SUPPORT FOR COALITION DEAL

The following is a joint statement made by Bristol City Council leader Barbara Janke, Bristol West MP Stephen Williams and North Bristol Liberal Democrats chair Ian Campion-Smith today (Weds, May 12, 2010):

We fully support Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrat negotiating team in their achievement of an historic deal for our party and for the country. We hope, as Nick does, that this is the dawn of a new politics and that this new government delivers what Britain desperately needs - stability, political and electoral reform and a solution to the deficit crisis which works, which protects frontline services and which deals fairly with those most likely to feel its impact, the poor and the vulnerable.

In extremely difficult circumstances the Lib Dems have made a deal with the Conservatives which offers the most realistic chance of carrying through a large part of the party's manifesto commitments. Obviously, there has had to be compromise. Like the huge cuts in public spending that would have come whichever government was in power, compromise between the parties in the current situation was inevitable.

But we welcome the compromises the Conservatives have made - such as shelving inheritance tax cuts for the rich - as we do their commitment to introduce Lib Dem tax reforms, such as the £10,000 income tax threshold.

Lib Dems are strong in Bristol. In last week's elections the party increased its majority on the city council, led by Barbara Janke. Lib Dem MP for Bristol West, Stephen Williams, substantially increased his majority in the general election.

With Nick Clegg as deputy PM and four other Lib Dem cabinet ministers, we believe the new Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government has every chance of success in grappling with a difficult economic legacy and making progress on a Lib Dem agenda.