Lib Dems: You've been conned
18 June 2010
Derek Simpson, joint general secretary of Unite, has today (18th
June) called on Liberal Democrat members with a social conscience
to tear up their party membership cards to save the shame of being
associated with a government which will begin the most brutal,
ideologically driven cuts in a generation, starting with next
Tuesday’s emergency budget.
Many Liberal Democrats joined the party because they had a
social conscience and believed in fairness, but Unite believes the
Liberal Democrat leadership has fallen hook, line and sinker for a
ruthless right-wing agenda. The Tories are using the deficit as
cover and using the Lib Dems for the authority to make their plans
a reality.
It is deeply disappointing that deputy prime minister Nick Clegg
wants to smash public sector pensions, even though Liberal
Democrats first introduced the principle of state pension
provision with Lloyd George in the 1900s. No matter what Nick Clegg
says about wanting the cuts to be progressive, working people will
suffer the most. The majority of public sector pensioners receive a
pension of less than £5,000 a year and half the women on NHS
pensions receive less than £3,500 annually.
Unite joint general secretary, Derek Simpson, said: "Under the
Con-Dem government working people will suffer the most no matter
what Nick Clegg says about the cuts being progressive. Liberal
Democrat members with a social conscience should tear up their
membership cards and join Labour to save the shame of being
associated with this ruthless right wing agenda.
"The public did not vote for early and deep public spending
cuts, as both Labour and the Lib Dems in the general election
campaign opposed severe and immediate austerity measures, warning
that the consequence may be a double dip recession.
"The Con-Dems seem to have no plans to build only to cut.
The government wants to attack public sector jobs, public
sector pensions and the vital public services that ordinary working
families rely on.
"Chancellor Osborne and prime minister Cameron's scaremongering
has been unprecedented to the point where they are keen to
pronounce Britain close to bankruptcy or that we could become the
next Greece. They do this because they have a hardline, right
wing agenda which is to cut back the state and they don't seem to
care what impact this will have on the people of this country."
ENDS
Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315
Notes to editors :
- Ireland entered recession in September 2008. The Dublin
government’s response was major cuts to child and unemployment
benefits, education and transport. There have been big cuts to
public sector pay and pensions.The result has been a shrinking
economy and rising unemployment accompanied by falling tax
revenues. The deficit has not improved.
- The Canadian austerity model has also bee applauded by pressure
groups like the Taxpayers Alliance as one to be followed in the UK.
Canada stands out among OECD countries for reducing deficits and
debts through deep and permanent cuts to social programmes and
public services, albeit at great cost to working families. The
burden of Canadian deficit reduction fell on the lower end of the
income scale, and this was a significant factor behind the
pronounced increase in Canadian income inequality throughout the
1990s.
- To follow the Irish and Canadian routes in the UK would result
in the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society bearing the
brunt of these cuts
- Recent TUC research showed that 29 per cent of public
expenditure goes directly to the private sector; therefore, a 10
per cent cut would mean a loss of £16.9 billion to the private
sector and 200,000 jobs.
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