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Liz LynneLiberal Democrat MEP for the West Midlands 1999-2012 |
LOCAL MEP BACKS LIBDEM FAIRNESS AND TAX CUTS PLAN
September 15, 2008 7:00 PM
Local LibDem Euro MP Liz Lynne has spoken out to back Nick Clegg's new
LibDem strategy to tackle the root causes of unfairness in British
society, with tax cuts for low and medium earners.
The controversial plan at the heart of Nick Clegg's new strategy document
'Make It Happen' was the subject of a closely argued debate at the party
conference in Bournemouth today.
The policy document was endorsed by conference by a big majority, but only
after a passionate debate about how the party would take forward it's
commitment for social justice - with key commitments like restoring the
earnings link for the basic pension - hand in hand with a commitment to
cut taxes from the bottom up.
The plans would be funded by £20 billion of savings from Labour's budget
plans, including scrapping ID cards, scrapping the Child Trust fund and
scaling back the Eurofighter programme.
Speaking in Bournemouth today, Liz Lynne MEP said: "The arithmetic in Nick
Clegg's document does make sense. Make it Happen is a very carefully
written document.
"I am backing these proposals because there are cast iron commitments to
policies we need such as uprating pensions in line with earnings, a
fundamental assault on poverty and a comprehensive green investment plan
to transform our railways. And more police for local police forces.
"But as Simon Hughes said: fighting poverty and inequality does mean that
we have to make it a priority to cut taxes on the low paid, on hardpressed
families facing tax and debt hikes without end. It can be done.
"This does mark a shift in LibDems headline stance but I support it,
because the context has changed since 1997 or even 2005. In 1997, total
public spending was £300 billion annually and the public services were
facing an abyss. Now, it is over £600 billion and it is time to take
stock. We have needed the big rises in health and education spending - we
campaigned for them, but we did not campaign for the wasteful way Labour
is spending a lot of our taxpayers money.
"Labour wants to spend billions on an ID card system which we all know
would not work. There are many other savings that Vince Cable is
identifying cuts in bureaucracy and red tape and the 'target' culture.
"The 'Make it Happen' document ringfences our key commitments - identifies
some key new priorities we do need to invest in but also says that where
further savings can be made, it is time to cut taxes on the less well off,
starting at the bottom."
"This is only right. Labour can't deliver, the Tories won't, but the
Libdems can make it happen for pensioners, for the environment, for
people who are being hit by massive Council Tax and income tax bills who
are not well off."
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