A large cheerful group of Liberal Democrats candidates gathered at Forde House Newton Abbot on Saturday to give the Teignbridge Liberal Democrat Election Manifesto a warm reception.

Group Leader Cllr Gordon Hook launched the campaign to regain control of Teignbridge Council. The manifesto outlines our aims and objectives should we win on 2nd May.

Our absolute priorities will be genuinely affordable housing to buy and rent for locals, and tougher negotiating with developers; to work closely with the police and all other agencies to rid our streets of anti-social behaviour; we will be environmentally pro-active with cleaner streets, better recycling and contributing to the fight against climate change; we will be business-friendly, encouraging start-up companies and entrepreneurship, and we will be an open, honest and transparent administration, bringing decision making closer to residents and engaging with communities in decision making.

We value our public services and will defend them at every opportunity. We will never forget it’s your money we are spending and we will be financially prudent. There will be no “vanity projects” paid for by the taxpayer, such as expensive “pop” concerts.

In his address to candidates, Gordon pointed the Liberal Democrat group has grown from 10 to 16 councillors in the last 4 years, while the Conservatives have fallen from 30 to 23. There are no Labour, Green or UKIP councillors anywhere in Teignbridge, not even a town or parish councillor. So the only realistic vote for those seeking to replace the Conservatives at Forde House is one for the Liberal Democrats.