Understandably, trust in our MPs is at an all-time low after the MPs’expenses scandal – but a new generation of Conservative MPs can lead the way with David Cameron in cleaning up the system and rebuilding trust in politics.

David Cameron says: “There’s a huge amount more to do if we want to rebuild trust. So let’s try and make this election year the moment to start fixing our broken politics. Let’s bring real change to Westminster and the whole political system.”

Over two-thirds of voters rejected Gordon Brown’s handling of MPs’expenses and most say that David Cameron has dealt with it well, according to a Guardian survey.

As part of Conservative action to change the system, we will cut the cost of it by scrapping taxpayer subsidies for MPs lifestyles, cutting the number of MPs, reducing and freezing government ministers’ salaries and scrapping the £10,000 taxpayer subsidy used by each of Blackpool’s MPs to send out party propaganda. By cutting out the excess, Conservatives can save the taxpayer up to £120 million per year and start to restore trust in politics.

Restoring power to local people by giving them a greater say over things that affect them are also part of the measures that will be introduced by us.

We promise to give people a voice by enabling direct democracy – the right to veto excessive council tax rises here in Blackpool and Wyre and the right to elect publicly-accountable police chiefs for Lancashire.

As well as restoring power locally, Conservatives will give the British people a right to have issues debated in Parliament by automatically putting petitions with over 1 million signatures before the House of Commons.