More bad news for our area - say Ian Swales

GDP figures show we could be in the deepest recession on record - says Shadow Chacellor Vince Cable

Commenting on today's GDP figures, which show the economy shrank by 0.4% Between July and September, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said:

"For all the hopes of a quick recovery, these figures make it clear we are still in the longest and what could yet become the deepest recession on record.

"For all that has been thrown at the economy to try and stimulate a recovery it is clear that massive structural problems remain, particularly in the banking sector.

"This news adds to serious concerns over the realism of Government plans to deal with the burgeoning public debt. It is critical ministers spell out a credible path as to how they will deal with the deficit.

"With the legacy of unemployment likely to remain for years after the end of the recession, we need radical measures to avoid repeating the mistakes of the 1990s which left millions on the scrap heap."

Prospective MP for Redcar Ian Swales said:

"The fact that the country is still in recession is more bad news for our area. With unemployment already at high levels, and more threatened, we desperately need a turn round in the country's fortunes. While other countries like France and Germany are growing again we are still faced with decline and a collapsing currency due to the reckless policies of the Labour Government."

Simon Hughes - A bad day for Parliament, Labour and the planet.

Commenting after the defeat of a Liberal Democrat Opposition day motion calling for Government, Parliament, and all public sector bodies to cut their carbon pollution by 10% by the end of 2010, Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary Simon Hughes said:

“This is a bad day for Parliament, Labour and the planet.

“The Government has failed to understand the level of public support for the 10:10 campaign or to get the message that people want real political action now to tackle dangerous climate change.

“Britain needs a Government which sets an example and delivers immediate and ambitious carbon reductions in the UK. Today the Government has stopped a clear message from going to the rest of the world that Britain will take action on climate change now.

“Last year Liberal Democrats successfully added an 80% emission reduction target to the Climate Change Act.

“We will continue to show political leadership in dealing with the climate crisis and we will continue to give the strongest backing to the 10:10 campaign.”

Local students could face £7,000 tuition fees

There is now less than eight months to save a new generation of young people from huge increases in university tuition fees, according to Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for the Redcar Constituency, Ian Swales.

He was speaking after the Conservatives suggested they will increase tuition fees to £7,000 if they take power at the next general election, which has to be held by next June.

That will see tuition fees for undergraduates more than double. Currently there is a cap of £3,300 in England and Wales.

Peter Mandelson has already suggested that Labour will allow universities to charge more than at present if re-elected – though the party is too scared to push through the changes it wants before June.

Only the Liberal Democrats will scrap tuition fees. The party believes university education should be free and everyone who has the ability should be able to go – and not be put off by the cost.

Ian Swales said: “I look around Redcar Constituency and I see people return from university with no job and a bank balance tens of thousands of pounds in the red. What sort of message is that?

“Labour and now the Tories are showing their true colours. They don’t care about young people – they just want to saddle them with staggering amounts of debt.

“The choice is clear: the people of Redcar Constituency can vote for a politician who will condemn a generation of youngsters or for the Liberal Democrats who will make education free again, giving young people the best possible start.”

It's worth remembering -The National Union of Students estimates that the average cost of attending university now stands at more than £42,000. The average graduate will have accrued nearly £20,000 of debt by the end of a three-year course.

For more details on the Tories’ university policy see Daily Express, 15 October: “Student debt to soar as tuition fees could rise to £7,000 a year” http://www.express.co.UK/posts/view/134074/Student-debt-to-soar-

For more details on Labour’s university policy see Daily Mail, 28 July: “Liberal Democrats are the only party which believes university education should be free and everyone who has the ability should be able to go to university and not be put off by the cost.” http://www.dailymail.co.UK/news/article-1202408/Middle-class-face-7-000-tuition-fees-pay-poor-Mandy-warns-excellence-cheap.HTML

Message from Nick Clegg

Dear Glyn,

A couple of hours ago Bedford elected a new Mayor - Liberal Democrat Dave Hodgson. This is a sensational victory for Dave Hodgson and I congratulate him and the Bedford Liberal Democrats for an outstanding campaign.

You might not have seen much about this election in the media - but this by-election matters. The Mayor of Bedford represents more people than an MP does, and Dave will be making important decisions that affect peoples' lives.

This result shows how misplaced the Conservatives' complacency about the next election really is. The Liberal Democrats have never taken a single vote for granted. With Labour lagging behind at a disastrous fifth this is yet more evidence that the real choice is now between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

I've just recorded this video to congratulate Dave Hodgson, our new Mayor of Bedford. And I'd also like to thank everyone from Bedford and beyond who went to canvass, deliver leaflets or make phone calls for his campaign.

We can all be proud that today there's another Liberal Democrat in a position of real influence in Britain. Thank you for everything you do.
Best wishes,

Nick Clegg

Sensational Liberal Democrat victory in Bedford Mayoral election

Local councillor and campaigner Dave Hodgson takes victory in the Mayoral elections.

Full time councillor and campaigner, Dave Hodgson has stormed to victory in the Mayoral elections that took place on 15 October in Bedford.

Results were announced on today as follows:

Liberal Democrats - 13,352
Conservatives - 11,543.

Labour were eliminated in the first round of voting where they came fifth, despite having the current MP for the town.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, has expressed his congratulations saying: “This is a sensational victory for Dave Hodgson and I congratulate him and the Bedford Liberal Democrats for an outstanding campaign. “By electing Dave Hodgson as Mayor the people of Bedford have put their trust in the Liberal Democrats to work hard on their behalf."

Here Nick Clegg at -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpbrNf9RnpQ&feature=player_embedded

Lib Dems Persuade Council to Support 10:10 Climate Change Campaign

Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council today successfully persuaded the Council to back a campaign aimed at driving forward cuts in the authority’s carbon emissions.

Lib Dem Councillor Irene Curr (Coatham Ward) submitted a motion to today’s Council meeting calling on the Labour-run Council to sign up to the “10:10 Campaign” to reduce carbon use.

The 10:10 campaign calls on individuals, businesses and other organisations to work towards a 10% cut in carbon emissions in 2010.

The campaign also aims to show world leaders that there is public support for dramatic cuts in global fuel consumption in the hope of encouraging an international agreement at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which meets in Copenhagen in December.

Councillor Curr said:
“I am pleased that the Council has agreed to give a lead on carbon reduction. 10% will be a tough target to achieve, but if the Council has the will to do it I am sure it will be possible.”

Her colleague, Liberal Democrat Councillor Mike Carling, seconded the motion, adding:
“I hope that many local residents and businesses will also sign up to the 10:10 Campaign.”
“In these tough economic times it makes sense, not only for the environment, but in cutting fuel bills too.”

Speaking in support of the motion at today's Council meeting, Ormesby & Nunthorpe Councillor Glyn Nightingale raised his concern that the Council's environment officer had been seconded to another job away from climate change work.

He also welcomed the conversion of other parties to the urgent need to deal with environment issues.

He illustrated how attitudes are changing - even on the other side of the Atlantic. He said on a recent visit to Washington DC on holiday with Irene Nightingale they had seen two outdoor meetings at the Capitol lawns. US Democrat Senators, including former presidential candidate John Kerry (centre bottom photo), were campaigning for climate change action and greater use of cycling. See the photos above. A key plank of their case was to make America less dependent on foreign energy supplies. It's something we need to bear in mind here.

The Democrats were sponsoring a bill that will aim to deal with climate change which they promised would create 1 million new jobs. This backs up what Lib Dems have been saying that environmental action will be good for jobs. The Lib Dems' policy aims to create green jobs in Britain.

Nick Clegg sends second letter to Sir Thomas Legg on MPs expensesWed, 14 Oct 2009

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, today wrote again to Sir Thomas Legg regarding his investigation in to MPs expenses.In the letter, written alongside an article in today’s Daily Telegraph, he expresses his concerns about the oversight of the inquiry. He was particularly concerned about those MPs who have claimed for a non-existent mortgages or ‘flipped’ their second homes purely for personal gain.

Nick Clegg’s letter in full:

I am writing to you with regard to your ongoing enquiries into MPs’ expenses.I am, of course, glad that you are looking into cases where MPs have spent too much of taxpayers’ money and asking them to repay it. The British people have been deeply angered by MPs’ excesses and have every right to ask MPs to make amends. I have instructed Liberal Democrat MPs to cooperate fully with your investigations and abide by any reasonable requests for repayments.But when your inquiry was first announced, I think most people expected the worst offences such as flipping to come under the toughest scrutiny.

The letters sent this week, however, appear not to focus on these offences. If your review is to be seen as credible it must expose every single one of those MPs who claimed for a non-existent mortgage or ‘flipped’ their second homes purely for personal gain, some of whom then went on to avoid Capital Gains Tax. Some of these MPs appear to have made tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds in profits with the help of taxpayer subsidies. They must be exposed and these illegitimate profits returned.If we want to begin to rebuild faith in politics, there can be no half measures; full compensation must be paid by MPs who have abused their constituents’ trust.
Yours sincerely,
Nick Clegg MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

You can read the full Telegraph article here.