CHALLENGE TO THE CONSERVATIVES ON THE ECONOMY

Residents in West Oxfordshire need answers to key questions about the economy. With the credit crunch biting hard, residents have a right to know what the Conservatives would do to restore the economy to health.

The credit crunch started last year but so far, the Conservatives have said a lot about how badly the economy is going and very little about how they want the economy restored to health.

If the Conservatives want people to vote for them, they should tell them what they are letting themselves in for. The Conservatives are either clueless about how to solve the economic problems or have policies that they want to keep hidden. We need to know where the Conservatives stand on the big issues facing local residents.

Will the Conservatives make the richest pay their fair share of tax?
The only tax proposals announced by the Conservatives are to cut Inheritance Tax for millionaires, abolish Stamp Duty on shares and introduce a marriage-based tax system which would penalise widows, those escaping domestic violence and anyone else who is not married.

Will the Conservatives continue to defend the behaviour of City fat-cat speculators?
The Conservatives have refused to criticise the City hedge funds, which have significantly worsened the recent financial crisis.

What do the Conservatives mean by sharing the proceeds of growth, and how will they do it in a recession?

Why have the Conservatives nothing to say about council and other social housing?
The Conservatives brought council house building effectively to an end when they were last in government. Now council housing is badly needed but the Conservatives have been silent about this.

Do the Conservatives now admit they got it wrong on Northern Rock?
The Conservatives failed to see the Northern Rock fiasco coming. When it did arrive they kept changing their position on how to deal with it. Now that other banks are facing difficulties will they continue to oppose state ownership on ideological grounds?

Why did the Conservatives ignore the dangerous boom in lending and house prices?
Whilst the Government let the boom in credit get out of control, the Conservatives sat idly by. Now that the housing bubble has burst, the Conservatives are happy to make political capital. Their frontbencher Andrew Mitchell MP said that the economic problems besetting the country have created ‘an incredibly good moment’ for the Conservatives. How can taxpayers believe they will do anything to tackle the problem were they in government? (Source: ePolitix.com 26/9/08)

What is their view of house prices?
High house prices mean many people are unable to get their foot on the first rung of the property ladder. However, the Conservatives have so far failed to accept that prices needs to be more realistic. They were the first to propose a Stamp Duty holiday to get first time buyers into the market. Yet that same policy completely failed when they introduced it the last time they were in office. People did not want to buy homes which a few months later would be worth a great deal less than they paid for it.

Why do the Conservatives still support Council Tax?
The last Conservative Government introduced the unfair Council Tax in the wake of the disastrous Poll Tax. 15 years on and after it has doubled under the current Government, the Tories have still failed to tackle this flawed tax, which disproportionately hits pensioners and poor families.

So far the Conservatives have failed to tackle any of the big issues facing families today. Their empty words have got them through until now, but they are no substitute for actual proposals when it comes to tackling the serious problems facing our economy. The Conservatives must stop dodging the tough choices if he really wants to establish any economic credibility with voters.

NICK CLEGG'S CONFERENCE SPEECH

LD leader gave a rousing speech to the conference which ended on September 17th. These are the main points:

Labour cannot help people – they are a 'zombie government', stumbling around with no idea what to do.

The Conservatives won't help people - they are a say everything, do nothing party, avoiding any tough policy decisions.

Nick announced the Liberal Democrat Fairer Future economic recovery plan – four steps to a better economic future -

1) Action to stop unjust repossessions

2) New approach to regulating the City - limiting the excesses of the market

3) Put in place the building blocks for future economic stability - interest rates that take house price changes into account, and independent monitoring of our fiscal rules
4) Tax cuts for families who are struggling

The Liberal Democrats are now the only party that can deliver social justice, and the only choice for anyone who wants a fairer Britain.

We will put money back in the pockets of ordinary families - tax is a means to an end and government should not take a penny more than it needs

We will make Britain the first truly green economy in the world - a huge expansion of renewable energy, and energy independence within the EU

We will change politics so that every person counts - with fair votes, an end to big donations and a stronger Parliament

We will make government ‘people shaped’, with benefits shaped around the needs of people and families, not bureaucrats.

Patients should have far more control over the care they get. So people with long term conditions get to be part of designing the care they need.

Children struggling, or falling behind, should be helped with extra support – one-to-one tuition or catch up classes, funded by a “pupil premium” which targets extra cash at deprived children.