Lisa Northover, Liberal Democrat, Bournemouth East

Name: Lisa Northover

Candidate for: Bournemouth East

Party: Liberal Democrat

Votes: 13,592

Profile:

Bournemouth councillor who lives in Boscombe with her four children.

She is well known in the Boscombe community, has been heavily involved in the regeneration of the area and edits the Boscalicious website.

Lisa's Blog lisanorthover.com

Lisa on Facebook

We asked all the candidates seven questions suggested by readers. Here are this candidate's responses

Where do you stand on the Digital Economy Bill? Would you support a repeal?

The Digital Economy Bill has now passed into law. The Liberal Democrats were highly critical about the so called “wash-up” process in Parliament which enabled this to pass with limited Parliamentary scrutiny before the General Election. Our arguments to consult more widely before introducing a measure to introduce web-blocking for copyright infringement were ignored. Liberal Democrats voted against the Labour and Conservatives web-blocking amendment in both the Lords and the Commons.

Where do you stand on the Hunting Bill? Would you support a repeal?

The Hunting Act was debated over many hours in both houses of Parliament. Therefore I see no reason to repeal it.

What is your position on Post Office closures?

Post offices are important for our local communities; they service a variety of needs and really are a lynchpin. This is why the Liberal Democrats across Dorset have campaigned to keep post offices open.

Where do you stand on climate change? Do you intend to deliver the current target of 15% of renewable energy by 2020, and if so, how?

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face. I believe we all have to do what we can to make sure our environment is protected for our children. Living here in Bournemouth I feel enormously privileged - the beach is a wonderful natural feature we all enjoy. But I wish we could reduce exhaust emissions from cars. I try to lead by example by cycling all the time! Renewables are a key part of our election Manifesto, creating green jobs by investing in green technology will make a greener and resilient Britain.

Do you support the building of more affordable housing in your area and if so, would you support the relaxation of green belt rules to accomodate it?

We will protect greenfield land and so we would encourage building on brownfield sites to help create new homes for people here in Bournemouth and across Dorset. I personally will campaign for minimum standard in home sizes, and a balanced mix of housing across Bournemouth. We will Reform Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) who make decisions about housing affecting our area and their housing/planning functions will taken over by local authorities.

Would you support a rise in VAT?

I do not see the need to rise VAT. Vince Cable has been very clear about our tax policy. There will be no income tax on the first £10,000 you earn. This will put £700 back into the pockets of millions of people on low and middle incomes and free 3.6 million more people on low incomes from having to pay any income tax at all. Pensioners will get up to £100 extra. The change will be paid for by introducing a mansion tax, closing loopholes that benefit the wealthy and making sure airlines pay for the pollution they cause. We set out in our Manifesto a clear plan to reduce the deficit and get public finances in order. Our approach will be based on economic indicators not political dogma. We will base our decision of when to start cutting the budget deficit on five tests; the rate of growth; the level of unemployment; credit conditions; the extent of spare capacity in the economy and the cost of Government borrowing.

Where do you stand on the issue of acadamies?

We would give all schools the freedom to innovate. We will ensure a level playing field for admissions and funding and replace Academieswith our own model of ‘Sponsor-Managed Schools’. These schools will be commissioned by and accountable to local authorities and not Whitehall, and would allow other appropriate providers, such as educational charities and parent groups, to be involved in delivering state-funded education

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