beliefs and priorities

• Adrian believes in a tough approach to crime with longer prison sentences and more prisons. At the same time, prisoners need to be usefully occupied and assisted in prison to go straight on their release.

• Adrian is on the side of the majority of people who work hard and pay their taxes. The waste of human potential and financial cost of those on benefits must be tackled; taxes reduced for those on low to middle incomes; and extra help provided to tackle the tragedy of personal debt.

• Adrian will fight to protect our local environment and the heritage that makes West Lancashire's different communities varied and unique.

• Adrian is concerned with the low value currently placed on human life and marriage and the coarsening of our culture. He will support well-considered measures to reverse this trend.

• Adrian's life was saved by NHS doctors and nurses following a hill-walking fall in 1989. Adrian is committed to health care free at the point of use, but believes that the monopoly position of the current system must be altered.

• Adrian believes that our schools system must nurture the different talents of the next generation. Parents need to have greater choice. For example, the specialist school idea should be extended to allow for those of high academic talent. At the same time the system needs to provide good vocational schools to teach those trades in short supply and high demand to teenagers who might otherwise “bunk off” school and get drawn into crime.

• Adrian believes there are pressing global issues. A priority is to tackle the gross income disparities around the world by promoting the rule of law in developing countries and allowing free and fair trade with these countries. Other pressing issues are the fight against militant jihadists such as Al-Qaeda and the challenge of climate change.

• Adrian believes that only by regaining our independence from the European Union in many policy areas will these priorities be fully attainable.