“Government incompetence has been costly to Northern Rock” – Ian Swales

Responding to the decision by the Government to nationalise Northern Rock, Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Redcar constituency, said:

“This decision is welcome but was also inevitable and should have been taken last year. Instead, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling have been paralysed by their own indecision. They put off the only sensible course of action right until the very end. This is hardly a sensible way to run the Government.

“Had Labour followed the advice of Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable last year, the uncertainty that has been so damaging to Northern Rock and to the British economy would have been avoided.

“The Conservative proposal that Northern Rock should be put into administration and run down would be a disaster. Not only would this not get taxpayers money back any faster but it would be the one way to guarantee that every single job at the bank would be lost, most of them in the North East. Temporary nationalisation will not be easy for Northern Rock, but it at least offers hope that the bank can have a long-term future and eventually be sold when conditions are better.”

Ian Swales is the Liberal Democrats Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar

SAVE OUR POST OFFICES

Ian Swales with local Councilllors Glyn Nightingale (left) and Eric Empson (right) outside Lazenby Post Office

REDCAR Constituency’s Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Ian Swales, says Labour’s new plans to close 2500 post offices will hit local communities across Britain.

That’s nearly 1 in 5 post offices to close and this includes local post offices in Park Avenue, Redcar and Lazenby. These new closures are on top of the 7500 post offices already closed by Conservative and Labour Governments. The closures will mean long journeys for many just to pick up a pension or send a parcel.

Local people deserve much better!

Labour have already closed 4000 post offices in Britain.
The last Conservative Government closed 3500 post offices.
The Lib Dems are fighting to save our post offices.

STEPS TO SAVE OUR POST OFFICES

1. Invest £2 billion in post office network - open new branches where needed.
2. The Post Office freed from Royal Mail restrictions to let it develop new business.
3. A new legal requirement for the Government to maintain the local Post Office network.

Please print out and sign our "Save our post offices petition"

I/We the undersigned call on the Labour Government to stop the closure of 2500 post offices across Britain. We need more post offices, not more cuts.

Name/s _________________________________________

Address_________________________________________

Phone_________________ Email____________________

Return to: FREEPOST RRKX-SBSS-JRTS,
Redcar & Cleveland Liberal Democrats,
39 Coast Road,
Redcar,
Yorkshire, TS10 3NN