Tag Archives: spending review 2015

Osborne’s democracy cuts shows true Tory colours

By A Liberal in Leeds | Mon 30th November 2015 - 10:51 am

This week the Chancellor unveiled a petty attack on our democracy.

There were just three good parts to the Spending Review. First, there was the long-overdue boost to mental health funding as championed by Norman Lamb. Then there was the welcome U-turn over tax credits, and finally the absence of significant police cuts.

However, there were swathes of ideological, unnecessary cuts: cuts to the pupil premium in real terms, cuts to green energy which will harm our environment and our economy, cuts to universal credit orders for councils to sell off much-needed property to stay afloat financially and a whole lot more.

Hidden beneath this bad news though was something a lot more sinister. Osborne proposed a seventeen percent cut to opposition party funding because – wait for it – opposition parties have done nothing to cut the deficit so they should take the hit! Has the Chancellor forgotten the last five years? Even if the Chancellor somehow thinks opposition parties routinely voted against every bill proposing spending reductions, we Lib Dems spent five years sacrificing our party for the good of the country.

Tim Farron’s response to the Autumn Statement

By The Voice | Wed 25th November 2015 - 5:29 pm

Tim Farron writes:

This was a deeply political budget from a deeply political Chancellor. It looks good in the theatrics of the Commons, with Labour divided, weak and inept, but the budget will unravel.

It will unravel in schools next year when they see funding slashed; it will unravel when local councils have to cut services and increase taxes just to get by; and it will unravel when projects can’t be built because of the skills shortage caused by the attack on further education.

The brighter outlook has given Osborne room for manoeuvre, yet he continues an ideological crusade to slash spending and

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged autumn statement 2015 and tim farron | 13 Comments

Your thoughts on Osborne’s Autumn Statement

By Mary Reid | Wed 25th November 2015 - 12:32 pm

View image | gettyimages.com

Before George Osborne steps up to the dispatch box today we already know which Government departments will be protected from the cuts and which will have to take the brunt. The Tories have pledged to protect the NHS, education, defence, pensions and foreign aid, so that leaves vulnerable the police, local government (and just think of the huge number of services they provide), social care, further education (apparently not considered ‘real’ education), renewable energy and, of course, welfare.

Posted in News | Also tagged autumn statement 2015, george osborne and tim farron | 33 Comments

Liblink: Tim Farron on the five things Lib Dems want to see in the Spending Review

By The Voice | Wed 25th November 2015 - 12:10 pm

View image | gettyimages.com

Tim Farron has been writing today in the Huffington Post.

The simple fact is that nearly half of the cuts George Osborne will make aren’t necessary to get spending under control. Instead that are motivated by an ideological drive to shrink the state. That’s a big departure from the decisions Liberal Democrats took in Coalition.

He outlines the five things that he would like to see in the review:

Posted in LibLink | Also tagged autumn statement 2015, featured, george osborne and tim farron | 1 Comment