Around a thousand businesses in West Dorset would save more than £600 a year on their annual rates bill under proposals unveiled from the Liberal Democrats. Welcoming the launch of the Liberal Democrat Manifesto for Business, Justine McGuinness, Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson for West Dorset, said:

“This is great news for local small firms. Small businesses currently pay much more of their turnover in business rates than larger companies. This is just not fair. The Liberal Democrats will introduce a Business Rates Allowance that will deliver relief on business rates for smaller businesses, saving them, on average, over £600 a year.

“We will also slash the red tape, bureaucracy and over-regulation that are holding local businesses back. No new regulation will be passed until there is a full published assessment of its costs and necessity. Instead of bureaucratic central government business support schemes we will provide businesses with advice and support accessible on the ground where they operate.

“And we will equip school leavers with the kind of skills local employers really need. From the age of 14 we will give pupils greater choice on how they continue their education, including the option of taking up an apprenticeship or other accredited workplace training scheme.”

Voters who have “vanished” from West Dorset’s electoral register have only until this Friday, 11 March, to register to vote urged local Lib Dem Parliamentary hopeful, Justine McGuinness, today. In parts of West Dorset, including Dorchester, Bridport or Sherborne, nearly one in 10 houses is not listed on the electoral roll. On the streets with the most vanishing voters, in Bridport, the figure rises to one in every four houses.

‘In West Dorset at the next General Election every vote will count. This is one of the most marginal seats in the county,’ said West Dorset’s Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, Justine McGuinness. ‘Anyone who wants to vote at elections in May needs to register to vote by this Friday, 11 March.’

West Dorset is one of the most marginal seats in the UK. The sitting MP has a ‘waffer-thin’ majority of 1,141. The Lib Dems only need a 1.7% swing to take West Dorset at the next General Election.

West Dorset has had no boundary changes. However, following changes introduced by the Government and the Conservative controlled District Council’s decision to cut the budget for encouraging people to register, the roll has fallen. Over 3,300 addresses occupied by voters on the electoral roll in 2004 do not appear on the 2005 register. Those homes housed over 5,000 voters, who now are unable to vote.

Every Saturday morning for the past two years, Peace Campaigner, David Partridge has spent an hour in Bucky Doo Square patiently spreading his message. As we approach the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq (19 March), Liberal Democrat Parliamenta Mr Partridge, a computer broker in civilian life, he transforms into a peace vigilante on Saturday mornings carrying his hand-painted placards to the town centre to broadcast his anti-war philosophy. Two years on he has lost none of his anti-war passion:

“The peace group was formed out of the people who used to meet every Saturday to protest against going to war in Iraq. When the invasion happened most of them stopped but my personal view was that nothing had changed about the wrongness of the war just because Tony Blair ignored public opinion. Nothing makes war any better.

“I spend an hour a week here. Somebody once said to me: “Haven’t you got anything about not crashing planes into buildings?” and it turned out he was a soldier on standby to go to Iraq. He believed the lie that Iraq had something to do with the World Trade Centre. I don’t believe people should die on the basis of lies - Iraqi people or British people.”

Justine McGuinness, West Dorset Liberal Democrat, commented: “The Liberal Democrats were the only party to oppose the war from the very beginning. Our views on involvement in this military action are well known. Tony Blair took Britain to war on a threat and a promise: the threat of weapons of mass destruction and the promise of focusing attention on the Middle East peace process. Neither has materialised and sadly we can see the tragic consequences. The original - unjustified - use of force has been a powerful growth-agent of terror.”

Charles Kennedy MP, leader of the Liberal Democrats, recently commented on the withdrawal of troops:

“The coalition presence in Iraq is currently legitimised by the United Nations mandate which runs until December. There is nothing to stop us openly setting that as a deadline for the withdrawal of British troops. Such a deadline would inject a new sense of urgency into ensuring that Iraqi defence and security forces are made ready.

“It may well be that there would still be a need for the international community to help provide Iraq’s security beyond that time, but a more suitable answer than a continuation of the occupation by coalition forces would be a proper UN military presence - ideally drawing particularly on troops from predominantly Muslim countries.”

Justine McGuinness, West Dorset’s Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate, and Bridport Town Councillors including Cllr Martin Ray, will be holding a surgery in Bridport Town Hall on Saturday 12 March between 10.00 and 12 noon. Justine McGuinness commented:

“We regularly hold surgeries. They are our chance to listen to Bridport residents and are very important. Town and District Councillors will join me on Saturday at the Town Hall.”

If you have a problem or any issues you would like to discuss please either ring 01305 261 054 or turn up on the day.