Today is polling Day and here in Loughborough there is a straight fight between Labour and the Tories.

You are electing the person you want to represent the constituecy in Parliament - a Parliament that looks like it will be hung if the polls are right.

It is a clear chocie - a hard working local MP who is highly regarded even by his opponents. The Tory candidate describes him as a good MP as does the Lib Dem candidate - so why change? Why risk losing a good local MP willing to speak up and represent us in Westminster?

That is the choice today. A proven track record of hard work and integrity v a Tory Solicitor fromLondon who only came to Loughborough after fighting other seats because she only wants to be an MP & nothing else. Loughborough is being used as her ticket to Westminster. It won't be her main place to live she will continue to 'visit' our constituency. Don't let it happen. It is in your hands today.

Despite attempts to hide the true nature of their plans the Independent body the IFS has confirmed what we knew all along - Tax Credits for hard working middle income families are facing cuts under Tory plans.

“The IFS criticised David Cameron’s claims on tax credits as 'incomplete at best and misleading at worst'. As he well knows, the facts show that to raise the £400 millions he’s pledged, he will be taking tax credits from families on total household incomes of £31,000 – not £50,000 as he has tried to claim. That’s a family of two earners on £16,000 each. Contrary to what David Cameron thinks, these people are not well off. With four days to go before the election, he’s got to admit that 1.3 million households on modest and middle incomes will lose up to £10 a week if he gets into office.”

Andy Reed said: "I find on the doorstep that families like this are sruggling to make ends meet. You can't just take money off them as the Tories do without it having a massive impact on their quality of life.

"What has been worse is the Tories attempts to pretend this is all a Labour scare. Like so many of their policies they don't want you to know the facts and consequences. They want to hide behind a David Cameron Smile and a vague slogan"

http://www2.labour.org.uk/cameron-hiding-true-impact-of-child-tax-credit-cuts,2010-05-03

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell visited Loughborough University with Labour candidate Andy Reed today.

The Prime Minister met Olympic hopefuls and toured the facilities at the University - which will be home to Team GB in the lead up to the 2012 games.

Andy Said "We have made investment in our sport infrastructure over the last decade - as Gordon saw today. We have also invested in our elite athletes and the infrastructure that surrounds them - with Loughborough benefiting of course. The news that Team GB will be based here confirms our status as THE leading sports University in the UK and worldwide!

"But what we also wanted to show Gordon was the work the University is doing in health and physical activity as well.

"We didn't come 4th in the medal table in Bejing by accident. It was down to the hard work of athletes and coaches backed up by a system of total support. "

Nick Clegg is finally confirming what we have long suspected. The Lib Dem leadership will support David Cameron’s Tories in a hung parliament. His comments in newspaper articles show that he is clearly signalling he wants a deal with the Tory leader.

Under the leadership of Nick Clegg it has been obvious for some time that he wanted to do a deal with Cameron and the Tories.

Former Lib Dem candidate in 2005 for Loughborough Graeme Smith said

“ A vote for the lib Dems in Loughborough now almost guarantees a Tory government and Cameron in Downing Street. I know there will be many Lib Dem members and supporters horrified at that prospect. It is clear now that here in Loughborough there is only one progressive choice – Andy Reed.

Hundreds of people turned out to listen to the main candidates at the Loughborough Churches Partnership last night at Emmanuel Church.

Andy Reed said “It was good to see so many people at the hustings meeting. I hope they got as much out of it as I did. I thoroughly enjoy this sort of event where we can set out our beliefs, values and policies directly with so many people. It always feels a shame there isn’t more time to explore some the issues in more depth and to cover even more subject areas.

Andy Reed today welcomed the launch of a specific Houing Manifesto by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and John Healey, Labour's Housing Minister. It sets out how Labour will help provide everyone with a secure, decent and affordable home in a safe community.

Andy said "Housing remains a key issue in Loughborough. The other parties don't seem to be talking about it at all, yet I hear time after time stories of people who want us to continue addressing the problem. We have made real progress bringing homes up to standard, tackling warm homes and providing record levels of investment for affordable housing."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:

"Today we are publishing our housing manifesto – setting out how, literally, we will lay the foundations for the future.

"We have kept the construction industry going through the recession – bringing forward investment to protect jobs.

"And we have protected homeowners, making repossession a last resort. Repossessions are today running at half the rate of the early 1990s recession. Crucially, and in contrast to the Tory Government in the early 1990s, we swiftly extended support for mortgage interest payments, and have extended it for the rest of this year. We have scrapped stamp duty for two years for first time buyers buying houses under £250,000 and we will keep supporting the house builders by bringing forward investment in affordable homes."

John Healey said:

"Labour's plan for housing shows our continued commitment to using the power of public investment to help meet the needs and aspirations of people across our country."

"Labour's extra investment which has kept Britain building through recession was opposed by the Tories. Our help for housebuilding, supporting 160,000 jobs and creating 3,000 new apprenticeships, is at risk from the Tories. They would cut spending on housebuilding and paralyse the planning system, removing the duty on councils to plan for new affordable housing. Our action in recession and the Tories opposition show why Labour is the only Party to secure the recovery."

Andy Reed was today at the Gudwara in Loughborough to join the Vaisakhi celebrations along with Charnwood Mayor Cllr Roy Brown.

Andy said "I am proud of the contribution made to Charnwood by the Sikh community and I am always pleased to be invited to join with them at such an important time in their calander. I have been joining in with these celebrations for over 15 years and the warmth of welcome is as generous as always!"

To Sikhs, the importance of the day is both historic and religious. Vaisakhi is also an important harvest festival in Panjab.

Andy Reed joined residents at the Peel Drive BBQ on Friday afternoon.

Andy said " Good work is being done here by a detrmined group of residents to improve local lives. This has been recognised locally and nationally with Cherie Tinenti receiveing awards for their work and the Marios Tinenti Centre proving to be a great success. It is now important to keep helping them continue to improve their area and encourage them."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown today fired the starting gun on a May 6 General Election which will present people in Loughborough with the most important choice for a generation.

Labour will secure the economic recovery, protect front-line services and extend its support for communities and families.

A Conservative party committed to taking billions out of the economy would kill the recovery, hit jobs and put at risk services families in Loughborough rely upon.

Andy Reed said: “The choice is clear for Loughborough. If you value your Sure Start centre, if you want to protect our front-line services, including schools and police from Conservative cuts then give your support to Labour on May 6.”

“Labour took the tough decisions to take us through the recession and get Loughborough on the road to recovery. Let’s not throw it all away with a Tory party that would take away support for families whilst offering tax cuts for the wealthiest few ”

“Labour has got the big decisions right. Our priorities will always be jobs, prosperity and higher standards of living for families in Loughborough The threat from the Conservatives is real. They would cut support to the economy now – choking off recovery and risking jobs, It is only Labour who will deliver a future, fair for all.”

Gordon Brown, Labour’s Prime Minister, said:

"Britain is on the road to recovery and nothing we do should put that recovery at risk.

“I'm asking the British people, for a clear and straightforward mandate to continue the urgent and hard work securing the recovery, building our industries for the future, and creating a million skilled jobs over the next five years.

“Get the big decisions right - as we did in the last 18 months since the world recession - and jobs, prosperity and better standards of living will result. Get the big decisions wrong and the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are diminished as a result.

“We will not allow 13 years of investment and reform in our public services, to build up the future of these great services, to be put at risk."