The results are now in for the 2010 local elections. Unfortunately, I wasn’t elected as your local councillor for Fallowfield this time. Despite the Labour boost from the General Election, it was still the closest result in the ward for four years - and despite Labour’s scaremongering, the Tories are still nowhere to be seen in Manchester.

I’m proud of fighting an honest campaign in Fallowfield, and this is not the end for the Liberal Democrats in the area. Whatever happens over the next few days or weeks in terms of the national parliament, I will continue to be involved in Fallowfield’s communities, and continue to make the positive case for the Liberal Democrats in the city. I honestly believe that local people’s needs are best served by hardworking Lib Dem councillors, and I will continue to work hard all year round to demonstrate that.

Thanks very much to everybody who voted for me, and to the people who supported me and helped with deliveries, envelope stuffing, putting posters in their windows etc. There’s still plenty to be done in Fallowfield, so if you fancy getting involved in any way, please get in touch.

I have campaigned against the Digital Economy Act 2010. The law will require the University to spy on student Internet traffic, and could stop bars offering free wifi to customers. It can force people to be disconnected on mere suspicion of copyright infringement.

I attended a recent demo in Manchester organised by the Open Rights Group (of which I am a member), wearing a gag to symbolise censorship. I handed out copies of the Liberal Democrats “Save the Net” factsheet to passers-by and discussed the issue of arbitrary disconnection without trial.

The Liberal Democrats voted against this law in the Commons, and have pledged to repeal it if elected. The elections in Fallowfield and Gorton are between the Lib Dems and Labour. A vote for anyone else supports Labour’s Digital Economy Act and arbitrary disconnection without trial.

Today is the day of St. George, patron saint of England. We live in a diverse and inclusive society, and it’s only appropriate to celebrate all the elements that make up our society, including the English traditions. These days, definitions of Englishness might well include a chicken tikka masala as well as a pint of real ale (indeed, I’m a fan of both!), but it’s entirely appropriate that we take time to celebrate England and Englishness, however we choose to do so.

This Sunday, there’s a St. George’s Day Parade in Manchester, starting at 11:30am in Park View Community School, Miles Platting. John Leech has more details. Further, the Manchester Lib Dems are calling for St. George’s Day to be a Bank Holiday.

However you celebrate the day, I hope you have a great one!

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow (Tuesday 20th April) is the last day for you to register to vote in the upcoming elections. If you haven’t already received a poll card, you may not be registered to vote - and that means you don’t get a say in the future of Fallowfield and Whalley Range.

If you think you are registered to vote, but haven’t received a poll card, contact Manchester City Council’s Electoral Services Unit on  234 1819. You’ll need to download and print off a registration form today and put it in first-class post today, or you can pop into the ESU at the Town Hall (it’s just off the Lloyd Street entrance on the corner of Albert Square) and do it in person, but you’ll need to bring some proof of identity and address.

The upcoming elections could well be the biggest change in UK politics for a century. Polls are currently showing the Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour nationally, and some even put us in first place ahead of the Tories. It seems that the televised Prime Ministerial Debate last Thursday has given people a chance to understand our policies of fairness, and people like what they see. Why not watch the next debates over the next few weeks, read the Manchester News papers we’re putting through your door, or check out our manifestos for Manchester and the country?

The Manchester Liberal Democrats have released a manifesto of what a Lib Dem-run Manchester City Council would do.  Manchester Liberal Democrats are making 5 key promises for the 2010 local elections:

1. Cut Council Tax by £51 for a Band D property
2. Cut waste, including ending the Council Leader’s chauffeur-driven car and claiming back £421,000 owed by other councils
3. Lobby for the return of £82 million Greater Manchester Police Funding, which would pay for over 500 more police on our streets.
4. Spend over £1million extra on gritting and improving our roads.
5. Reverse plans to close Ewing school; and cut truancy levels.

We want to change Manchester for the better, making it safer, greener, cleaner and more local. We will play our full part in the future of Manchester’s City Region. We’ll stand up for the people of Manchester, and give power back to the people.

The Manifesto shows how committed the Lib Dems are to green and environmental issues. Unlike Labour we would include Manchester Airport and aviation in the City’s climate change plan. We would concentrate on improving recycling and reducing waste. Manchester’s Lib Dems are committed to protecting our green open spaces from developers.

Obviously, in a recession, cutting council tax is important to put money back in the pockets of families. Likewise, the main concern that people tell me about in Fallowfield is crime and anti-social behaviour. Increased police funding, and the strong commitment to effective community sentences from the manifesto, will help address these problems and make Fallowfield a safer, happier place to live.

I’m also impressed with the way that the priorities here in Manchester dovetail neatly with the Liberal Democrat’s national priorities. Our tax plans will put more money back into people’s pockets, where it will support struggling local businesses. Our education plans will see the end of tuition fees for students, and more funding and support for our younger children, making sure that our kids have the best chance at life we can give them. Our health plans will give Fallowfield people more say in Manchester’s health services. Our economic plans will see more investment in green local businesses.

The only way to achieve all of this together is to make your vote count, and vote Liberal Democrat for change that works for you in the upcoming local and general elections!

I’ve been looking forward to this debate for a while now, ever since I heard it was happening. The state of the economy is the most pressing issue facing the people I talk to in Fallowfield, and so in a way this debate is more important than the three televised Leaders’ Debates between Nick Clegg, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Vince Cable is the Lib Dem’s Shadow Chancellor. He’s got a PhD in economics, and is former Chief Economist to Shell, which makes him the most qualified person in the debate. He was on the ball spotting the credit crunch before it happened, but Gordon Brown dismissed his warnings - and his solutions, which include getting the banks we bailed out to support more small businesses to keep them solvent and protect people’s jobs.

The main Lib Dem economic policy is that, if Vince is Chancellor, you won’t have to pay income tax on the first £10,000 you earn. This means that an average earner will save £700 every year. This will be paid for by closing tax loopholes exploited by the ultra-rich, and an annual tax on mansions worth over £2 million pounds. This means putting more money in the pockets of the people who are struggling with the aftermath (and, I suspect, impending return) of recession, by asking the well off to pay a bit more.

These debates are a new feature to a UK election, and I think a positive one. I don’t think it can ever be a bad idea to give people more opportunities to see politicians debate, because it’s far more interesting than just listening to manifestos or soundbites. I’m particularly looking forward to Friends of Platt Fields‘ planned pond-side debate on 1st May between the Parliamentary candidates for Manchester Gorton, including my Liberal Democrat colleague Qassim Afzal.

 Here’s the blurb for the programme. I might not watch this live due to a friend’s birthday party, but I’ll definitely be keen to see what comes out of it!

At 8pm on Monday 29th March, Channel 4 will stage a live debate between the would-be Chancellors, Liberal Democrat Vince Cable, Labour’s Alistair Darling and Conservative George Osborne. Krishnan Guru-Murthy will be asking the questions.

From 7pm on the night, Channel 4 will be hosting a discussion of the debate. You can send questions and comment to chancellordebate@channel4.com and follow the debate and comment at http://www.channel4.com/microsites/A/askthechancellors/

You can also get involved on Twitter by “tagging” your Twitter messages “#askthechancellors”.

Vince Cable is the Liberal Democrats’ Deputy Leader and Shadow Chancellor and one of the most popular current politicians. A 22/23 March poll by YouGov showed more people thought he would make the best Chancellor than either Alistair Darling or George Osborne.