Local Lib Dem Candidate Answers Your Questions

Joe Bourke speaks to Chiswickw4.com on national and local issues

Joe Bourke, the Liberal Democrat candidate in the General Election on June 8th gives his answers on a range of topics.

Joe, who polled 2,305 votes in the 2015 election (in fourth place, after UKIP), is not in favour of any 'progressive alliance'.

Give three critical differences of ideology between yourself and Ruth Cadbury.

Social Liberalism is grounded in empowerment of the individual and rejects the oppressive state control advocated by socialism. Human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and freedom from poverty are basic tenets of Liberal philosophy.

If elected would you support the proposed boundary changes that would create a new Brentford and Chiswick constituency?

I think the concept of equalising constituency sizes is a reasonable one. However, until we can deal with the inherent weaknesses of the voting system by moving to a system of proportional representation it will have minimal impact on the lack of representation in parliament for millions of voters in the UK.

What do you think of the Mayor of London’s proposed Ultra Low Emission Zone specifically are you comfortable that it splits your constituency in half?

Deteriorating levels of air quality is becoming an increasing problem for our city and our borough. I support evidence based measures aimed at addressing this growing public health problem.

Is direct action against a third runway at Heathrow justified?

The right to protest is a fundamental cornerstone of our liberal democracy. Any protest action must respect the rights of the public and be undertaken in both a legal and non-confrontational manner. The Liberal Democrat manifesto is explicit in our opposition to a 3rd runway at Heathrow unlike Labour or the Conservative manifesto that has pre-empted the public consultation on this issue.

Wouldn’t your promised referendum on the Brexit deal just give the EU an incentive to give us a really bad deal?

The Conservatives approach to Brexit has been flawed from the start. The 27 countries of the EU will act in their best interests regardless of whether we have a 2nd referendum or not. If we were smart, we would seeking to closely align our interests with that of the reform minded economies of the EU and negotiate a deal that can be readily supported by both the UK public and the 27 nation states of the EU.

How can you justify increasing corporation tax given that the amount raised has increased as the rate has fallen and it will make small and medium sized British companies even more vulnerable to competition from foreign multinationals who avoid it?

The amount of tax raised has increased as the economy has recovered. In the early years after the financial crisis, the big banks and other large companies were able to offset large losses and compensation payments for PPI against their taxable profits. After these loss reliefs were fully utilised tax receipts started to increase. The Liberal Democrats would maintain corporation tax at 20%. This is far lower for large companies than the 28% prevailing in 2010 and among the lowest level of rates in OECD countries. Aggressive tax avoidance by MNC’s needs to tackled in concert with other OECD countries.

Would a Liberal Democrat government rejoin the EU if it was conditional on joining the Euro and Schengen?

Liberal Democrat policy remains opposed to the UK joining the Eurozone or the Schengen area. I think any proposal to re-join the EU in the future would have to be subject to ratification in a UK wide referendum.

States in the US where cannabis has been legalised are reporting large increases in hospital admissions due to cannabis and a parallel illegal market in more powerful strains. Don’t you think it would be better to wait for more data from the States before pressing ahead with legalisation?

Liberal Democrats will take back control from criminal gangs, take ‘skunk’ off the streets, and protect young people by introducing a legal, regulated market for cannabis. The current approach is a disaster for young people, whose mental and physical health is being harmed by an increasingly potent product. There are no age checks, and no controls on quality or strength. ‘Skunk’ is widespread and the only ID you need to buy it is a £20 note. Liberal Democrats will take back control from the criminal gangs and protect young people by introducing a legal, regulated market for cannabis.

How much of the 1% increase in income tax to raise £6bn to go towards the NHS will be offset by the scrapping of the 1% cap on public sector pay?

Nurses have been treated like dirt by the Conservatives for far too long. They are working more hours, for less pay and with higher levels of stress, putting pressure on the NHS and leading to worse outcomes for patients. The system is underfunded and heading towards collapse. The Liberal Democrats will fix the chronic underfunding facing the NHS and give nurses the pay rise they deserve.

How can you justify continuing with the triple lock on pensions given that retired people now have a higher income than those of working age?

Pensioners will receive at least an extra £772 per year by 2021 under Liberal Democrat manifesto plans to protect the Triple Lock. The party are making the commitment to older people unlike the Conservatives who have refused to give the guarantee. This guarantee means the state pension is expected to be worth at least £137.15-a-week by 2021, up from £122.30 in 2017.

Thanks to the Liberal Democrats’ triple lock guarantee, the basic state pension has risen in each year by whichever is the higher of earnings, prices or 2.5%. The triple lock was a key demand from the Liberal Democrats in Coalition negotiations. Liberal Democrats believe that an important test of a civilised society is the way in which it cares for the elderly. We will protect the Triple Lock unlike the Conservatives. The guiding principle of the pensions system must be to ensure that none are left unable to meet their basic needs for survival and participation in society, and that everyone is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

If you raise working age benefits in line with inflation at a time when real wages are declining won’t that create a disincentive for people to work?

A damning report by the Resolution Foundation report has found the recent pay squeeze has left many of Britain's 1.8 million older low and middle income households struggling to save for retirement. The report confirms what we already knew: that the Tories are taking people for granted.

This Conservative government has done nothing to tackle falling wages and has chosen to cut working-age benefits. They are now threatening to make the pay squeeze even worse through their relentless pursuit of a Hard Brexit. We always knew that the young were struggling to save for their old age, now it turns out those middle-aged and older are as well. This election is chance to change Britain's' future, prevent a disastrous hard Brexit and protect people's living standards from slipping further in the years ahead.

Why is there no mention of local media in your manifesto? If you think it is significant what would you do to support the sector?

Liberal Democrat policy advocates a strong and diverse media, free from government interference and pressure. We will support a diverse regional and local media. We will help to maintain independent local sources of news and information by enabling partnerships between TV, radio and newspaper companies to reduce costs, and by limiting publicly-subsidised competition for paid advertising from local council free-sheets

What will you say to remain voters in Brentford and Isleworth if Mary Macleod wins ahead of Ruth Cadbury with a majority that is smaller than the number of votes you gained?

We are standing as Liberal Democrats to offer a positive change of direction for our country and a real alternative to the failed policies of both the Conservative and Labour parties. I think this question is more relevant to the Labour candidates in Richmond Park and Twickenham where the race between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives is actually expected to be close.

ChiswickW4.com are holding series of question and answer sessions with the three candidates in the Brentford & Isleworth constituency.

Next week it is the turn of Mary Macleod. Please send your questions to editor@chiswickw4.com. You will need to be registered on the site and resident or working in the Brentford and Isleworth constituency. We won't be asking questions on matters normally the preserve of the local Council including planning matters and recycling arrangements.

We probably won't be able to ask more than 12-15 questions and will pick what we feel is the best one on each topic.

May 22, 2017