Jason Bull, email: Lib Dems with no seats on a council usually attempt to have councillors elected by concentrating on one particular ward. Will this be your strategy in Brighton & Hove in 2015? If so, which ward?

Brian Stone (BS): You are right Jason, that the Liberal Democrats in Brighton and Hove will be giving certain areas more of our attention and resources than others. How those resources are best allocated is a matter presently under discussion within the local party. The 2015 local elections is going to be very interesting one, as the Greens in our city implode. They will be losing so many seats and the Liberal Democrats need to be in place to turn as many of those former Green votes into Lib Dem voters as possible. We are keen to give as many residents of the city as possible the opportunity to be served by hard-working Lib Dem councillors, with our commitment to community politics.

Philip David Jones, online: Will Ed Miliband’s promise to freeze gas and electric prices for 20 months if elected as PM in 2015 help average income families in Brighton and Hove?

BS: The assumption in your question Philip is that Ed is going to be able to deliver on his promise. I don't think it is going to be viable. He is playing games with people’s rightful concerns about the incomes.

There were attempts to similarly fix prices in California but this only resulted in an electricity crisis and widespread blackouts. The end result of the Miliband threat is that the lights will be going out in this country as well. Of course, those of us old enough to recall the 1970s will remember how Labour were responsible for the lights going out then. Seems nothing really changes.

Mimseycal, online: What is your view on the blanket 20mph speed restriction.

And what would you do about the parking charges?

BS: There is balancing act to be had between transport policies that promote local business and the right of residents to use their cars against concerns for the environment and about road safety. The problem with the present Green Council is that it has not sought to work out where that balance should lay. They have an ideologically anticar mentality and the ridiculous parking charge hike that they introduced, especially at the beginning, was proof of that, putting local businesses in the area especially at risk. We welcome 20mph speed restrictions, but not necessarily all over the place.

Fight Back, online: Given how David Bellotti (Lib Dem councillor) nearly destroyed Brighton and Hove Albion, how Norman Baker (Lib Dem MP) attempted to de-rail the new stadium by telling lies and how Lewes District Council (Lib Dem controlled) dragged out the stadium application in hope that the club would go bust, why should any Albion fan ever trust a Lib Dem again let alone vote for one?

BS: You make some good points in reminding us of some of the history behind the new stadium but you may want also add the following.

You are right about David Bellotti but you forget to add that he was de-selected by local Liberal Democrats in Eastbourne due to his actions. Albion fans should also remember that only with the support of the two Brighton Lib Dem Councillors was the planning permission for the stadium passed here in Brighton and Hove City Council. Many Lib Dems are supporters of the club, including our ex-chair Lawrence Eke, who helped Albion in the Community to send two of their workers to Central Africa and backs their other fundraising efforts. The local Brighton and Hove Lib Dem party is delighted the club is doing so well and have been supportive of the stadium since its inception.

Here in Brighton and Hove the Lib Dems want to improve all sports in the city, improving access at all levels and encourage grass roots sports for children.

We were highly critical of the doubling of price for local football pitches to Brighton league clubs and if elected we will immediately look to rescind this unfair “tax” on sport.

Nocando, online: Do the liberal democrats have any ideas on how to stimulate and nurture any kind of financial growth or do you just have big plans on how to spend it?

BS: Vince Cable has been the leading voice in the Government on supporting growth. In Government we are building a new high tech economy through ideas such as the extra £5.5bn going into science, renewable energy and manufacturing. We are also helping business grow through a £3.2bn Regional Growth Fund.

Jimmy Stewart’s Imaginary Rabbit: What policies have the Lib Dems got locally in Brighton that set them apart from the Greens and Labour?

BS: The main difference between all the other parties and the Liberal Democrats is our belief in local politics. We want the council to be developed into one that supports and serves residents beyond the fortress Brighton mentality that presently besets our services. At present, the council is run with decisions being made without the involvement of those decisions impact on. We want to break up and decentralise the decision making processes. This starts by the way local ward councillors work with the people that they represent.

The Liberal Democrat Brighton and Hove will be one where our residents are empowered.

JHarrs, online: Do you think adopting a pro-nuclear weapons policy will improve Lib Dem support in the City?

BS: At our conference, last week, the Lib Dems discussed a paper “Defending the Future – UK Defence in the 21st Century”. It is available on our party website and is highly recommended. You will find a policy which seeks to de-escalate but at a logical rate.

Quiterie, online: Why should we trust the Liberal Democrats after all 57 Lib Dem MPs signed a pledge at the General Election to vote against tuition fee increases, but when it came to the vote in the House of Commons 27 Lib Dem MPs actually voted for a rise in tuition fees?

BS: Brighton and Hove Lib Dems were very clear we were totally against the break in the pledge on tuition fees. It was not our finest hour as a party.

The local Lib Dems made very clear where we stood on the matter within the national party.

However, the new student finance system is a good outcome. Under the new system nobody pays anything until they have graduated and are earning over £21,000. In fact the poorest 30% will be paying less overall than under the previous system.

Quiterie, online: Before the last election Lib Dem MP for Lewes Norman Baker continually challenged the Labour Government on their policy of forcing up rail fares by 1% above inflation, “It is high time the Government re-evaluated this unfair policy. My constituents are fed up with seeing rail fares go up above inflation year after year”. Now that Norman is part of the Government he now spends his time justifying a 1% above inflation increase. Are you embarrassed by the hypocrisy of Norman Baker?

BS: Norman has been successful in pushing within government to reduce the planned average increase in New Year train fares to RPI +1%, rather than RPI +3%. He has now been able to announce this lower than expected increase for the next two years. This is a move that will benefit more than a quarter of a million annual season ticket holders and thousands of monthly and weekly ticket holders.Embarrassed?

No. I think the boy done good.