Munira Heptullabhai looks into the Liberal Democrat Conference, offering her insights into how they have “sacrificed what little is left of the trust that people have in politicians” and how they can regain it.

Having followed the rise and fall of the Liberal Democrats, and even working with them, I wondered how the Conference and recent comments made by key members of the party would fare as we approach another election. With many arguing that we may fall to the same predicament of a hung parliament and the formation of yet another coalition, not to mention UKIP’s growing popularity and the BNP’s faded existence, where does this leave the Liberal Democrats and what could ultimately come next?

As a student and someone who is paying £9,000 per year tuition fees – introduced by this government – my main fear for the party is whether they have finally and truly isolated the student vote and if they will ever live down the U-turn that many have yet to forget. According to the National Union of Students, ‘Students hold the key to more than a quarter of seats – 81 Conservative, 76 Labour, 25 Liberal Democrats and nine others’. Polling by NUS shows that 73% of students are now registered to vote, compared to only two-thirds in February 2014, leading me to believe that the rise of tuition fees was a policy area that affected a small but significant part of the electorate.

Nick Clegg. Photo: Wikipedia

Following the rise in fees, they have even cemented the idea among some that the young are dispensable. If those who have registered to vote turn out on polling day, the student voice could be unprecedented. So many people are disillusioned by our current political system; everything from education to health to the economy is debated daily. The Lib Dems sacrificed the promise made to the their younger voters in order to negotiate a coalition with the Conservatives, but in reality they have sacrificed a lot more. They have sacrificed what little is left of the trust that people have in politicians.

So what have the Lib Dems pledged to do, to fight their way back into the political arena? The deficit is still a big issue and they aim to cut it by half, reducing borrowing by the equivalent of £3,000 for every household. The Lib Dems have argued that taxes must be raised in order to fight the deficit and this has been supported by comments made by Business Secretary Vince Cable, who has claimed that the Conservatives are ‘lying’ if they tell the public that the deficit can be decreased without doing-so

I would argue against the need to raise taxes, and that savings could be made in other areas such as International Aid.

In 2015, the UK will seize to provide aid to India, a move that should have happened long before now considering that the UK taxpayer has funded £292 million in aid to a country that has a space programme. We should have reviewed the aid we were providing in accordance with India’s booming economy and their own internal developments. In 2012, the UK provided £8.7billion of aid across the globe. With the right planning we could cut this figure down heavily, without affecting those who need our help the most.

We’re at a fragile point where the UK economy is starting to mend itself. It’s not the time to hit workers with increased taxes, but a time to find alternative ways to help cut our deficit.