Romsey: Lib Dem candidate will highlight party's policies to end discrimination

LIBERAL Democrat candidate for Romsey and the party's spokeswoman on women's issues, Sandra Gidley, is due to launch the Liberal Democrat's campaign for women's votes in London today.

She will highlight how the party's policies aim to end ongoing discrimination against women and outline how the party believes the government has failed to tackle key issues that affect them.

Amongst the Liberal Democrat plans are proposals to introduce a fairer Citizen's pension, a Maternity Income Guarantee, and free long-term care for the elderly, helping both those in need and their carers.

Mrs Gidley, pictured right, will be joined on the platform by party leader Charles Kennedy at the launch where she will explain how women are consistently more likely to vote than men and are also more likely to use their vote tactically.

Speaking ahead of the launch she said: "Women make up nearly half the working population, but don't have the flexibility in the way they work to balance family commitments too.

"We would offer new mothers the option of receiving a Maternity Income Guarantee equivalent to the minimum wage of £170 per week for the six months after the birth of their first child. Two million pensioners in Britain currently live below the government's own poverty line - two-thirds of whom are women.

"The Liberal Democrat solution is a Citizen's Pension based on residency, not on contributions. For the first time, women will be guaranteed a pension in their own right."

She added: "Young women would particularly benefit from our policies to scrap top-up and tuition fees, making university affordable for everyone.

"Unequal pay makes student debt harder on women, with female graduates earning on average 15 per cent less than their male counterparts at the age of 24.

"Women's votes could really swing it at this election. It is clear that many women who turned to New Labour in 1997 have lost trust in Tony Blair."