Tag Archive for 'Finance'

Hilary Myers criticises budget on national TV

Published on March 25, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Hilary Myers on Sky News

In a pair of interviews shown live on national TV on budget day, Hilary Myers, Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson for Calder Valley, criticised Alistair Darling’s budget for a lack of fairness.

When interviewed by Sky News before the budget statement, Hilary explained that she would like to see a budget focused on making Britain a fairer place. Liberal Democrat proposals would reduce the tax burden on the least well off by scrapping income tax on the first £10,000 earned for everybody. Lib Dems would also invest to help stimulate the green economy, reducing carbon emissions and creating new jobs.

Following Alistair Darling’s budget statement, Hilary expressed disappointment. She said:

“There should have been more measures to close the inequality gap between rich and poor, which has widened under the current Labour government. The budget also had very little detail about the cuts and savings that are going to have to be made, and not enough measures to help the environment.”

Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, said:

“The Chancellor is incapable of coming clean about where spending cuts will have to fall. Rather than being honest with people about what the Government can and cannot afford, the Chancellor would rather let others indiscriminately shave departmental budgets.”

Come clean on funding Craig!

Published on March 11, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Letter from Hilary Myers to the Halifax Courier, 11 March 2010:

I note that Craig Whittaker, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Calder Valley, is now advertising himself on local buses. I wonder how he can afford such costly promotions?

The cynical attempt of Lord Ashcroft, a non-dom, to fund the campaigns of would-be Tory MPs in marginal seats such as ours and to use his money to support potential lawmakers who would help set the taxes for everyone else while his mega-rich Lordship makes his own arrangements, has been exposed as an outrageous affront to democracy.

In the new spirit of transparency and financial openness to be expected following the MPs’ expenses scandal, I think local voters should be told exactly how much ‘Ashcroft Money’ has been channelled into Craig’s campaign, both in the last few years and in support of this latest expensive initiative.

My questions for Craig are:

  1. Have you received any money or donations in kind from Lord Ashcroft or his company Bearwood Corporate Services Ltd since 2000?
  2. If so, are you happy to receive money from someone who has not been paying full UK tax?

I challenge him to come clean now about his expenses and how he is funding his campaign. If he is not prepared to be open about this there is little reason to trust him to do so should he be elected to represent the people of Calder Valley in the next Parliament.

Hilary Myers

Hilary Myers puts fairness at the heart of her Liberal Democrat campaign

Published on January 11, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

The Liberal Democrats have announced they will fight the General Election on four key principles, designed to make Britain a fairer place.

PPC for Calder Valley, Hilary Myers, has today set out her campaign priorities: fair taxes; a fair start for every child; fair, clean and local politics and a fair, green economy with jobs that last.

Hilary said, “People in Calder Valley have been let down by their politicians and are rightly frustrated. I am going into the election with a clear direction and a manifesto that is short, direct and to the point.

“We will introduce fairer taxes by closing loopholes for the richest, introducing a tax on mansions and tax cuts of £700 for everyone else.

“If your child is at school in Calder Valley, we can promise investment to help reduce class sizes, improve discipline and develop one-to-one tuition.

“We would also give you the right to sack your MP. The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to real change of our political system, flushing out big money and corrupt donors and reducing the number of MPs by 150.

“And we will rebuild the economy in every part of Britain in a way that promotes green technology and creates lasting jobs. We will put an end to casino banking, bring back competition and support local entrepreneurs to make sure Calder Valley businesses can find the money they need to grow.

“The coming months are a crucial time for politics and I will be using them to focus on these four priorities and delivering real change for Calder Valley.”

In his speech this morning (MON), Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg said:

“David Cameron and Gordon Brown are playing the politics of the airbrush and the focus group. One doesn’t know what he believes. The other doesn’t know what to do with the power he clings to so desperately. I believe the country wants something different. The Liberal Democrats are different. We offer credibility where it’s needed. And hope for our common future.”

Winter 2009 campaign – The Economy

Published on December 13, 2009 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Hilary Myers and Vince Cable

In 2008, the UK Government stepped in to prevent a number of the biggest names in British banking collapsing. One trillion pounds worth of taxpayer support has gone into keeping the British banking industry afloat. Whilst it would have been catastrophic to let the banks go bust, something should now be done to prevent this crisis happening again.

Over the last few decades, British banks have merged with one another to create increasingly large institutions. Many of these indulge in high-risk investment banking, as well as the consumer-facing businesses of mortgages, savings and current accounts. Liberal Democrats believe that it is a bad idea to have both of these types of business in the same company. If the high-risk investments go wrong, as they did catastrophically in 2008, then the savings and mortgages of millions of people are put at risk.

For this reason, in the long term, Liberal Democrats want to see a complete separation of high-risk ‘casino’ investment banking from consumer banking. The government would then be able to closely regulate the consumer banks, and leave the investment banks to their own devices.

The splitting up of the banks in this way would be a long and complicated business, however. In the meantime, Lib Dems are proposing a short-term 10% levy on bank profits. It would be payable on all profits made within the tax year, without the deduction of previous years’ losses.

When conditions allow for the banks to be adequately split up this levy would be scrapped. This creates a direct financial incentive for British banks to work with the Government in finding a viable mechanism for splitting their functions.

Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, says:

“We must find a way to split the banks so that the British public no longer props up ‘casino’ banking. Meanwhile, it is only right for the taxpayer to get a fair deal for the guarantee that they provide to the banking industry. A 10% levy on bank profits would be used to pay down the structural deficit that they are partly responsible for creating.”

Hilary Myers, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Calder Valley, says:

“I think the idea of a 10% levy on bank profits is both fair and workable. It should raise about £2 billion and be much harder to “dodge” than Labour’s ill-thought-out proposal for a tax on bankers’ bonuses.”

For more information, visit: Creating a Banking Levy: A Fair Deal for the Taxpayer

Calder Valley Lib Dems head to national conference to speak up for youth

Published on September 18, 2009 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

A team of Liberal Democrats from Calder Valley will be heading to Bournemouth this week to attend the party’s annual Conference.

Leading the team will be Hilary Myers, Parliamentary Candidate for Calder Valley. “This is the last autumn Conference before the General Election so it will be a very important meeting for the Party.

“In Calder Valley we are campaigning hard for action on youth unemployment during this recession. In Calder Valley the numbers of 16 – 24 year olds out of work has almost trebled since May 2005. The numbers clearly show that young people are being hit the hardest by the shrinking jobs market.

“Without action unemployment amongst 16 – 24 year olds could climb as high as 1.18 million by the end of 2011. The longer these young people are locked out of work, the greater the risk that they will be trapped in long-term unemployment. I am hoping to raise the issue at the Conference during our debates on the economy.

“The theme of the Conference is ‘A Fresh Start for Britain’. The main plans are to cut taxes for people on low and middle incomes, create green jobs and ensure every child has the best start in life.

“This Conference will therefore set the scene for our General Election manifesto. That General Election cannot come too soon for the people of Calder Valley. We urgently need change here, and Liberal Democrats are fighting hard to bring that about.

“Everyone knows that Labour can’t win again in Calder Valley. The Conservatives’ failure to come up with a serious plan for Government means many local residents do not trust them. The Liberal Democrats are the only alternative to the Conservatives here.”