Economic recovery plan

These are extraordinary times – banks failing, stock markets crashing and Governments spending billions of taxpayers’ money to nationalise banks.

Yet we’ve heard too little about what this means for ordinary people – be they employees or small businesses, families and pensioners – and how Government intends to help them.

Of course, we need banks to start lending to businesses and homebuyers again but with the cost of living soaring and with the recession threatening unemployment and repossessions, Ministers have not done enough for the ordinary people being hit by all this.

Vince Cable, MP for Twickenham and Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesman, has been constructive during this national crisis and proposed an economic recovery plan. You can get a copy at www.libdems.org.uk or call my office on 8288-0161 for one.

The Liberal Democrat Economic Recovery Plan includes tax cuts for people on low and middle incomes and action to stop unnecessary home repossessions, cut energy bills and help people losing their jobs. Tax cuts would be paid for partly by taxing the richest more and partly by Government tightening its belt.

Vince Cable has become Parliament’s most authoritative MP on the economy – and as the Liberal Democrats’ Shadow Chancellor has led the opposition to Gordon Brown’s unfair abolition of the 10p tax rate. He warned for several years that a credit crisis would hit the UK. He was the first politician last year to realise that Northern Rock could only be saved by nationalisation.

Vince Cable’s ideas for recovery not only make economic sense but also include solutions to longer term challenges by tackling climate change and reducing unfairness. I think it’s the right economic policy for Britain.