Nailsea People look at the state of the political parties locally and the manifestos

YOU never know what to believe with all the pledges and promises but the three main political parties published a manifesto this week.

Read one and you are convinced they have all the answers and your vote, read two or three and you are totally confused because by this time they all sound the same.

Slogans and soundbites – we have heard it all before.

A future fair for all? Time for a change? And in the Lib Dem version everything is themed 'fair'.

So how did the launch of the manifesto go down in Nailsea.

Like a lead balloon I would say, with people either not interested or don’t care.

Have you spotted a man or woman wearing a rosette and carrying a clipboard in your street yet? 

This does appear to be a low key election with no-one turning nasty - yet.

If you were a politico would want to kiss a snotty-nosed baby? Is doorstep knocking dead?

How far do people have to go to get elected and what have the local would-be parliamentarians been doing?

Lib Dem candidate Brian Mathew was seen at Nailsea and Backwell rail station early on Wednesday morning handing out newspapers and policy flyers.

But then the Labour Party turned up and spoilt his pitch.

There has been the church debate in Nailsea, a few school visits, all and sundry jumping on the anti-pylon bandwagon and any other local issue which could attract a few votes but little else I fear.

Nationally the Labour Party manifesto launch was at a new NHS hospital.

To view the manifesto click HERE.

To view the cartoon version click HERE.

To view the website of the Labour Party candidate Steven Parry-Hearn click HERE.

It was quick to capitalize on the growth of new hospital and school buildings it had funded nationwide like the £23 million Nailsea School.

In a nutshell Labour promises not to raise income tax and put a global levy on banks.

Under-performing schools, hospitals and police forces could be taken over by teams from more successful organisations.

And a ‘toddler tax credit’ would provide £4 per week extra for families with one and two-year-olds from 2012, while all cancer test results would be available within a week, the party promises.

Candidate Steve Parry-Hearn praised the promises.

He said: “A Labour government will do the most for most of the people.”

Against a backdrop of Battersea Power Station the Conservative Party launched its manifesto – the only one available in hardback!

To view the manifesto click HERE.

To view the YouTube version click HERE.

To view the website of the Conservative Party candidate Dr Liam Fox click HERE.

The manifesto encourages parents and charities to set up new academy schools, pledges to give people the power to veto council tax rises through local referendums, and promises communities the right to buy their local pub or post office.

Following the theme of encouraging local responsibility, it promises directly-elected police commissioners to hold forces to account.

Economic measures include reversing the government's proposed National Insurance rise - and promises to raise the inheritance tax threshold to £1m, freeze council tax for two years and to increase NHS spending in real terms every year.

The former Woodspring MP Liam Fox is now the official candidate for the newly-named North Somerset constituency.

Up in his ivory London pad in the Docklands we haven’t seen much of the main Tory man in the flesh so-to-speak.

However, every radio or television station you tune into and it is the much travelled Dr Fox you will hear talking up Tory policies and rubbishing the rest.

Follow the blogs and he is still being tipped as the next Prime Minister, be it in another decade. 

Fairness is the key strand running through the Lib Dem manifesto, which incorporates four main themes of fair taxes, more chances for children, a greener economy and cleaning up politics.

To view all versions of the manifesto click HERE.

To view the website of the Liberal Democrat candidate Dr Mathew click HERE. 

Along with the much-touted pledge to scrap income tax on earnings up to £10,000, it features guarantees to protect the state pension and increase pay for service personnel.

Measures aimed at cleaning up politics include limiting political donations to £10,000, giving people the power to sack errant MPs and introducing the single transferrable vote system.

Through their manifesto, the Lib Dems attempt to position themselves as the party being honest on the economy by spelling out their estimates on tax and spending.

But first you have to get into power.

Dr Mathew said on his website: “Lord Cotter gave an excellent talk on how he had beaten an 8,000 Tory majority in 1997 in Weston and it is an inspiration for us here in our struggle against 80 years of Tory domination in North Somerset.

“This really is a case of ‘Yes we can!’, but to do so we need people who have voted Labour in past elections, and those who have voted Green and those who have voted blue in the past, but are no longer sure what to do, to come on board and vote for real change with the Lib Dems.

“We can offer Britain a free, fair and green way out of the recession.”

Confused, because I am? It is a pity we only have one vote as I would vote for all of them.

Nailsea People has been told that the Green Party and the BNP will not be standing in North Somerset but has had no direct confirmation from the political parties concerned.

Despite requests we have no details from the UKIP candidate Sue Taylor.

People have until 5pm on Tuesday, April 20, to register to vote with North Somerset Council electoral officer.