The Island’s MP, Andrew Turner has responded to the announcements made in the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) yesterday.
“There have been some very difficult decisions as a result of the financial mess that the Coalition Government inherited in May. Many people understand that we could not carry on making interest payments on the nation’s debt of £120 million a day and ignoring the record budget deficit. That would simply have been leaving our debts for future generations to pay.
“Some of the changes brought about by the CSR were long overdue in any event, such as the commitment to always making work pay and putting cash limits on benefits. It is a disgrace that some people have for many years been collecting more in benefits than the average wage.
“The economy needs to be underpinned by healthy public finances to sustain the recovery – so these decisions couldn’t be put off. However, there is no disguising that some of these changes will lead to real hardship over the coming months. Next weekend I shall be out and about in Newport and Ryde to hear the views of Islanders – I will issue more details next week about where you will be able to find me to let me know what you think about these decisions.”
Mr Turner also hit out at the vote in the European Union yesterday to increase their budget. Last week he was among 43 MPs who voted to reduce British payments to the EU. He said :
“Yesterday the Chancellor had to stand up in the House of Commons outlining the cuts our Government needed to make in order to balance the books. On the same day the EU voted for a 5.9% increase in their budget. That is completely unacceptable and the Government must tackle the situation – however difficult that may be for the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition.”
END Contact : Andrew Turner’s office 01983 530808
