The more people I speak to on the doorstep in Oxford, the more it becomes clear to me that Labour's tax policies are having a hugely harmful effect on working people across the city.

Gordon Brown's decision to scrap the 10 per cent rate of income tax is, at a stroke, increasing the tax burden on low earners and part-time workers, as well as many others.

In Oxford, his Labour colleagues' decision to raise the city's council tax by twice the rate the Lib Dems recommended has only added to the strain on families. All this comes at a time of increasing financial difficulty, with everyone affected by the increase in prices of basic commodities.

With local elections approaching, people will have the chance to make their judgement on Labour's handling of the economy. From what I've heard, many agree with me that Labour deserve that judgment to be damning.

Steve Goddard, Parliamentary candidate, Oxford East Liberal Democrats