Confidence Quote by Hilary Benn

Incredibly, a typical town hall official spends 85% of their time satisfying ministers in Whitehall and a puny 15% of the day for local…

— Grant Shapps

I understand the damage the expenses crisis has done to Parliament, and the paramount importance of restoring trust in our politics.

— George Osborne

By confirming the importance of politics and politicians in Britain, we can build from the bottom up and begin to reverse the worrying anti-politics…

— David Blunkett

The public may want an elected opposition in Parliament, but we have to earn our place and work hard both in our Town Councils…

— Pritam Singh

Being out and about talking to residents and representing their views is, in my view, as important to politics as the grandstanding that takes…

— Lucy Powell

We want councillors and MPs to be more closely involved in housing issues because this will help to strengthen local democracy and accountability.

— Grant Shapps

The country's future is what you will make it. Make your local representatives in parliament and assembly more answerable. Ask for more transparency in…

— Smriti Irani

In nearly a decade in city government, I have learned that the easiest thing to do in government is nothing. And in trying to…

— Michelle Wu

These are tough times and under this Tory-led government many people in Manchester are suffering and getting left behind. If elected I will use…

— Lucy Powell

We need to find a way of having a conversation across the parties on how you fund local government.

— Johann Lamont

In the cut-throat political system we have in the UK, you have to be prepared to put your head above the parapet and be…

— Jo Swinson

I think the most important thing is [to] restore a sense of idealism and end the cynicism in state government. Bring to the job…

— Rod Blagojevich