Jordan's Journal

While most political commentators are focusing - quite rightly - on the Conservatives' hazy spending plans, its worth taking a look at what the Lib Dems are proposing too. This is especially important in Colchester, where we have a Lib Dem MP championing these policies. 

The Lib Dems, in short, continue to make dozens of expensive spending promises, which they haven’t costed. However much they dress it up and try to hijack Labour's fairness agenda, Nick Clegg’s Lib Dems real plan is cuts; to "scale back" tax credits and scrap the Child Trust Fund.

The Lib Dem's agenda is quite simply one of cuts. They're committed to making "choices like abolishing the Child Trust Fund" and promise to make “spending cuts” that would have a huge impact on schools, hospitals and the police in Colchester. I'm not worried what the Lib Dem's think of Labour spending priorities, especially when I already see those spending policies raising standards in schools, lifting children out of poverty and improving the NHS. What I am more worried about, is how a Lib Dem policy of cut backs will affect children and families in Colchester.

"And to make that possible I’m asking my Shadow Cabinet team to look further, and deeper than before, and identify spending cuts".
Nick Clegg. May 2008.

At the same time, the Lib Dems’ latest policy document adds to a long list of unfunded promises, with huge uncosted spending pledges like a high speed railway network. Mr Clegg admits that he “can’t put all the figures and cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s now” on the Lib Dems’ spending plans.

Aside from the seriousness of the Lib Dem's unfunded promises and spending cut proposals, I read that Nick Clegg's top team can't actually add up. It's been revealed that Lib Dem MP Mark Hunter - Mr Clegg's right hand man - has been ordered to repay £500 of his parliamentary allowances after using it to send Lib Dem propaganda to his constituents. Interesting, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards said the incident have been "more than a series of isolated misjudgements or individual mistakes".

When it comes to public spending and in the current economic climate, none of us can afford to suffer from those same Lib Dem misjudgements or mistakes.

While most political commentators are focusing - quite rightly - on the Conservatives' hazy spending plans, its worth taking a look at what the Lib Dems are proposing too. This is especially important in Colchester, where we have a Lib Dem MP championing these policies. 

The Lib Dems, in short, continue to make dozens of expensive spending promises, which they haven’t costed. However much they dress it up and try to hijack Labour's fairness agenda, Nick Clegg’s Lib Dems real plan is cuts; to "scale back" tax credits and scrap the Child Trust Fund.

The Lib Dem's agenda is quite simply one of cuts. They're committed to making "choices like abolishing the Child Trust Fund" and promise to make “spending cuts” that would have a huge impact on schools, hospitals and the police in Colchester. I'm not worried what the Lib Dem's think of Labour spending priorities, especially when I already see those spending policies raising standards in schools, lifting children out of poverty and improving the NHS. What I am more worried about, is how a Lib Dem policy of cut backs will affect children and families in Colchester.

"And to make that possible I’m asking my Shadow Cabinet team to look further, and deeper than before, and identify spending cuts".
Nick Clegg. May 2008.

At the same time, the Lib Dems’ latest policy document adds to a long list of unfunded promises, with huge uncosted spending pledges like a high speed railway network. Mr Clegg admits that he “can’t put all the figures and cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s now” on the Lib Dems’ spending plans.

Aside from the seriousness of the Lib Dem's unfunded promises and spending cut proposals, I read that Nick Clegg's top team can't actually add up. It's been revealed that Lib Dem MP Mark Hunter - Mr Clegg's right hand man - has been ordered to repay £500 of his parliamentary allowances after using it to send Lib Dem propaganda to his constituents. Interesting, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards said the incident have been "more than a series of isolated misjudgements or individual mistakes".

When it comes to public spending and in the current economic climate, none of us can afford to suffer from those same Lib Dem misjudgements or mistakes.

While most political commentators are focusing - quite rightly - on the Conservatives' hazy spending plans, its worth taking a look at what the Lib Dems are proposing too. This is especially important in Colchester, where we have a Lib Dem MP championing these policies. 

The Lib Dems, in short, continue to make dozens of expensive spending promises, which they haven’t costed. However much they dress it up and try to hijack Labour's fairness agenda, Nick Clegg’s Lib Dems real plan is cuts; to "scale back" tax credits and scrap the Child Trust Fund.

The Lib Dem's agenda is quite simply one of cuts. They're committed to making "choices like abolishing the Child Trust Fund" and promise to make “spending cuts” that would have a huge impact on schools, hospitals and the police in Colchester. I'm not worried what the Lib Dem's think of Labour spending priorities, especially when I already see those spending policies raising standards in schools, lifting children out of poverty and improving the NHS. What I am more worried about, is how a Lib Dem policy of cut backs will affect children and families in Colchester.

"And to make that possible I’m asking my Shadow Cabinet team to look further, and deeper than before, and identify spending cuts".
Nick Clegg. May 2008.

At the same time, the Lib Dems’ latest policy document adds to a long list of unfunded promises, with huge uncosted spending pledges like a high speed railway network. Mr Clegg admits that he “can’t put all the figures and cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s now” on the Lib Dems’ spending plans.

Aside from the seriousness of the Lib Dem's unfunded promises and spending cut proposals, I read that Nick Clegg's top team can't actually add up. It's been revealed that Lib Dem MP Mark Hunter - Mr Clegg's right hand man - has been ordered to repay £500 of his parliamentary allowances after using it to send Lib Dem propaganda to his constituents. Interesting, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards said the incident have been "more than a series of isolated misjudgements or individual mistakes".

When it comes to public spending and in the current economic climate, none of us can afford to suffer from those same Lib Dem misjudgements or mistakes.

News that the Government has awarded the contract for the Post Office Card Account (POCA) service to the Post Office is good news for people in Colchester. It is a testament to the hard work of Labour MPs, Councillors and local representatives that the Government has made this decision, giving a welcome boast to local Post Offices and saving some 300 from closure.

In December 2006, the Government said they would be tendering for a successor to operate the POCA. However, in order to support our Post Office network, Labour has cancelled the tendering exercise in order to support the current scheme. This really is a vote of confidence in the post office.

Not only will this news be welcomed by people across the country, but it has also been welcomed by the post offices themselves, who rely on the business of people picking up their pensions or benefits. At a time when the current financial crisis has made people worry about their finances, Post Offices are often the only providers of local banking services in smaller areas.

While Labour is offering a subsidy of £1.7 billion to help maintain a national post office network, the Tories never offered such a subsidy and the Lib Dems policy is to abolish the very department that invests in, and supports, our post offices. The Liberal determination to cut £20 billion from public investment would put our Post Office network at risk. Without Labour’s investment many more post offices would be threatened with closure. Couple this with the access criteria that we have introduced means we now have modern Post Office that serves the people.

News that the Government has awarded the contract for the Post Office Card Account (POCA) service to the Post Office is good news for people in Colchester. It is a testament to the hard work of Labour MPs, Councillors and local representatives that the Government has made this decision, giving a welcome boast to local Post Offices and saving some 300 from closure.

In December 2006, the Government said they would be tendering for a successor to operate the POCA. However, in order to support our Post Office network, Labour has cancelled the tendering exercise in order to support the current scheme. This really is a vote of confidence in the post office.

Not only will this news be welcomed by people across the country, but it has also been welcomed by the post offices themselves, who rely on the business of people picking up their pensions or benefits. At a time when the current financial crisis has made people worry about their finances, Post Offices are often the only providers of local banking services in smaller areas.

While Labour is offering a subsidy of £1.7 billion to help maintain a national post office network, the Tories never offered such a subsidy and the Lib Dems policy is to abolish the very department that invests in, and supports, our post offices. The Liberal determination to cut £20 billion from public investment would put our Post Office network at risk. Without Labour’s investment many more post offices would be threatened with closure. Couple this with the access criteria that we have introduced means we now have modern Post Office that serves the people.

News that the Government has awarded the contract for the Post Office Card Account (POCA) service to the Post Office is good news for people in Colchester. It is a testament to the hard work of Labour MPs, Councillors and local representatives that the Government has made this decision, giving a welcome boast to local Post Offices and saving some 300 from closure.

In December 2006, the Government said they would be tendering for a successor to operate the POCA. However, in order to support our Post Office network, Labour has cancelled the tendering exercise in order to support the current scheme. This really is a vote of confidence in the post office.

Not only will this news be welcomed by people across the country, but it has also been welcomed by the post offices themselves, who rely on the business of people picking up their pensions or benefits. At a time when the current financial crisis has made people worry about their finances, Post Offices are often the only providers of local banking services in smaller areas.

While Labour is offering a subsidy of £1.7 billion to help maintain a national post office network, the Tories never offered such a subsidy and the Lib Dems policy is to abolish the very department that invests in, and supports, our post offices. The Liberal determination to cut £20 billion from public investment would put our Post Office network at risk. Without Labour’s investment many more post offices would be threatened with closure. Couple this with the access criteria that we have introduced means we now have modern Post Office that serves the people.