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Meacher attacks PM over job cuts
Reporter: Lobby correspondent
Date online: 01 July 2010
AN Oldham MP has accused the Prime Minister of allowing bankers who created the financial crisis to get away with it at the expense of ordinary public sector workers.
Speaking in Prime Minister’s Questions Michael Meacher called on David Cameron to justify public sector job losses against the increased wealth of bankers.
He said: “How can the Prime Minister justify the fact that hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, the victims of the financial crash, will unquestionably lose their jobs because of the huge public service cuts to come, when the bankers and superrich, the architects of the financial crash, whose wealth grew by £77 billion in this last year according to The Sunday Times rich list, stand to lose neither their jobs, their income nor their wealth?
“Is that what he means by everyone being in it together?”
Mr Cameron said: “The right honourable Gentleman fought the last election on £50 billion of unspecified cuts.
“ That is why the figures published show that public sector job losses would be higher under Labour in the next two years.
“He can say all he likes about bankers; the fact is, his party would not introduce a bank levy until the rest of the world had decided to do it. We have done it in seven weeks.”
The Office for Budget Responsibility —set up by the coalition to make an independent assessment of the public finances and the economy — has forecast more than 600,000 public sector jobs will be lost over the next six years.
The OBR has predicted 490,000 job losses by 2015 and 610,000 by 2016.
During PMQs yesterday Mr Cameron said unemployment would fall during the coalition government’s term.
Acting leader of the Labour party Harriet Harman warned of “abject misery” in the jobs market after leaked Treasury documents suggested last week’s emergency budget could drive up unemployment figures by as much as 1.3m.
Comments
The bankers bankrupted the country. Labour saved it. If they had let Northern Rock collapse, the rest would have followed like dominoes. Where wold your saving be then Barros? You would have been asking for Labour intervention -you cannot have it both ways. Face the facts.
Guts! Not from what I have been hearing from politicians around the world who feel that the UK is in for a battering like never before. You'll wish you were still 'safe under Labour' (so they say) because the worst is still to come. Sold down the river by Nick Clegg's clowns. That's what the 'outside world' are thinking and suggesting.
@AC. Brown was chancellor when the banks were cut loose in 1997. It was Brown who bankrupted the country by removing necessary controls in order to increase his tax take for the ridiculous levels of spending he wanted to undertake. When the bubble burst Brown then had to spend billions of taxpayers money shoring up his pals in the City.
Brown created the mess and left us with it, and the taxpayer now has to foot the bill because Brown daren't upset his friends by making them pay.
If Brown had not introduced light touch regulation the banking crisis would not have happened. The city was Browns golden goose to fund excessive public sector initiatives. The bubble was bound to burst and it has BIG STYLE. Brown and the Labour party must accept this part of the blame, but they wont. They never do
Barros sounds like a Lib-Dem trying to justify his partys involvement in this convenient and cosy coalition.
Let's get it straight, the country ISN'T bankrupt, and if you really want to know where the problem lies, then try the banks for starters!
The Lib-Dems manifesto really led their supporters down the garden path, and now Ken Clarke is starting to tear the Tory one up too.
Let's see what happens in the fullness of time, but I suspect it's time to get the bike out and head for the sunset!
I can't believe the people who still believe that this coalition is good for the country or that it was 'all Labour's fault'. Instead of believing what they hear from selective mouth-pieces or dodgy newspapers, they should just look into things for themselves and find out what the true situation facing the UK is. They might find that instead of reading 'fiction' they'll soon much prefer reading 'fact'. Let them find out for themselves if they want the 'real picture'. The truth!
all labours been about is spending imaginairy money that we didnt actually have!
even when that money ran out they still wanted to spend more and more!
im glad its come to an end! now the tories and lib dems are in they're spelt out the real mess labour have put us in.
each and everyone of us is in approx £1500 of debt for nothing! this is labours sum total of their time in power! a debt passed on to us all!
Perhaps Mr Meacher thinks we shouldn't all be in it together. Perhaps the public in Oldham need reminding how many properties Mr Meacher has bought on his MPs salary and how much he makes a year in rental.
Barros, you know darn well that Labour did not bankrupt Oldham. At the end of financial years Oldham's finances were never in deficit.
Dramasingapore.....how condescending of you to say that some of the above comments aren't well thought out and researched! History tells you that when Labour come into power after a period of Tory government, public spending is massively increased beyond the means of the nation leaving the next Tory government to sort out the mess AGAIN.
@JMTS. So Andrew Kilburn left Oldham in a fantastic position and the deficit was made up by the Lib Dems in order to discredit Labour?
Not condescending and I didn't say everyone - I said 'the people who.....'. Please re-read. No need to take offence. Oh, and no need to be offensive. I don't suppose an apology will be forthcoming? These post are for people to express personal views - you express yours and I will express mine. I won 't get drawn into a slanging match. I will just agree to disagree.
No offensive comments from me here, drama. But I and many others do believe that Labour should shoulder the responsibility for the financial mess Britain is in. Many people can read between the lines of what the the rabid right Mail/Times/Telegraph print and the barmpot comments coming from the Guardian left. I, for one and I am far from isolated, research various sources before coming to an opinion. And yes we will have to disagree but history once again is repeating itself.
Have Your Say
Fine words from Meacher and Harman but lets not forget who bankrupted this country just like they did twice Oldham Labour. At least this coalition has got guts to deal with it.
By Barros @ 01/07/2010 12:28:19