A Record of Delivery:What the Liberal Democratshave achieved in Government

Note

This pocket guide outlines how Liberal Democrats in Government are working to builda stronger economy in a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life. It identifiesour key achievements as of August 2013 and some policies we aim to deliver in thefuture.

As the governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate powersin many areas, this guide shows achievements within the remit of the UK governmentonly. The Scottish and Welsh Liberal Democrats publish their own policies ondevolved matters.

Sources: Office for National Statistics, House of Commons Library, The Data Service,Department of Health, Department for Business, Skills and Innovation, HM Treasury

Compiled and produced by Bess Mayhew, Liberal Democrat HQ, 8-10 Great GeorgeStreet, London, SW1P 3AE.

Contents

Building a Stronger Economy Jobs & Apprentices 4 Economy 5 Fairer Taxes 6 Welfare 7 Cost of Living 8 Transport 9 Immigration 10 Jobs & Trade 11 Environment 12 Rural Economy 13

Creating a Fairer Society Children & Families 14 Young People 15 Education 16 Health 17 Older People 18 Housing 19 Crime 20 Freedoms 21 Equalities 22 Britain in the World 23

Conservative Record 24Labour’s Record 25

The Liberal Democrats have always beenable to campaign on a strong record oflocal delivery. Now - for the first time inour party’s history - we can combine thatwith our record in national governmenttoo.

That’s what we did in the Eastleigh by-election - andit works. But no one is going to tell our story for us.We need to use every opportunity between now andthe General Election to spread our message.

The Tories won’t deliver a fairer society. Labour can’tdeliver a stronger economy. Only the LiberalDemocrats can build a stronger economy and a fairersociety, enabling everyone to get on in life.

Across these pages is all the proof you need:

In Government we have helped businesses createover 1 million new jobs since Labour’s creditcrunch and a record 1.2 million new apprentices.

� The Liberal Democrats secured a £700 incometax cut for ordinary working people. Because ofour tax changes, 2.7 million of the lowest paid nolonger pay any income tax at all.

2

That is real help in tough times, and it wouldn’t havehappened without the Liberal Democrats.

For years our opponents would tell people that weweren’t ready for government. Not any more.

National government is better with us in it: the LiberalDemocrats are making the economy stronger, societyfairer and we’re the only party that can do both.

So be proud of what we’re achieving - and make surepeople hear about it.

3

� We have helped cut the cost of living, savingfamilies up to £600 in Council Tax, £170 in fuelduty, £110 on the TV licence and £1,200 for everychild in childcare.

Nick Clegg MPLeader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister

Jobs & Apprentices

1 million new jobsWe are getting Britain building again, investingin manufacturing and growing businessesacross the UK. So far we have helpedbusinesses create over 1 million new privatesector jobs.

1.2 million apprentices1.2 million apprentices have started under theLib Dems. We are also giving 40,000businesses £1,500 each to take on youngapprentices.

Lib Dems are creating jobs and building astronger economy, helping people get on.

1.2 millionapprentices

1 millionnew jobs

Help for job creatorsWe are giving all employers £2,000 cash backon the tax they pay on their employees. Withthis money, a business could employ 4 morepeople on the minimum wage or one personon £22,400 without paying any more tax.

£2,000jobs tax break

4

Economy

Boosting manufacturingWe are building a new hi-tech economy by:� Protecting the science budget from cuts� Giving tax relief to inventors� Increasing research and development (R&D)

tax credits for small businesses� Putting £5.5bn extra into science, renewable

energy and manufacturing

Helping businesses growWe are giving millions of pounds to growingbusinesses through our £3.2bn RegionalGrowth Fund, creating and protectingthousands of jobs in England.

Lib Dems are fixing the deficit, boostingmanufacturing and supporting growing

businesses across the UK.

Cleaning up Labour’s messWe have cut the deficit by a third and keptinterest rates low for families and businesses.And we are breaking up the banks to makesure they can never again hold the Britishtaxpayer to ransom.

Deficit cut by a third

Labour Coalition

71,480 jobs

79,990 jobs65,120 jobs

96,270 jobs20,100

jobs

43,320jobs28,000 jobs

Fairer Taxes

£9bn back from tax dodgersWe are cracking down on tax avoidance,bringing in an extra £9 billion per year by 2015.

We have set up agreements with othercountries to stop people hiding their money -bringing in extra tax on top of the £9bn. Andlast year we brought criminal convictionsagainst 400 tax dodgers, clawing back £1bn.

£700 income tax cutWe are giving a £700 tax cut to 24 millionpeople by making sure nobody pays anyincome tax on the first £10,000 they earn.

We are also pushing to make sure nobodypays income tax on earnings below the level ofthe minimum wage, about £12,500.

Lib Dems are making the tax system fairer,cutting taxes to help people get on in life.

Making the rich pay their shareWe have put a tax on private jets, a MansionTax on tax dodgers and are campaigning tocreate a full Mansion Tax on all propertiesworth over £2 million.

Under this Coalition, someone earning £1mwill pay £381,000 more tax than under Labour.

£2m

Aim to tax mansionsworth over £2 million

£700tax cut

£5bn

Channel Islands

Switzerland

£1bn

£3bn

Liechtenstein

Welfare

Making work payWe are making work always pay more thanwelfare. We are giving 24 million workingpeople a £700 income tax cut and cappingbenefits at £26,000 so that people out of workdon’t get more than the average workingfamily.

Jobseekers’ contractWe have created a jobseekers’ contract, whichsays the government will work hard to helppeople get a job, as long as they takeresponsibility for finding one. Most people onbenefits want a job but often need a bit of extra help.Instead of demonising them, we are giving them theright support to find work.

Contract

Ending Labour’s benefits trapWe are introducing a fairer system, replacing30 different benefits with one simple ‘universalcredit’, which withdraws benefits gradually, soit always pays to work. This will end Labour’sbenefits trap where someone who tried to workmore could actually be worse off financially.

We’re making the benefits system fair, giving peopleopportunities to find work, but making sure they take

responsibility for using those opportunities.

£60,000

£40,000

£20,000

Benefits cap(equals averagefamily income)

Unlimited benefits

Labour Coalition

7

Labour’s Benefits Trap

On benefits In work

Cost of Living

Helping with living costsWe have frozen fuel duty, making it 13p perlitre less than it would have been underLabour, saving motorists around £170 a year.

We have also funded a 3-year council taxfreeze, saving the average family £600 since2010 and frozen TV licence fees, saving £110.

£1,200 to help with childcareWe are giving working families up to £1,200per child towards the costs of childcare.

Lib Dems are helping with the cost of living inthese tough times, enabling everyone to get on.

Save£170

8

£700 income tax cutWe are giving a £700 tax cut to 24 millionpeople by making sure nobody pays anyincome tax on the first £10,000 they earn.

This means we have cut the income tax bill foran average working family by a third since2010.

Average family income tax

Labour Coalition

Transport

Transport projects near you:

Lib Dems are investing in transport to help usbuild a stronger economy, creating over

100,000 jobs through High Speed 2 alone.

� HS2 to Manchester (B’hamjourney time cut to 41 mins)

� £560m to create a NorthernRail hub across major cities

� HS2 to Leeds (B’hamjourney cut to 57 mins)

� £58m for new trains forSheffield Supertram

� £560m Northern Rail hub, linkingNewcastle to Leeds, Sheffield,Manchester, Liverpool

� £240m East Coast Main Lineupgrade, cutting journey times� HS2 to B’ham (London

journey cut to 49 mins)� Cycle path from Cole Hall

lane bridge to Solihull

� Bristol Bus Rapid Transitscheme

� New cycle routes:Yeovil to Sherborne,Bedminster to Cliftonand round Lower BristolRoad in Bath

� Reading station upgrade� New £270m rail link from

Bedford to Oxford� Building Crossrail, creating 30,000 jobs� Extending Northern Line to Battersea

� £240m East Coast Main Lineupgrade

� £500,000 to create the largestUK cycle hub in Cambridge

� £800m to fully electrifythe Midland Mainline

� £371m to extendNottingham Tram

� HS2 will cut journeys to other cities andconnect Scotland to Europe

� £50m to upgrade the Sleeper Service

� Electrifying the South Walesand Valleys lines and workingto find investment to electrifythe North Wales line

Immigration

Immigration down by a thirdWe have cut immigration by a third and we areensuring we get the best and brightestmigrants, like scientists and engineers, to helpus build a stronger economy.

Rebuilding trust in the systemWe are cracking down on abuse of the system,shutting bogus colleges that let students workinstead of study and toughening English testsso migrants can participate in British society.

We are also introducing exit checks at bordersso we can check that people are leaving thecountry on time.

No more child detentionWe have ended Labour’s disgraceful practiceof routinely detaining innocent children forimmigration purposes.

We’re building a firm but fair immigration system.Highly-skilled immigrants can help us build astronger economy, but the system must work.

10

Immigration cut by a third

Labour Coalition

Jobs & Trade

Trade with new economiesWe are helping businesses sell British goodsabroad - for the first time since the 1970s, weare exporting more cars than we are importing.

We have also boosted exports to neweconomies and created a scheme to promoteBritish business around the world.

A strong economy in EuropeThe UK economy is stronger as part of the EU.3 million jobs, 51% of exports and thousandsof British businesses depend on Europe.

Lib Dems are the only party working with othercountries to reform the EU so it works forBritain, tackling challenges like cross-bordercrime, terrorism and the global economy.

Lib Dems are making Britain stronger in the worldeconomy, creating jobs and opportunities for

British businesses.

11

Making Europe strongerWe are working with EU countries to increasetrade across the whole of Europe. We aresetting up Free Trade Agreements with theUSA, Japan, India, South Korea, Canada andSingapore, creating millions of jobs.

47% to China33% to India33% to Brazil

Exports are up:

UK Exports

15%

15%

8%8%

51%

Middle East& Africa

Non-EUEurope

Asia &Oceania

N. America

EU

Environment

Green jobs by improving homesOur Green Deal lets most people insulate theirhomes for no up-front cost. This will cut fuelbills, reduce carbon emissions and create60,000 jobs.

Green jobs from renewablesWe are creating up to 200,000 new green jobsby investing in renewable energy and hightech green manufacturing, including throughour UK Green Investment Bank - the first of itskind in the world.

Lib Dems are building a stronger, greenereconomy, creating jobs now and protecting

our environment for the future.

12

Tackling rising fuel billsWe are making energy companies put peopleon the lowest tariff and have introducedcollective switching, allowing people to usetheir ‘buying power’ to get the best energydeals. We are also ensuring people arecompensated directly when an energycompany breaks the rules.

£

Protecting Post OfficesWe ended Labour’s Post Office closureprogramme and instead are modernising thePost Office, giving communities a bigger say inhow it is run. Post Offices will be able to offermore services to people who need them, suchas free-to-use cash machines.

A fair deal for British farmersWe are boosting the rural economy andmaking sure farmers get a fair deal by creatinga Groceries Code to stop big supermarketsripping them off.

Rural broadbandWe are improving access to high speedbroadband with our £830 million strategy,boosting growth and creating thousands ofjobs, especially in rural areas.

We are building a strong rural economy, rollingout broadband and getting a fair deal for people.

Rural Economy

13

Children & Families

Shared parental leaveWe are introducing shared parental leave, somothers and fathers can share maternity andpaternity leave as they see fit.

£1,200 for childcare costsWe are giving working families up to £1,200 forevery child to help with childcare costs.

We’re giving every child a fair start and making iteasier for parents to balance childcare with work.

14

15 hours free early educationWe have given all three- and four-year-olds 15hours of free early education per week for thefirst time ever, and are giving 40% of two-year-olds the same entitlement.

15 hoursfree earlyeducation

Higher EducationWe have made the new system of student finance as fair as possible:� Nobody pays anything until they have

graduated and earn over £21,000� The poorest 30% pay less overall

than under the previous system� All graduates pay less per month

Graduate Monthly repayments salary Labour Coalition £20,000 £38 £0 £25,000 £75 £30 £30,000 £113 £68 £40,000 £188 £143

Young PeopleLib Dems are building a stronger economy,creating jobs and apprenticeships to help

young people get on in life.

More apprentices than everWe have created more new apprentices thanever before. So far, 1.2 million people havestarted an apprenticeship.

We are also giving 40,000 businesses £1,500each to take on young apprentices.

New apprentices

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Labour Coalition

Tackling youth unemploymentWe are helping young people get off the doleand into work through apprenticeships,training or work experience. So far we havehelped 100,000 find work experience.

Education

Ambitious for every childWe are reforming school league tables so thatschools are rewarded for the progress made byevery student - not just those on gradeboundaries.

Giving schools more freedomsWe have reformed Labour’s flawed academiesprogramme and slimmed down their restrictivenational curriculum, giving schools andteachers more freedom to design lessons tosuit individual children.

Our £2.5 billion Pupil PremiumWe are raising standards in schools throughour £2.5 billion Pupil Premium, which targetsextra money at pupils who need the most help.

We’re giving every child a fair start in life, puttingextra money into schools and giving schools and

teachers the freedom they need to teach.

Slimmed-downNational Curriculum

£2.5 billionfor schoolsin England

Health

Mental healthWe believe mental health should not beignored or stigmatised, but should betaken as seriously as physical health.We are using £400 million to help people with mental health problemsget the right support early on, such as through talking or psychologicaltherapies.

Capping social care costsWe are protecting people from high andunpredictable care cost by introducing a capfor the first time ever and helping people withcosts earlier on.

This will ensure that nobody has to sell theirhome to pay for care.

Lib Dems are increasing the health budgetevery year and making sure people get better

care and faster treatment in the NHS.

908,000patients accessed

psychological therapies

Better care in the NHSWe are improving care and services across the board:

5,268 more doctorsMRSA superbug infections now lower than everOutlawed mixed-sex hospital wards28,000 accessed cancer drugs they weren’t allowed under Labour

17

Older People

Protected pensions for the futureWe are introducing a single, simple and decentstate pension, increasing it from £107 to £144per week. We are also guaranteeing 11 millionworkers an automatic workplace pension thattheir employer and the government contribute to,giving everyone the confidence to save.

Making age discrimination illegalWe have ended the scandalous situation under Labour, whereemployees could be sacked just for turning 65. Now everyone over 65can choose whether they work or not, regardless of their age.

£650 for today’s pensionersOur ‘triple lock’ on the state pension means itwill always rise with inflation, earnings or 2.5%- whichever is highest. This new system meantpensioners received the biggest ever cash risein their pension last year, now worth an extra£650 since Labour.

Lib Dems are making sure pensioners get afair deal in these tough economic times.

State pension can never rise byless than our new legal minimum

£6

£4

£2

£02000 2011 2012 2013

Labour’s insulting 75p rise

Largest evercash rise

18

Housing

Helping first time buyersWe are helping 84,000 first time buyerspurchase their own home by giving themaccess to cheap mortgage deals.

Empty homes back into useWe are bringing 70,000 empty homes backinto use though a £160 million scheme and byrewarding councils that bring back emptyhomes.

Building more homesWe are creating up to 340,000 constructionjobs through a £10bn scheme to help housebuilders build more homes, as well as acommitment to build 190,000 new affordablehomes.

We are investing in house building, helping usbuild a stronger economy and a fairer society.

70,000empty homesback in use

19

Crime

Protecting womenWe have introduced new laws against stalkingand forced marriages, and allocated £28million to support victims of rape and domesticviolence.

Tackling reoffendingWe are breaking the cycle of reoffending. Weare tackling drug addiction in prisons andputting prisoners to work, with their wagesgoing towards a Victims’ Fund, and givingthem skills they can use to stay out of trouble

Cutting crimeWe are cutting crime across the country andgiving communities more power to tackleanti-social behaviour. Crime is now at thelowest point since records began.

Lib Dems are letting the police focus oncutting crime, not ticking boxes.

20

2004 2008 2012

Total crimes committed

Freedoms

Restored British freedomsWe have restored common sense to the legal system. We have:� Scrapped the law where you could be arrested for being “insulting”

� Restored the right to protest

� Stopped councils snooping

� Reformed bureaucratic criminal records checks for ordinary people

A freer, fairer politicsWe have introduced fixed term parliaments forthe first time ever, meaning prime ministerscan no longer change the timing of an electionto suit their own political agenda.

Protected people’s privacyWe have scrapped Labour’s intrusive andexpensive ID card scheme, stoppedgovernment permanently storing the DNA ofinnocent people and ended the fingerprintingof children in schools without parental consent.

Lib Dems are creating a fairer society byrestoring hard-won civil liberties.

21

5 yearfixed term

parliaments

Equalities

Race equalityWe aim to build strong, united communities,regardless of people’s background. We aretackling racism including anti-Muslim HateCrime and Anti-Semitic incidents and boostingEnglish lessons to help non-native speakersachieve their full potential.

People with disabilitiesWe are making workplaces more accessiblethrough the ‘Access to Work’ scheme andhave introduced an Access to Elected OfficeFund to ensure support for disabled peoplewanting to stand for election.

Equal marriageWe are introducing Equal Marriage for allcouples, and stopping the unfair situationwhere transgender people had to get divorcedeven if they wanted to stay married.

Lib Dems are working towards a fairer, moreequal society, enabling everyone to get on.

Britain in the World

Helping the world’s poorestThe UK will meet its pledge to spend 0.7% of income on aid, helping to: Save the lives of 250,000 babies and 50,000 mothers Educate 11 million children Support 50 million people work their way out of poverty Immunise 55 million children against preventable diseases End polio within a generation, protecting 360 million children

No Trident replacementBecause of the Lib Dems, there will be no like-for-like replacement of the expensive and out-of-date Trident nuclear weapons system in thisParliament. We are also examining moreefficient and up-to-date alternatives to Trident.

Tackling Female Genital MutilationWe are breaking the taboo on Female GenitalMutilation (FGM), pledging up to £35m to reduceFGM by 30% in 10 countries within the next 5years - and end it worldwide within a generation.

140m women and girls globally have undergone FGM and 3m moreare at risk - including 24,000 in the UK.

£35mto end FGM

Lib Dems working towards a fairer world,protecting those most in need.

23

Conservative Record

Let schools be run for profitSome Conservatives want private companiesto be able to take over schools and run themfor a profit.

We have ensured this will never happen whilethe Lib Dems are in Government.

Allow bosses to fire staff at willThe Conservatives planned to scrap workers’rights by letting bosses fire people for noreason.

Liberal Democrats stood up for workers’ rightsand blocked these unfair plans.

Inheritance tax cut formillionairesThe Conservatives planned to give the superrich a £270,000 inheritance tax cut. We haveblocked this proposal and instead given 24million ordinary workers a £700 income taxcut.

The Conservatives cannot be trusted to build afairer society.

24

£270,000inheritance tax cut

for millionaires

BLOCKED

£BLOCKED

YOU’RE FIRED!

BLOCKED

Labour’s Record

Numbers that don’t add upLabour can’t get their numbers right on theeconomy. Their extra spending and unfundedtax cuts would break their own debt rules andadd £201bn* to the UK’s debt for our childrenand grandchildren to pay off.

Let the banks run wildLabour spent 13 years cosying up to thebanks, recklessly gambling the UK economyby deregulating the City of London andencouraging risk activity. Labour then left thetaxpayer with a huge bill as the banks had tobe bailed out when they inevitably failed.

“There’s no money left”When Labour left office, they left a note in theTreasury, saying that there was no money left.Labour cannot be trusted to manage ourfinances. In their last 5 years they increaseddebt by £336.5 billion, nearly bankruptingBritain. We are cleaning up their mess.

Labour cannot be trusted to build astronger economy.

25

£201 billionextra govt debt,

breaking Labour’sown debt rules

*According the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies

£336.5billion

$

Compiled and produced by:Bess MayhewLiberal Democrat HQ8-10 Great George StreetLondon, SW1P 3AE

ISBN: 978-1-907046-74-2 © Aug 2013

Copies of this guide and other Liberal Democrat publications can be bought from:Lib Dem Image, The Workshop 24, Cheyne Way, Farnborough, Hants, GU14 8RXwww.libdemimage.co.uk

“The Liberal Democrats are working for astronger economy in a fairer societyenabling every person to get on in life.”