High Peak Liberal Democrats

A defence of our roll in Coalition - whatever Jeremy Browne thinks.

Danny Alexander takes to the pages of the Independent to challenge the points made by Jeremy Browne in his critical interview in that paper.

He looks back at the recessions of the 80s with their mass unemployment and misery and highlights the differences in approach brought into government by the Liberal Democrats. This, he says, has brought about a quicker, fairer end to the economic downturn:

• Liberalism is about individual freedom, fairness and opportunity. And freedom, fairness and opportunity cannot flourish without a strong economy.
• Today, Britain has the strongest growth and fastest job creation of any advanced economy. Inflation is benign, business investment is rising and we have record numbers in work. By any measure, Britain is making strong progress and opportunity is increasing.
• This recovery has not come about by accident. It has been hard earned by millions of people and businesses. But we needed the right economic climate for the recovery. That climate is the direct result of liberal values in the recovery plan - fairness and opportunity. Delivered in the Coalition by Liberal Democrat policies - a balanced approach to dealing with the deficit; raising the income tax personal allowance to make work more attractive; creating apprenticeships to give people the skills they need; and the priority we have given to boosting investment in regional and local businesses, innovation and infrastructure. This is not "splitting the difference" between the other parties. It's doing things in a distinctly different way, the liberal way.

He looks back to Tory Chancellor Norman Lamont's attitude from the 1990s and compares to the coalition's record:

• Many will remember the Conservative Chancellor Norman Lamont saying in 1991 that "rising unemployment and the recession have been the price that we have had to pay to get inflation down. That price is well worth paying". It was a disgraceful thing to say, but it reflected that harsh and uncaring side of Conservatism that seems to shine through whenever the Conservatives are threatened, as they are now by the rise of Ukip.
• Unemployment in the 1980s and 1990s recessions climbed into double figures and worse it stayed too high for far too long. In the 1990s, six years after the start of the recession, unemployment remained close to eight per cent, in the 1980s it was over 11 per cent. Compare that to now, six years after the start of the recession and unemployment is under six per cent.

He warned against the risks of majority government, Labour or Conservative and set out the case that the recovery was only safe with the Liberal Democrats.

• Far from being in "No Man's Land", our party stands proud of its record of economic competence during these difficult years. And such has been the influence and importance of our flagship policies on the personal allowance and apprenticeships that we see our coalition partners routinely attempt to claim credit for them.
• We are the only party with plans that will safe guard the recovery, finish the job of deficit reduction fairly, allow Britain to turn the corner in 2018 and to see opportunity increase for our citizens.

You can read the whole article here.

* Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary published in print or online.

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