Storage on the Wyre
Making sure people can afford to buy a house in this area.
Making sure that everyone has access to a dentist.
Improving the flow of traffic in Lancaster.

Do you support plans for the Northern Bypass?

This is a heart and head issue. My inclination is to say that we should be looking at alternatives to having a by-pass. However, there is a local mandate for there to be a by-pass- with the majority of people in favour of it. I voted in favour of the Northern By-pass when it was considered by the City Council – but on the condition that the by-pass should include a bridge across the Lune to allow for a park and ride scheme, and access to Lancaster for public transport and HGV’s – so they will not have to continue to come through the town centre.
My father is a lorry driver – and so my experience tells me that HGV’s take the quickest route. A by-pass will be used by HGV traffic to Heysham and the industrial sites. However, what concerns me is that the Labour County Council are not seeing the by-pass as part of an overall strategy in traffic management. The bridge and park and rides are not part of their plans. Without them I am concerned that Morecambe Road will continue to be a problem and no HGV management scheme will be able to be put in place in Lancaster centre without effecting business.

What are your feelings about the plans for a gas storage facility being built in the Wyre?

Clearly the scheme is unacceptable. Together, with Harold Elletson (former Conservative Blackpool North MP who has joined the Lib Dems) I put forward a motion at the North West Lib Dem Conference calling for the law to be changed in the UK so that no such storage site could be built within three miles of major settlements. This motion was passed and follows the recommendations put forward after the tragedy in Kansas. The message is clear; with Labour the ODPM would make the decision on whether the site would go ahead - with the Lib Dems the site would never be allowed.

What one policy change do you think government should make that would most benefit local residents?

Scrap the unfair Council Tax in favour of a Local Income Tax. This will mean that the expensive Council Tax re-evaluation will not happen, as is planned, after the General Election. The poorest families and pensioners in our community will immediately be better off because most of them will pay nothing.

Our council seems to be making a lot of cuts in services but council tax still rises. Do you think council tax is a fair way to generate local tax revenues and if not, what should take its place?

There are two issues here. Most local councils are struggling to meet the demands placed upon them by Central Government. A classic example of this is the new Licensing Act – which is set to cost the local Council around £100,000. This means that money must be found by cutting services or by raising Council Tax – as central Government is not adequately funding their new schemes. Clearly, they must do this – so that local people can decide what their local council should do and not be dictated to by Westminster.

The Council Tax is UNFAIR. Lib Dems would SCRAP it and replace it with a Local Income Tax. Under this scheme most households would pay less; most pensioners and those on low incomes would pay nothing at all. Currently, the poorest 20% of our society pay a higher proportion of their income on tax than the richest 20%. This is not fair. A Local Income Tax would redress this – and help the most vulnerable in our society.

What other ways could government better aid local services?

Stop interfering. Labour and the Tory’s are inclined to centralise things at Whitehall – so that faceless civil servants make decisions about an area, which most probably don’t know anything about. Decisions should be made locally – this is why Lib Dems favour devolving power from Westminster to a local level.

There is talk of cuts to free bus school services. What is your position on public transport?
Has privatisation of buses and trains worked?

Labour’s proposals would see an end to the statuary duty on Lancashire county Council to provide free school bus services. Lib Dems have been campaigning against this for sometime locally. It will dramatically effect those living in rural communities – and those living in urban areas will suffer an increase in traffic. 1 bus is the equivalent of 70 car journeys.

Privatisation is clearly not delivering the necessary improvements in our transport system. Whilst the system is profit rather than service driven it is not going to. We must look at the franchises given to companies – making sure that service and investment are a priority. Lib Dems would divert funds from the road-building programme to make sure that there were improvements in public transport. We will also introduce free off-peak travel for pensioners and the disabled.

What do you feel are the major issues affecting the region as a whole?

The region is one of diversity – so different issues are more important in some areas than others. I would say that one problem facing the Northwest, as a region is its inability to make decisions about its own future. I was sad to see that Regional Assemblies have been dropped. I would like to see the North West being able to make more decisions about the direction that it wants to take. But these powers need to be drawn from Westminster and the unelected bodies that currently make them – and not local councils.
The rural areas of the North West are suffering due to a lack of understanding about their communities. They need supporting, services like schools and Post Offices have a vital role to play.
In our urban areas we are told that crime is a problem – but local figures show that it is in fact falling. Despite this people would still like to see more police on the beat. Lib Dems would not introduce ID cards and use the money to fund 10,000 extra police instead. It is a pity that the new Lisecening Act doesn’t give local Councils more powers to stop the problem of binge drinking in our town centres

What is your position on the war in Iraq?

I marched with 2million others against the War in Iraq. The world has become a much more dangerous place since Blair and Bush started ignoring the UN. No one can deny that Saddam Hussein was a poor leader; but we have entered a new world where countries can justify pre-emptive strikes by saying we wish for regime change. I think we are right to question why here and nowhere else?
More importantly people have lost trust in Tony Blair – they are not prepared to believe him any more. There were no WDMs and now it looks like his own advisors were telling him the war was illegal.

The Lancaster and Morecambe area has a large number of students. Given the decline in the number of people voting at elections, how would you try to get them involved in the democratic process?

For many students this will be the first time that they have voted in an election. In recent opinion polls the Lib Dems are way out in front amongst the student population. This is because we have listened to their concerns over Tuition Fees – and will scrap them. Labour have gone back on their promise not to introduce Top Up Fees – and did not listen to many students who were against the war. The way to get people involved in the democratic process is to listen to them and to show that you can be trusted.

How do you respond to the challenge of far right parties such as the new England First Party and the BNP in the area?

The Lib Dem response has to been to fight these parties wherever they stand. Our message is one of hope – whereas their message is one based on fear. We have had recent successes against these parties in Lancashire where the local community have realised that once elected the BNP has nothing to offer.

Mental illness is on the rise but Mental Health services have been drastically cut in this area - acute admission wards at the Ridge Hospital were closed without consultation, resulting in already disoriented patients now being routinely shipped off as far as Barrow for lengthy in-patient stays. A garden centre scheme providing employment for learning-disabled people is also under threat of closure for the same reason - the land is being sold off for redevelopment. How do you view the future of health resources in this area, and what action, if any, would you take to improve them.

Choice is the buzzword at the moment – but it has little basis in reality. What people really want is access to good local services and the ability to influence the priorities of their local hospital. Clearly, giving patients a round trip of nearly 100 miles to Barrow is not acceptable. Lib Dems believe that quality community health care must be available for the mentally ill.
We have been conducting surveys on the provision of dentists locally and found people travelling as far as Norwich and Gloucester in order to get a dentist. Many are using the emergency centres because they cannot get a dentist locally. The myth of choice has been proven to be untrue. Lib Dems would introduce free dental and eye check ups – making sure that prevention is once again at the heart of our health care system.
As the population grows older then the issue of care of the elderly is becoming more important. Lib Dems have already introduced free personal care in Scotland – and would do the same in England once elected

Hilton Dawson has been very accessible to constituents, helping many individuals obtain crucial services and opportunities. His predecessor Elaine Kellet-Bowman was rarely to be seen. If elected, how accessible do you plan to be to your constituents?

I have lived in this area for over 14 years. As a local councillor, I am used to being available at all times over the phone or e-mail. I don’t intend to change that when I get elected.
Nor will I be disappearing back to London if I lose!

According to the government's scientific advisor, global warming is more of a threat to the country than terrorism - how do you expect it to change our lives and how do you plan to help us minimise the damage and prepare best for these changes?

It is becoming increasingly clear that it is not just Global Warming that we should be concerned about – but also the way in which humans are using the finite resources of this planet. A recent report explains that we have used two thirds of the world resources up – and that our consumption is increasing.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that this will impact on the life styles of our children and our own generation. This will be through increases in extreme weather conditions and flooding or the stability of world political and economic systems as crops fail, resources dry up and populations move. We will not be able to live in our part of this island and be unaffected.
Action needs to be taken now on several levels. Locally we are pressing for the recycling scheme to be rolled out to all areas. I have questioned the council’s efforts to combat global warming. Lib Dems are clear about the need for improved public transport if people are to leave their cars behind. There needs to be greater use of local resources – be it wind and wave power through to locally produced food; we should not be relying on imported gas or food. . Nationally we support using the tax system to encourage people to use cleaner cars – rather than 4x4 gas-guzzlers. We support the principle that the polluter should pay. Internationally, Lib Dems would make sure that Britain starts by achieving its targets from the Kyoto Protocol; we would put pressure on the USA and Australia to join in too. Developing countries must also be given support to improve standards of living – with out damaging the environment.

Fox-hunting and hare coursing - for or against?

I would not have voted for a complete ban on hunting with dogs – I think a hunt under licence was the way forward. Many farmers in our area use dogs as an effective form of pest control – I don’t think poisoning or shooting is any more humane. I don’t think we should legislate to stop one farmer going out with his dog.
I have a different view on hunting as a sport, which includes hare coursing. I favour the ban here as it causes unnecessary suffering – but then again so does boxing!
I fear that there has been a missed opportunity here to address how we treat animals in a wider sense – including the use of animal experimentation and food production.

What one thing do you personally hope to achieve should you get elected as MP?

I would like to see help provided so that parents can look after their own children – after all, children like TIME with the parents – not just quality time. Current proposals are about providing more childcare so that both parents can work. I’d like to see parents who choose to stay at home not being penalised at work or in their pension.

What one thing irritates you most as a person...

That Christopher Eccleston is going to quit after only one episode of Doctor Who has been aired!

- And what one thing makes you the happiest?

That Doctor who is back and I can watch it with my 7 year old!