Baroness Shirley Williams visits Stansted at sell-out event

11.02.15pm GMT Thu 11th Mar 2010

Peter Wilcock with Baroness Shirley Williams (Photo: Tudor Owen)

Shirley Williams told the Supper Club that the country needed a major reform of our parliamentary democracy. The guest of honour at the supper club in Stansted last Friday argued that people were fed up with two party politics. She said people were rightly angry over the parliamentary expenses scandal and last week's revelations about Conservative deputy chairman, Lord Ashcroft's tax avoidance. There needed to be a complete reform of politics and constitutional changes to restore trust in representational democracy.

Baroness Williams echoed widespread criticism of banking for adopting a culture of speculation and high risk, leaving this country with an economic crisis that had to be put right by taxpayers. This harsh reality meant expenditure reductions balanced with the need to be fair and to invest in the future. Liberal Democrats advocated cutting the Trident replacement, stopping the introduction of ID cards, and fair tax. She highlighted the importance of the party's pledge to cut tax for the lowest earners in society so that no one earning less than £10,000 a year would pay income tax.

Peter Wilcock, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Saffron Walden, after proposing a vote of thanks, said: "It was a tremendous honour to host Baroness Williams here in Stansted. She gave an inspiring and challenging speech that has really inspired the local party ahead of the general election campaign".

Stansted branch chairman, Alan Dean, added: "This was the most successful local Lib Dem event in many years. We had to turn people away once the hall was full. Shirley Williams is one of the Lib Dems' best communicators and probably the most admired and loved politician around today."