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ON THE BY AMANDA CAMPBELL
Unite accused Chancellor George Osborne of leading the economy down the road to ruin, with his credibility tatters, following his autumn statement, on December 5. Unite believes his addiction to austerity has strangled growth and risks not just deferring recovery but trashing the economy altogether. He is cutting his way to national calamity.
George Osborne announced a real-term cut to benefits pushing more families into poverty, slashing another £3.7bn from the bill, and adding more austerity with £10bn of more cuts. He also admitted missing his debt reduction target and said he has been forced to extend his austerity programme to 2018.
Also cut was £1bn from pensions tax relief, while a sop to the driver was a cancellation of a planned rise in fuel duty. And despite the fact that many companies apparently don’t pay tax, Osborne gave his buddies in business a one per cent cut.
They say… “Those with the most should contribute the most, and
they will. But fairness is also about being fair to the person who leaves home every morning to go out to work and sees their neighbour still asleep, living a life on benefits.
“As well as a tax system where the richest pay their fair
share, we have to have a welfare system that is fair to the working people who pay for it.”
Chancellor George Osborne, December 5, 2012
others say… “I still believe that the economics of Osborne’s
statement fell woefully short of what is needed to rescue the UK from its parlous state. In the fiscal year 2009-10, current government spending amounted to 42.9 per cent of GDP. In 2012-13, for all his “tough choices” bluster, spending will be 42.3 per cent of national income – by no means a significant reduction.”
Liam Halligan, The Telegraph, December 8, 2012 27 uniteWORKS November/December 2012
We say… “Even by his own standards his failure is miserable.
Growth targets are missed and the country faces a bigger deficit at the next election than when he took over as Chancellor.
“Last year’s promise of £21bn in investment has failed to materialise. £5bn worth of investment has to be welcomed, but it’s small beer given the scale of the problems before us, and much of that money is earmarked to deliver the highly political free schools programme while low income kids cannot stay in education.
“Working men and women will ask, where are the jobs? Are my loved ones better off? Can we face the future without fear? This statement offers them no change and no hope.
“Osborne’s chill wind is howling through the households of millions of ordinary people. It will punish our people for years to come unless we have a change of course and a government that invests in growth and jobs.”
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, December 5, 2012
Miserable failure
Justin Tallis/
reportdigital.co.uk
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