Fred Mackintosh speaks at Morningside Justice and Peace Group

3.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 31st Mar 2010

Edinburgh South Liberal Democrat prospective MP Fred Mackintosh was the guest speaker at Morningside Justice and Peace Group at the Open Door on Wednesday 31 March. Fred had been asked to set out his views and the Liberal Democrat policy on Trident, energy policy and immigration.

Fred Mackintosh said, "I was delighted to be invited to speak to the Justice and Peace Group. As a Liberal Democrat candidate I am opposed to the Labour and Tory plan to replace Britain's nuclear missile submarines. This is especially important when we face massive public spending deficits and significant calls on limited resources. Significantly the Labour and Tory parties support the replacement of the Trident boats.

"I strongly support the idea of a Nuclear Weapons Convention and believe that if Britain was prepared to put our nuclear capability into negotiations it would make the chance of such a convention being signed by the major nuclear powers significantly greater."

Fred also spoke about the Liberal Democrat commitment to address climate change by setting out how the Liberal Democrats want to move towards a decentralised, low-carbon energy system that puts investment in renewable energy rather than new nuclear.

Speaking at the meeting in the Open Door Fred Mackintosh confirmed the Liberal Democrat commitment to a fair asylum system and highlighted that he had recently signed the Sanctuary Pledge to encourage those in public life to campaign positively and responsibly about people seeking asylum in Britain.

Questions from members of the Justice and Peace group covered: the need to return the Chagos Islanders to their home the Equalities Bill, identity cards, the Edinburgh South Suburban Railway, asylum and immigration and the reform of the banking and financial system.