TODAY'S Liberal Democrat manifesto will help “clean up politics” according to their Parliamentary hopefuls in the borough.

The party leader Nick Clegg set out the policies he hopes will persuade Conservative and Labour supporters to vote for them.

Among the points laid out today were raising the tax-free portion of people's earnings to £10,000, capping public sector pay rises to £400, imposing a levy on banks to retrieve taxpayer's investments and replacing Council Tax with a local Income Tax in England.

Hendon candidate Matthew Harris said: "We need to clean up politics, reforming the system that allowed expenses to cause a political crisis for this country.

“Local people's trust has been badly strained by what happened with expenses, which must never, ever be repeated."

Education would also be shaken up with a removal of the national curriculum to shift towards a “minimum curriculum entitlement” in state schools, and giving a £2.5bn pupil premium to the most disadvantaged areas to cut primary school sizes.

Laura Edge, the candidate for the Finchley and Golders Green constituency said: "The Lib Dems' costed proposals for a Pupil Premium for children from poorer backgrounds will put an extra £18m into Barnet schools to provide a fair start for local children."

The state pension would also be increased if the Lib Dems gain power by at least 2.5 per cent, and scrap the minimum retirement age.

Chipping Barnet candidate Stephen Barber said: "Only the Liberal Democrats offer a fair deal for older residents in Barnet.. The Lib Dems will immediately restore the link between pensions and earnings.”

They are the third of the big three parties to launch their manifestos for the General Election, due to be held on May 6.