This Budget is not Fair

Alistair Stevens - PPC with Vince Cable - Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor - Voted the most trusted to run the economy

Britain needed a Budget that gave us honesty in spending and fairness in tax. Alistair Darling has given us neither. Labour is in denial, while the Conservatives are talking tough to cover up the fact that they only offer more of the same.

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, he would rather let others indiscriminately shave departmental budgets.

What is worse the Budget did nothing to make Britain a fairer society.

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning for fair taxes, lifting millions of people out of income tax altogether. But the Budget, by confirming the freeze in personal allowances, means everyone will see a real increase in their income tax bill.

Rather than forcing the nationalised banks to lend to good British businesses, Labour have chosen to create a feeble quango to arbitrate between bullying banks and their small business clients.

This Budget shows even more clearly that Britain needs real change, only the Liberal Democrats have the policies and appetite to give the people of the High Peak and Britain hope of a fairer society.