Maria Caulfield Conservative Candidate for Caerphilly

I really welcome David Cameron's announcement that head teachers will be the ones making the decisions on how teachers are paid in their schools and how classes are taught and organised. For too long now targets have driven practice in public service.

As a nurse I know this only too well. I know how managers in the health service push health care professionals to deliver care that meets government targets rather than patients needs. Working under this sort of pressure and the ethical dilemmas it throws up is what got me involved in politics and made me join the Conservative Party.

Conservatives are the only party who listen to those working at grass roots level and respect the experience and skills of professional teachers, doctors, police officers and armed service men and women and are happy to give them the respect and autonomy to do the job they were trained to do rather than Labour's "we know what's best for you" approach.