Calder Valley needs an MP who will stand up and fight for our area and, very importantly, speak out when government policy is against our interests.

If you, like me, think that these values are important, then trust that many others will too, and vote for me

This is part of a longer message from Michael Taylor. We have omitted the points from his manifesto which are already on his candidate's more info page of this site

Particularly if you vote Liberal Democrat,you are likely to let the Tories in.

This is part of a longer message from Jonathan Timbers. Click here to read the message in full.

Where we seem to disagree, is to what extent the British involvement needs to be within that Union.

Jonathon's Ideal would be to have the British way of life degenerate to an extent where we would have absolutely no control over our own destiny. No control over our, economy, taxation, autonomy, trading treaties, interest rates and indeed employment and laws.

We have seen how fair and equal the European Union can be, when it comes to supporting the British economy in times of need. (The disastrous ERM scenario is just one example of many). Unlike our Presidential style PM, who has in 4 short years, sold off over a quarter of this Nations Gold reserve and to what avail? To prop up the ailing Euro!

This is part of a longer message from Craig Whittaker. Click here to read the message in full.

Many people are concerned about Public services - particularly transport services and the railways - and can see that it is only Liberal Democrats who are fighting to protect these services and to put in investment paid for out of taxation. The future for public services under the Tories is none and the New Labour hostility to public provision grows by the day. As a local councillor I know only too well what is happening to public services - they are being privatised by stealth and this will accelerate in a Labour second term. Those concerned to secure public services have really only one choice in this election and that is the Liberal Democrats.

On Green issues, our manifesto has Green Action on every page, relating to all our policies and with a coomon thread of protecting our planet and its environment. Do look at our national website on www.libdems.org.uk for further information.

There is little evidence of the Tories doing well in Calder Valley and nationally they are in total disarray, just waiting for the elction to be over so they can indulge in internal party bloodletting and a leadership contest. I believe there is no chance of the Tory winning here so people can vote for the candidate of their choice without fear. For a real radical alternative to New Labour that must be the Liberal Democrats.

(According to the Tory candidate, it would seem that you cannot live in the Upper Valley without a car)

Remember that in America, Ralph Nader stood to "ginger up" the Democrats on the environment. The direct result was the election of George W Bush and the repudiation of Kyoto. Don't risk the same happening here - stick with Labour and keep up the pressure for them to deliver on their environmental promises in the next term.

Be in no doubt whatsoever: the Conservative Party is standing firm behind William Hague. This is a man of vision and integrity, who will be out on his ear as soon as the election is over.

The foot and mouth epidemic has been a disaster for this government. I have many friends amongst the landed gentry, who have been hit very hard. To see their sheep and cattle slaughtered is like the death of a much-loved family member... albeit a much-loved family member who would have been sent to the abattoir in a few weeks.

Its a ill wind, they say. And, thankfully, the epidemic is keeping the woolly-hatted rambling riff-raff off our land. Yes, Woody Guthrie was right: its not your land... its OUR land, and don't you forget it. So bugger off sharpish, before I set the dogs on you. Right, where was I? Oh yes. Vote Tory on June 7th. Like me, and any of my staff who still want a job on June 8th.

I don't think the character of the PM is relevant, frankly, to voting. If I voted on the basis of who I liked the best, it would be the Tories if they were lead by Ken Clarke (even tho' he was a terrible education secretary) because he makes me laugh.

The site is proving to be a well used resource and prompting valuable comments. I am sorry that the policies and biography I outlined have failed to impress Mr. Timbers and Ms Dale. The latter can find the entire Green Party manifesto on the GP web site where she will find abundant details about everything she wishes to know from transport to citizens income, all this can be found under "policies"

With the lingering foot and mouth epidemic still fresh in the national conscious I chose to focus on the matter of agriculture for my column in the HB Times. This was a matter of relevance rather than wishing to project the image of a one-issue party concerned (in this case) only with animals and the environment. Mr. Timbers clearly feels the Friends of the Earth ought to be left to debate food production and I have every confidence in their policies on this matter. However you cannot vote for the FoE at a general election and this is why The Green Party seeks to promote & conglomerate the ideals of social, human, animal and environmental issues within one political party.

My reasons for going vegan were not for simply for its own sake, it’s conscious move away from a whole area of unethical practices that are detrimental to people, the environment and the animals that dwell in it. Globalization means that now there is no one issue that exists in isolation, social issues feed and influence one another. Taking steps to change ones lifestyle in turn effects all those whom are involved in these complex chains.

I choose not to buy products produced using child labor nor do I save my money with institutions that may fund armament manufacturers, nobody would describe these issues as being merely about shopping and saving, yet that is how they manifest themselves in our day to day consumer lifestyles. In turn veganism allows me to disassociate myself from de-forestation, land theft from indigenous people for ranching, the over use of anti-biotics in cattle, as well as agrochemicals and land lost to grow grain to feed to cattle and the methane produced which elevates global warming. Nothing exists in isolation, neither is it a case of favoring one creature over another.

Independent commentators point out that the boom in the economy will inevitably increase inequality because the rich get richer at a faster rate than the poor get richer. There's nothing much any government can do about that.

Despite the fact that in reality, as Labour found to its cost in 1992, most voters will not countenance even modest rises in income tax, it has tried to restore a measure of progressive taxation through the 10% tax bracket.

There have been enormous strides under Labour for the very poorest who don't have access to web discussion forums, and don't get their voices heard. Labour is prioritising those people, and if some of the commentators on this forum are not aware of this, then may I humbly suggest that that may be because they do not have much contact with the mass of socially excluded people who suffered such vicious attackes under Thatcher and Major. Please let's not go back to that.

However, giving Labour their due, does not mean uncritically supporting the government. In fact, to develop a critique, can I suggest, it is necessary to take a balanced view so we can get at the root of the limitations to their policy, and their, at times, mistaken philosophy. I take what Josh says about the environment, though Kyoto (for all its faults) and the partial debt cancellation as well as the quiet but massive rise in overseas development aid do indicate that Labour has some achievements which should be supported and encouraged. The problem as far as I am concerned, and I know that Ken Livingstone has also identified this as a fundamental issue, are public private partnerships for developing the public sector. I'd take The Green Party a lot more seriously if it showed more clear thinking on issues like this, and showed more understanding of the conflict between participating in the electoral process and developing a mass, broad-based movement. One only has to see it sharing power in Germany to see how it simply repeats the pattern in government of large Western European social democratic parties, though no doubt it has achieved some useful reforms.

I voted Labour last time in the hope that they would help bring about a more just society and take steps to save this planet from environmental destruction. They have failed. They did almost nothing for the environment and the rich got even richer, while the poor got ever worse off. Now that George Bush wants to resurrect the Cold War they seem so keen to give him all the help he will need, including Menwith Hill. So do I vote Green this time? They at least have many of the policies I believe in, both social and environmental. Or would this be a wasted vote as the introduction to this page suggests? I am inclined to think that if we give the Green Party enough votes, the other parties may start taking the environment more seriously. They may wake up to the fact that there really are votes in green issues. If its not too late.

What issues concern people locally in Calderdale? Maybe a decent transport system instead of the vacuum we have at present, the effects of intensive agriculture’s twisted logic of slaughtering thousands of animals thanks to the government’s obsession with an economic dogma that’s as ruthless as the mass culling. What other matters raise the blood pressure in Calderdale? Why are we suffering regular & severe flooding and what proposals are put forward to combat it? The main parties would have us believe that to dig ourselves out of the hole of climate change we need even more economic expansion. Or is that the voice of their masters the World Trade Organization? While governments are becoming increasingly afraid of the WTO the barriers to more consumption will be steadily eroded. Worker’s rights, animal rights and protecting the environment are all dead wood to the WTO and ultimately their foot soldiers; politicians. Votes for the main parties are votes in the pocket of the multinationals, increasing their grip on world governments.

Do you want your decisions made by politicians on behalf of big business or would you yourselves like to have a say what affects you? A Green vote will bring decision-making home to where it matters; with you.

I have to admit that my unease with Ms McCafferty does stem from the fact that she is of New Labour whose own fore-lock tugging MPs have allowed the party leaders to do what they wished in terms of the continuation of vile policies initiated by their predecessors (for example, think of education, immigration, asylum seekers and, you have to laugh, 'ethical' foreign policy). There are some honourable exceptions, Alice Mahon being one, but not, alas, Ms McCafferty.

The problem for many, such as myself, is that we are not yet convinced by Chris McCafferty's suitability as our representative in the Commons. The other Parties make little appeal, either because of odious Little Englanderism or because they fall short of being realistic alternatives. However, Labour's Politbureau has already decided as to who should best represent us. There is still time for us to be convinced, Ms McCafferty, but not much!

The problem isn’t that the Labour Party is spending too much, rather that it is spending too little and not even attempting a minor redistribution of wealth that so many of us hoped for when they were elected four years ago.

When I first went to work income tax was 33 pence in the pound. This did not feel excessive. Although people as they will always do complained then but education, health and social services provision was far better than it is today.

In the last six months my partner and I have paid out nearly £1000 for dental treatment, an amount which would have been far lower if it had still been available on the NHS. I worked in old people’s homes where the residents were not forced to sell off their houses to meet the costs of their care. People who were at home recovering from serious operations were able to get home helps. Those who were unemployed received earnings related benefit for around a year after they’d lost their jobs. The interest on mortgages was paid in full. Far fewer people in those days lost their homes when they lost their jobs. If you saw beggars on the streets it meant you were visiting another country, not that you were in one of Britain’s major cities.

Direct income tax is the fairest form of taxation as it’s based on what people earn. I know that there are many people like me who are most willing to pay more income tax if services were restored to the levels they were at twenty five years ago. It’s all too easy to blame "scroungers" and focus on minor matters like the costs of road signs than to reflect more broadly on the issues underlying the injustices we see all around us.

This country has gone mad! If only we were allowed to keep some of the money we earned we would be in a position to spend it on what we wanted and would not need to have a Nanny State, taking our money off us and giving a little bit back as pocket money.

Under New Labour all my income from 1st January until 17th June goes in taxes. I have had enough. I have three children to look after, never take a penny from the state, and I simply cannot afford to live here any more. When I look at how much of MY money is spent, I despair! All those scroungers in Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge, claiming every benefit going and working for cash in hand and then look at the new streetlamps in Hebden Bridge. OK they may be needed, but why not re-use the old road signs? They are in perfect condition, but oh no the taxpayer can buy new ones they do not want, do not need and cannot afford!

If President Blair is re-elected, I am moving abroad with my family.

"GOVERNMENT officials are likely to be sent to Cumbria to speed up the re-opening of footpaths and fells. Environment Minister Michael Meacher is expected to set up a weekly review group to discuss the pace of progress with local authorities.

Officials from both Maff and the Department of the Environment would examine decisions made by Cumbrian councils.

The move follows fears that access to the Lake District remains shut off despite success in tackling the foot and mouth crisis.

Meanwhile, tourism businesses continue to suffer devastating losses as visitors stay away from the county.

At an emergency meeting at Westminster last night, Workington MP Dale Campbell-Savours and Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins urged Mr Meacher to intervene."