Charles Kennedy supports Laura as the Parliamentary Candidate for Tunbridge Wells

1.04.58pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 11th Apr 2005

Laura, "We will be putting forward positive solutions to real problems faced by real people."

Charles Kennedy offered his support to Tunbridge Wells Liberal Democrats as they approved Laura Murphy as their Parliamentary Candidate. At a packed meeting local supporters heard Laura speak about the positive solutions that Liberal Democrats were putting forward to address the real problems that people face every day.

Laura stressed that as well as criticising the other parties she would also set out what the Liberal Democrats would do differently.

"We would scrap student tuition fees, provide free personal care for the elderly across the UK, as we have done in Scotland," said Laura. "We would provide quicker diagnosis for serious health problems to end the "hidden" waiting lists and end the scandalous discrimination against women in our pensions system. We would give £100 more a month to all pensioners over 75. Scrap the unfair Council Tax, deliver more police, smaller school class sizes and put the environment at the centre of all our plans.

Importantly, all our policies are costed and we will be straight forward about how we would pay for them. We would ask the wealthiest 1% taxpayers to pay a bit more on earnings over £100,000. Redirect £5b of government spending by scrapping compulsory ID cards and cutting back central government departments."

In a letter to Laura, Charles Kennedy said, "More and more people are looking to the Liberal Democrats to provide a real alternative to Labour and the Conservatives. And that is exactly what we are determined to do in this campaign. There are no no-go-areas for the Liberal Democrats at this election. We are aiming to take seats from both Labour and the Conservatives in every part of the country."

Laura added, "There is no doubt, we are the REAL alternative."