The strong sense of community in Burton, Uttoxeter and the surrounding villages is evident for all to see. We are blessed with a wide variety of volunteer and charity groups, some of which are faith-based. They form an integral part of the fabric of this place.

The other important building block is family. I've met several families who have lived in East Staffordshire for generations, as well as those that have moved here more recently. They were all angry at the way this Labour government has sought to undermine the family, whether it is through bureaucracy, through the tax code, or in other ways. David Cameron has pledged:

• We will end the couple penalty in the tax credit system and we will recognise marriage in the tax system in the next Parliament. We are one of the very few countries in the Western world that doesn't do so and we will put that right. This will send an important signal that we value the commitment that people make when they get married.
• We will extend the right to request flexible working to every parent with a child under the age of eighteen. We will introduce a new system of flexible parental leave which lets parents share maternity leave between them, including taking some of the leave simultaneously, and ensure that the public sector becomes a world leader in flexible working.
• We support the provision of free nursery care for pre-school children and we want that support to be provided by a diverse range of providers - including the many childminders and private, voluntary and independent nurseries which are currently being squeezed out of the system.
• We will reform the Gift Aid system of tax relief on charitable donations to encourage more people to give to charity; · We will reform the Big Lottery Fund to ensure it spends all its Lottery funding on the voluntary and community sectors.
• We will enable charities and voluntary organisations to make a fair return on money they spend on providing public services, just as private businesses already do. · We will create a single, simple website to advertise Government grant schemes, helping smaller charities to win a fair share of Government funding.
• We will encourage regular volunteering by giving central Government employees an annual volunteering leave entitlement.
• We will reform the criminal records checks system, which is currently slow, bureaucratic and puts people off volunteering.
• We will create Social Enterprise Zones - areas where relaxed tax and benefit rules would help social entrepreneurs and the voluntary sector deal with problems such as drug abuse.