On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg came to Oxford to launch the Liberal Democrats’ election manifesto. Oxford Mail reporter Luke Sproule spoke to him about the issues facing Oxfordshire and how the Lib Dems’ prospective parliamentary candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon, Layla Moran, can win back the seat from the Conservatives

How are you going to win back Oxford West and Abingdon?

Nick Clegg: “It’s not rocket science. It is going out as Layla and her team are doing on the doorsteps of households and families in Oxford West and Abingdon and campaigning ferociously.

“We are also explaining and highlighting the great achievements of the things we have done in Government as well, whether it is tax cuts for thousands of people locally or apprenticeships on a scale never seen before or increases in the state pension.

“It is about being the servants to the local community, something which the Lib Dems are so well known for.

“The Conservatives have recently had to admit that their plans for education imply big cuts so it is really, do you want more money for your local schools or do you want cuts for your local schools?

“That is quite a big choice to make.”

If the Liberal Democrats are in government after the election, will they expand the free school meals policy so that all children in primary school will get a free hot lunch?

Nick Clegg: “I think free school meals is a good policy and it saves families a lot of money.

“In the future, of course, we should not run before we can walk, and it has been a huge undertaking to make sure that the thousands of schools which provide hot meals at lunchtime are able to do so.

“I would, as resources allow, like to see in future free healthy lunches provided to more children at primary school.

“But you cannot pay for things which you do not have money for, so that would involve difficult choices in the next parliament.”

What would a future Liberal Democrat government do to tackle flooding in Oxfordshire?

Layla Moran: “It is not just about the Western conveyance, it is about the Abingdon schemes at the same time.

“It is really important to mention that if it does not work for the downstream communities then it is not going to happen.

“It looks like there is a lot of goodwill there and I have been lobbying Danny Alexander [Treasury Chief Secretary] on this personally.

“We saw that £42m came our way quite recently and I fully expect that we will be able to push harder for that money.

“If it is us still in government I will be pushing our people and if we are not in government and I am the MP, no matter what I will keep fighting for that.”

Will a future Liberal Democrat government invest in upgrading the A34 or will it prioritise the environment?

Nick Clegg: “I have been stuck many, many times on the A34 and clearly it is just not sustainable.

“The environmental argument is very finely balanced because a highly-congested road creates a huge amount of air pollution and so you need to strike the right balance.

“But we have always been in favour of making sure our road, rail and other forms of infrastructure are properly revamped.

“One of the things we are saying is that once we have cleared the deficit in 2017-18 we need to invest in public services.”

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