Posts Tagged ‘UK’
Liberal Democrats use fake nurse and policeman in their election literature
First the Fib Dem’s had a fake nurse in their election literature, now a fake policeman
Lib Dems stage ‘fake PC’ photo
 The Lib Dems’ Welsh manifesto shows leader Kirsty Williams apparently speaking to a police officer – but he is not one
 |
Welsh Liberal Democrats have defended using a “model” dressed as a police officer in a photo with leader Kirsty Williams in their manifesto.
It is the second time in a week that the Welsh Lib Dems have admitted using stand-ins in photographs.
The party said the photo was “illustrative” and that it would not be detailing the identity of the stand-in.
Last week Cardiff North candidate John Dixon used a Lib Dem researcher dressed as a nurse in an election leaflet.
The leaflet showed him talking to a woman in nurse’s uniform who was actually a researcher for Lib Dem Assembly Member Mick Bates.
This leaflet picture showed a Lib Dem candidate speaking to a researcher dressed as a nurse
|
The photograph with Ms Williams appeared on page 35 of their general election manifesto in a section promising more officers on the beat.
Explaining the rationale for using such photographs, a Lib Dem spokesperson said: “Photos like these are used for illustrative purposes as it is obviously difficult for some serving members of the police force or the health service to appear in general election literature.”
The party said that the use of such “illustrative photographs” was strictly limited to the policy areas of health and policing.
The spokesperson said: “In our election communication, we only used illustrative photographs to highlight our commitment to improving the NHS and increasing the number of police on our streets.”
The party stressed that Ms Williams was not “complicit in the impersonation of a police officer”.
‘No impersonation’
The spokesperson said: “There has been no such impersonation. Being photographed dressed in a way that illustrates the police service, does not in any way represent impersonating a police officer, so there is nothing to be complicit in.”
 |
 We don’t intend to divulge the identity of the model for obvious reasons as it would potentially cause a lot of media intrusion for the individual concerned  Welsh Liberal Democrats
|
However, a Welsh Conservative Party spokesperson said: “We were under the impression impersonating a police officer is a criminal offence.”
He added: “It would seem the Lib Dems’ support for law and order is purely ‘illustrative’ – just as it was last week when they used a fake nurse to promote their claims of support for the NHS.
“The Liberals talk about being an ‘honest partner’ at this election. Yet twice in three days they’ve been caught out trying to mislead the public.”
Tories said they were not aware of any such examples in their own election literature, and that each election publication was the responsibility of each election agent.
‘Fireman Sam’
A spokesman for Plaid Cymru said: “We can confirm that we don’t dress up members of staff or supporters in uniforms to pretend that we’re talking to real policemen or nurses – we prefer to talk to the real thing.”
Plaid also told BBC Wales: “It’s pretty worrying that the Lib Dems leader appears to be getting advice on law and order from and actor or member of staff dressed up as a policeman, however we’re not surprised by this latest leaflet – everyone knows that the Lib Dems are a party willing to do just about anything to get votes.”
“They have also tried to dress Nick Clegg up as someone who cares about Wales – and clearly that’s not true.”
A spokesperson for Welsh Labour said: “First a fake nurse, then a fake policeman – what’s next, a picture with Fireman Sam?
‘Media intrusion’
“Everyone knows that the Lib Dems will do absolutely anything for a vote, from their dodgy graphs to make-believe photos, they have always been the shameless chancers of Welsh politics.”
Lib Dems said they would not reveal the identity of the stand-in police officer.
“We don’t intend to divulge the identity of the model for obvious reasons as it would potentially cause a lot of media intrusion for the individual concerned and is not material to the issue,” the party spokesperson said.
Tweet this!
Labour Party – We’ve heard it all before and nothing changes
The Conservatives have responded to the Labour Party’s “empty” manifesto, saying “we’ve heard everything in it before”.
“We’ve had thirteen years of broken promises and nothing ever changes”, said Michael Gove, speaking alongside Liam Fox.
There have been over 100 broken promises from Labour’s 2005 manifesto. The Conservatives have called for crowdsourced responses to their 2010 manifesto to expose misleading references.
Gove said that the Conservative manifesto launched today “will reveal policies that demonstrate the energy, the leadership and the values needed to bring about change, to get our economy moving, to mend our broken society and crucially to rebuild trust in our broken political system”.
“In all these areas where urgent action is needed, Labour is either empty, silent or misleading”, he said.
Gove and Fox spoke as they published the Conservative response to the Labour Manifesto. The response questions why there is no reference to our national debt, and includes:
- Five promises they don’t know how to pay for
- Five promises they won’t be able to deliver
- Five promises they’ve broken before
- Five promises that are undermined by their own record
- Five promises they’ve stolen from us
Explaining the Conservative inititative to crowdsource responses to the manifesto, Shadow Treasury Minister Greg Hands said: “The Conservatives are today publishing Labour’s 2010 manifesto in an open and interactive format so that you can dig through the detail of Labour’s latest set of election promises”.
“It’s up to you to highlight the reannouncements, the U-turns, the stolen policies, and the re-heated pledges.”
Tweet this!
Conservatives will Recognise marriage in the tax system
A Conservative Government will introduce a recognition of marriage and civil partnerships in the tax system.
“This is sending a signal that we understanding the value of commitment”, said David Willetts.
“Britain is unique in the raw deal one earner couples get”, he added. Most European countries recognise marriage in the tax system.
The proposed recognition will take the form of a partially transferable personal allowance for all married couples and civil partnerships.
- One member of an eligible couple will be able to transfer £750 of their tax free personal allowance to their partner in order to reduce their partner’s income tax bill. This will be limited to basic rate taxpayers and is therefore worth up to £150 a year per couple at the 20% rate of tax. In 1999, its final year before it was abolished for all but pensioner couples, the Married Couples Allowance was worth £197 per couple per year.
- The additional transferable allowance will be tapered away at incomes above £42,500 so that no higher rate taxpayer earning £44,000 or more will benefit.
- Eligible couples where one partner is not using all of their tax free personal allowance and the other earns between £6,600 and £44,000 will be up to £150 a year better off.
- The full benefit of £150 goes to eligible couples where the main earner earns between £7,300 and £42,500.
The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies estimate that this will cost about £550 million. This will be paid for using some of the revenues from a levy on banks that will raise more than £1 billion. The remaining revenues will be used to reduce the deficit.
This is a progressive tax measure, with two thirds of the benefits going to families in the lower half of the income distribution. The biggest gains as a percentage of income go to households in the third decile of the income distribution. 4 million out of a total 12.3 million married couples will benefit.
Tweet this!
Conservatives – Three strikes policy to crack down on benefit fraud
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Theresa May has announced a new ‘three strikes’ policy to crack down on those who repeatedly defraud the benefits system.
This comes as new analysis reveals that under Labour benefit overpayments due to fraud and error have cost £80 a second since 1997.
“For too long Labour have let benefit cheats play the system, costing the taxpayer millions”, May said.
“It is astounding that since 1997 welfare waste has cost the public £80 every second”.
- In total, Labour have wasted over £30 billion on fraud and error between 1997-98 and 2008-09. £14 billion of that has been wasted on benefit fraud.
- The Department for Work and Pensions has had its accounts qualified for the last 20 years due to the high level of fraud and error in the benefits system
- Between 2004-05 and 2008-09, only 143,838 people have been sanctioned for benefit fraud
The Conservatives have announced new plans to introduce tougher benefit sanctions for those found guilty of benefit fraud. This is about targeting the minority of those who are undermining the integrity of the benefits system.
Those who commit benefit fraud once will lose their out-of-work benefits for three months, a second offence will attract a benefit sanction of six months, and if someone commits fraud three times they face losing their out-of-work benefits for up to three years.
This is a big increase in the penalty, from the current situation where fraudulent claimants lose a maximum of 13 weeks benefit entitlement.
May said the Conservatives will “send out a strong message to people who fleece the taxpayer- you could lose your out of work benefits for three years”.
“This is about fairness. While the whole country is tightening its belt it’s scandalous that thousands are managing to defraud the taxpayer out of billions.”
Tweet this!
Britain: Billions of pounds in the Red thanks to Labour – Annabel Goldie MSP
Annabel Goldie MSP, Scottish Conservative Leader, says:
“Labour’s mismanagement of Britain’s economy has been catastrophic. Debt interest payments alone will soon reach £60 billion, twice the entire amount spent on Scotland’s health service, schools, police, roads and local services every year.
“Scotland’s share of Labour’s debt mountain is an estimated £72 billion. We need a government with a credible plan and the political resolve to put Britain back in the black. The risk of 5 more years of Labour is more waste, higher tax, a worse credit rating, higher interest rates and higher mortgages. Britain is billions of pounds in the red as a result of Labour’s mismanagement of the economy.
“In Scotland, the Conservatives have helped tens of thousands of businesses weather the worst of Labour’s economic storm by ensuring business rates were cut or abolished, a move which the Federation of Small Businesses says has prevented 1 in 8 small firms from going bust.
“We have to deliver that kind of real help right across the United Kingdom.
“That is why a Conservative Government would scrap Labour’s tax on jobs, get credit flowing again, protect and create jobs to boost the recovery, and get to grips with Labour’s debt. Dither and delay would risk the recovery, not help it. The time has come for action, and for change.”
Tweet this!
Jim Ferguson announces launch of political campaign Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey Highlands Scotland UK
May 6th has now been officially declared as the date of the next General Election.
Over the last two years I have been a serious political Candidate and campaigned hard during this time.
Visiting every area, holding regular coffee mornings and surgeries, canvassing and leading from the front.
The people of this region deserve to be heard and the weakness shown by those currently in office, to properly represent the people of the Highlands needs to come to an end.
My main motivation for standing is to ensure that real support is brought to the Highlands and the people of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey. My desire to bring the high degree of support that a Conservative Government would bring and to do so it is imperative that this region elects me to represent them in Parliament.
Out of every other Candidate who is standing, only I will have the ability, as a member of the party in power to get the investment and infrastructure to ensure that the businesses and people of this region get the top support they deserve.
All the other Candidates will be in opposition and can only ask what they will of a Conservative Government.
I would remind everyone that I would be the MP of the party in power and it is that thought that I ask you to seriously consider.
This General Election is a clear choice. A vote for any other party will help to keen Gordon Brown in power.
Do you want Gordon Brown for another 5 years or David Cameron as Prime Minister?
I would ask that every person in this region look closely at what I can offer. It’s time to play this to your advantage and ensure this region gets the strongest support from a Conservative Government possible. If you have never voted Conservative before, you need to seriously consider doing so now.
I am not a career politican, I have worked hard all my life with a family business that I started from scratch 16 years ago.
If you invest your trust in me, you can be certain of having an honest and hard working MP who understands what you are all going through and who acknowledges that your concerns and interests are my concerns and interests.
It’s time for change and true representation for the people who live and work in this region.
Make your vote count – there is much at stake!
Jim Ferguson
Tweet this!
Labour will put the boot into Britains recovery
Labour will kill the recovery
Monday, April 5 2010
The Conservatives have launched a poster as part of a wider campaign highlighting how Labour’s job tax will kill the recovery.
“Labour have confirmed today that they are going ahead with a national insurance tax rise on jobs that Britain’s business leaders say will endanger jobs”, said George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor.
The Conservatives have also unveiled new research showing how National Insurance has become Labour’s favourite stealth tax:
- Total receipts from National Insurance have risen over five times faster than income tax receipts over the last decade.
- Average National Insurance Contributions (NICs) per family have risen over twelve times as much as average income tax receipts per family over the same period.
- In that time Gordon Brown cut the basic rate of income tax once (as part of the 10p tax con) but he increased National Insurance rates in three different ways – and that’s even before Labour’s new tax on jobs planned for 2011
“With Gordon Brown now finally forced to call the election, the choice is clear”, Osborne added.
“Labour’s jobs tax and debt will stamp out the green shoots and kill the recovery. Conservative plans to cut wasteful government spending and stop the jobs tax will get Britain working.”
Tweet this!
Alan Sugar thinks small business are moaners who live in Disney World – Appointed by Labour on April Fools Day UK
Sugar appointment criticised
Philip Hammond has criticised Labour’s announcement that Lord Alan Sugar will lead a new government task force designed to fight the corner of small businesses against the banks.
“Only Labour could announce on April Fool’s day that it had appointed the man who called credit-starved small businesses ‘moaners’ who lived in ‘Disney World’ to be the adjudicator on their applications for bank loans”, he said.
Lord Mandelson has selected Lord Sugar to sit on the task force which will set up the Small Business Credit Adjudicator. Lord Mandelson believes the people he has chosen “… understand the critical importance of new finance and credit flow to the growth of small, innovative companies”.
But Lord Sugar said last year: “The moaners are bust… they don’t need the bank, they need an insolvency practitioner”.
This comes on the same day that the Federation of Small Businesses, the British Retail Consortium and 23 business leaders attacked Labour’s planned tax on jobs.
“No wonder no-one believes Lord Mandelson’s claims to be the champion of small business when Labour would rather tax jobs and the recovery than cut government waste”, Hammond added.
Well this is news that small business can do without. Clearly Lord Alan Sugar has nothing in common with small business and is merely another puppet of Labour.
Jim Ferguson
Tweet this!
