Cable: Looks like Boris will lie down and let Heathrow expansion happen
Responding to the publication of Heathrow’s plan for a third runway which will include diverting rivers, moving roads and rerouting the M25 through a tunnel under the new runway, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Twickenham MP Vince Cable said:
Expanding Heathrow is the wrong decision for the country and for South West London, where air pollution, air traffic noise, and congestion are already a blight. Heathrow’s plan all but confirms this.
The economics of Heathrow expansion also look questionable at best while it will do nothing for regional economies. Above all, this is the wrong priority when the world is gripped in a climate emergency. When Conservative Ministers have just committed to slashing emissions to zero, how can building a new runway be the right decision?
All eyes will be on the next occupant of 10 Downing Street. Boris Johnson once promised to lie down on front of bulldozers to stop it. Now, it looks like he will lie down so that developers can walk over him.
Lib Dems: UK must not abandon people of Hong Kong now
Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, Alistair Carmichael MP, will today urge the Conservative Government to ensure that controversial and dangerous proposed Hong Kong Extradition Bill has been unequivocally withdrawn and will not re-emerge in a new form at any stage.
Alistair Carmichael will use his Urgent Question in the House of Commons today to remind the Conservative Government of their legal and moral duty to the people of Hong Kong on matters of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
Speaking ahead of his Urgent Question, Alistair Carmichael MP said:
The decision to suspend the dangerous new Hong Kong Extradition Bill is not enough. The people of Hong Kong need cast-iron assurances and the Conservative government has a duty to help secure them. The proposed changes must be withdrawn entirely and must not re-emerge in any form at any stage.
It is incumbent on the Conservative government to defend and promote the rights and freedoms of those in Hong Kong. The Sino-British Joint Declaration is as valid today as it was when it was signed in 1984. It is a legally binding document.
The two million protestors who took to the streets of Hong Kong should be proud of their role in upholding democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong. Their peaceful demonstration was watched across the world. The UK must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Hong Kong.
Cable: Boris Johnson is a danger to Britain
Responding to the latest ballot in the Tory leadership race,
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable said:
Boris Johnson continues to be a danger to Britain and to our relationships around the world.
Conservatives in the Commons and the country must surely realise that in this deadly serious contest, the Johnson candidature is no longer a jolly joke.
The Tories are moving to a coronation with people rallying around Johnson who have no trust or confidence in him, but are looking for jobs. This would mean a few weeks of unity with months and years of acrimony to follow.
Boris Johnson’s platform must be subjected to the harsh light of public scrutiny before, not after, he is handed the keys to Number 10.
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One Comment
George H W Bush called it “Voodoo Economics”. https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Voodoo+economics
Proponents called it “The J curve” (on a graph)
Boris Johnson was the only candidate who argued that reducing income tax for people earning £50,000+ per year would lead to an increase in tax revenue. This is not common sense. It is counter-intuitive. It is unlikely to be attractive to people earning an average wave of about £25,000 per year.
Boris went on to talk about people earning £50,000 a year. His examples were all in the public sector, but none of the other candidates picked up on this. In theory a commission salesman, a manager on bonus or the owner of a business might be motivated by a reduction in income tax rates, but these are all private sector.
Ronald Reagan’s tax cuts were popular, but a lack of revenues caused budget deficits for subsequent Presidents to inherit.