We're now out of the recession

It will be announced at the end of the month that in the last quarter of 2009 the UK came out of recession. The problem being the country has £178 billion worth of debt, which is 13% of the countries GDP. There is still no questioning that the economy is the most important issue leading up to this years general election, which is likely to be held on May 6th.

It is in legislation that the Government has to halve the £178 billion deficit within four years. Surely Labour cannot say to voters it is their investment policy against the Conservatives cuts in public spending. The Conservatives are correct that this is the correct policy after all if you were overdrawn £178 billion i'm not sure anyone would be bailing you out. Although the Conservatives timing of when to make the cuts were wrong, if the country had been under a Conservative Government at the time we fell into recession, cuts would have plummeted us further into recession or possbily a depression.

The Government must now be honest with voters, that cuts and higher taxes are pretty inevitable with such a huge deficit on the eve of the announcment that we have come out of recession. Early warning signs are clear with Lord Mandelson's proposals to cut University spending, but Brown still seems hesitant to annouce public spending cuts. Let's be clear the country has a deficit of £178 billion, 13% of GDP the country knows their will be cuts.

Before you make your decision on who gets your vote on the ballot paper come the next general election. Ask yourself what have the parties told us about their plans for the economy, if you don't know the answer to this do not vote for that party. The real question for Labour, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats before the general election is what cuts, when and how much.

The country now needs a plan, not political spin to win over our votes. It needs a party to show courage and tell the country exactly what it proposes to do to tackle the deficit.

Nick Coughlan

06/01/10