FIGHTING FOR JOBS AND HEALTH CARE - AND AGAINST SECOND-HOME COUNCIL TAX PERKS

First published by: The Guardian

Making a point - Tim Farron, president of the Liberal Democrats

This last year has been an incredible roller-coaster in just 12 months we've seen old dictatorships overthrown and replaced with a new age of democracy in North Africa, the potential downfall of Rupert Murdoch's media empire through the phone hacking scandal and a summer that saw rioting in some of the UK's biggest cities.

The BBC has labelled 'The year when a lot happened' which has a catchy ring to it... but of course they are right!  In Cumbria we've had our own ups and downs too. One of the highlights of my year was the opening of our new chemotherapy unit at Westmorland General Hospitalin Kendal. We've been campaigning for years to bring cancer services to the hospital and so this is a huge win for us as a community. It was proof that a community working hard together can make a real tangible difference to improve the lives of local people.

This is only half the job though and as a community we have since gone on to campaign further for a radiotherapy unit for the hospital and this will be one of my main focuses for 2012 to ensure that cancer patients across the South Lakes and Barrow have much easier access to the treatments they need.

Another successful campaign I've been working on is the battle to remove the unfair Council Tax subsidy for second home owners. Across the South Lakes we have almost 3,000 families who are on the waiting list for social housing, yet there are over 3,000 second homes in the area. For a long time I've felt that it is incredibly unfair that councils have been forced to give up to a 50% subsidy on Council Tax for second home owners.

Providing a tax cut for those who clearly need it least is ridiculous and that's why I was delighted when the Government announced this autumn that this enforced subsidy would be removed and Councils will now be able to charge full Council Tax on all second homes. In South Lakeland this could make a huge difference in the campaign to provide more affordable housing to families that need it most.

In 2011 Westmorland and Lonsdale has had some of the lowest unemployment figures across the whole of the UK. On the surface this sounds like a fantastic statistic; however, it does not take into consideration the fact that we have among the highest rate of workers on minimum wage across the whole of Britain. The average salary in the South Lakes is just £24,928 while average house prices are over £250,000.

We've gone someway to try and tackle this injustice with the removal of the second home Council Tax subsidy and back in October Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon Ltd made a successful bid to the Regional Growth Fund that will create up to 500 jobs in and around Kendal and safeguard a further 250 – a fantastic result for Gilkes and a fantastic result for the South Lakes local economy.

In government things have been eventful too – with the first increase in the lower tax threshold lifting over 800,000 people out of tax altogether, the battle to prevent the scrapping of the 50p tax rate and the ongoing efforts to turn around the Health and Social Care Bill to ensure the future of our NHS and undo some of the privatisation that happen under the last government. There hasn't been a dull moment and recent events in Europe, which have split the country down the middle, mean the next year is likely to be just as eventful as we struggle to rebuild our relationships with Europe and ensure we get back to the top table of discussions to ensure that decisions made will be in Britain's best interests.

READ WHAT: ERIC PICKLES ‘SECRETARY OF STATE’ SAYS ABOUT OVER-CHARGED COUNCIL TAX. 

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