UNDER the Tories and Lib Dems the British people have endured the longest recession since the 1930s. George Osborne said that he would eliminate the deficit by 2015. He has failed.

Government borrowing has actually increased. It’s often forgotten that the global financial crisis started in the USA and people’s savings would have been lost if Gordon Brown had not acted decisively to protect British banks.

Britain’s economic prosperity is under further threat from the Tories and UKIP: a referendum on the EU is playing political games with people’s jobs. Half of the UK’s trade is with the EU: car manufacturers are based in Britain because of access to the single market.

The EU needs reform but leaving would be a disaster for businesses reliant on agricultural subsidies, migrant labour and tourism. Labour will support small businesses by cutting and freezing business rates and by having the most competitive corporation tax regime in the G7. We will give the Green Invest- ment Bank borrowing powers and increase investment in renewable energy and new technologies.

Too many Herefordshire residents are in low-paid, insecure jobs. Labour will increase the minimum wage to more than £8, outlaw exploitative zero hours contracts and introduce a 10p starting rate of tax.

Mr priorities will be to champion the interests of small businesses in Herefordshire and at Westminster; lobby for improved communications by road, rail, mobile and broadband which are essential for businesses to grow and to attract new investment to Herefordshire; and oppose the council’s plans to sell its farms: such a policy would not only damage the livelihoods of current tenant farmers, but would stop young people becoming farmers – unless you are from a farming family or are very wealthy, it’s very difficult to set up an agricultural business.

 

  • EDITOR'S NOTE: Sally Prentice's article on the economy was originally uploaded with the wrong text. The above is the article provided by Sally Prentice and we apologise for the error.