With local elections taking place across much of England (and, lets not forget, the Isle of Angelsey in Wales) on Thursday 2nd May, Nick Clegg’s letter this week focuses on the drive to get out the Lib Dem vote…

With less than two weeks to go until this year’s local elections, the campaigning has really stepped up a notch. I’ll be spending the next week criss-crossing the country, knocking on doors, delivering leaflets and hearing about local Lib Dem success stories from jobs we’ve created to libraries we’re keeping open.

It isn’t just about local stories, though. If I needed a reminder of what we’re campaigning for at the national level, it came through loud and clear from Labour this week. They revealed they will stick to the same failed economic policies that led to the 2008 crash if they secure a majority in 2015, risking jobs and livelihoods. Have they learnt nothing from the economic crisis they caused?

I know I said this last week in my letter, but I absolutely love being out on the campaign trail. A highlight this week was a stop in Kendal with our party president Tim Farron. Seeing Tim in his natural habitat is quite an experience! Tim is such a superb campaigner – whether it’s standing up for local jobs and homes or fighting the county council over its shocking numbers of potholes (40,000 at the last count, if you can believe it) he puts his heart and soul into everything he does.

I expect you know a fellow campaigner like that – or maybe you are one. We have a chance to work together in the next two and a half weeks to get as many of those passionate local Liberal Democrats elected as possible. If you can help – whether it’s delivering leaflets, making calls or making a donation – it really will make a difference.

Tim and I visited Kendal college, which has an important presence in the town, giving opportunities of every kind to local young people. With their catering trainees they run a 14th century restaurant called The Castle Dairy that’s well on its way to a Michelin star; with their hospitality students they run a local museum, one of a kind in the country.

I was also really pleased to hear that at Kendal College they invite 14 and 15-year olds in for a day a week to do vocational training, preparing them for a full time vocational course or apprenticeship once they turn 16. If we want to build opportunity for young people we need to give people routes to explore what they’re good at, and that includes the chance to try out vocational learning.

With support from Liberal Democrat South Lakeland council, the college really is building a positive future for all young people. That’s the kind of difference we can make, where we get elected – and that means getting out on the doorstep or on the telephones to tell our side of the story and win votes.

With our virtual phone bank you can make campaign phone calls from anywhere in the country: I’ve even taken to making calls in the car – when someone else is driving of course.

It’s easy to sign up – click here now to find out how.

Enjoy campaigning and perhaps I’ll see you out there in the next couple of weeks.

Nick

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* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.