Lib Dem prescription for Britain

Speaking at the Liberal Democrat party conference today, local Shropshire campaigner Dr Charles West has warmly welcomed Vince Cable's plans for the economy.

Charles West said: "We need urgent action on unemployment. In Shropshire the number of people out of work has increased by 84.5% in the past year.[i] Only the Liberal Democrats are truly committed to getting people back to work.

"Vince Cable is absolutely right to suggest that the unemployed must be found productive work. It clearly makes sense to pay people to do something useful rather than pay them to sit idle, on benefit and paying no tax. For this reason we fundamentally disagree with the Conservative approach which is to sit still and watch unemployment grow."

In a landmark speech, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable has set out the party's plans for the economy.

Cable, recently voted the most trustworthy politician in Britain, said: "Our economy has experienced a massive heart attack, with the banks at its centre. 

"The next General Election will be fought over the economy. The fact is that the country faces enormous economic challenges: tackling rising unemployment, the failed banking system, falling tax revenues and rising public spending; balancing economic recovery with environmental imperatives. These are big jobs for people who've been tested in the real world of work. Only the Lib Dems can be trusted on the economy.

"The Liberal Democrat approach to tax is also fundamentally different from the Tories.  The Tories top priority is to cut taxes on millionaires.  Our top priority is fairer taxes for those on lower and middle incomes.

"It would be dishonest and unbelievable for me to say that taxes overall should never rise. But the Liberal Democrats' starting point is to aim for fairer not higher taxes. I would do this by lifting tax thresholds, providing an incentive to work and to save.  It is wrong that people on the minimum wage should be dragged into tax.  Lifting the threshold to £10,000 would mean that 4 million low paid workers and pensioners would no longer have to pay any income tax."

Dr Charles West
Parliamentary Candidate: Shrewsbury and Atcham Liberal Democrats
3 Bellstone
Shrewsbury
SY1 1HU
tel:   07775 800744

The full text of Vince Cable's speech can be viewed here: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news_detail.aspx?title=Speech%3A_Vince_Cable%E2%80%99s_speech_to_Liberal_Democrat_Conference&pPK=e3158112-08da-4f2d-89f6-be64f214ab85

[i] www.shropshire.gov.uk/factsfigures.nsf/open/CBAC00139958E6DC8025748800336538