Hapless Tory car crash PM Liz Truss has finally announced yet another U-turn in her government’s tax-cut plan. And this time it’s the big one. In a desperate attempt to reassure financial markets that are starting to see UK PLC as a basket case, PM Truss says she will reverse the much-heralded increase in corporation tax and now admits the government’s mini-budget had gone “faster and further” than many expected, And for good measure she has also sacked her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, in an attempt to deflect blame from herself and , to try to reassure people of the Tories ‘economic competence’, replaced him with Jeremy Hunt, the Health minister that devastated the Health Service during the Tory years of ‘Austerity’. Despite throwing Kwarteng under a bus Liz Truss said she was ‘very sorry to be throwing him under the bus as he ‘shared her vision for growth’. Labour in Somerset has rounded on yet another Tory descent into hell taking the country with it with a series of devastating criticisms from across the county.
Bridgwater Town Council Labour Leader Cllr Brian Smedley (Labour, Westover) said “38 Day Kwarteng has lost his job because of his unfunded tax cuts that caused major financial turmoil. Truss agreed to these. They went wrong so out he goes. Not her. Yet they share the same ‘vision’ for the country. Which is clearly one of catastrophic collapse so long as the rich get richer and the poor get shafted. Her Parliamentary party no longer supports her -actually it never did, in the questions to her the big Tory backing papers the Telegraph and the Sun immediately asked her why she should stay as PM and why one should go and not both. She said ‘I want to be honest…this is difficult’. Too right!! Tory backbenchers are saying she’s totally trashed the Tory Party’s economic reputation for competence. Such a good reputation that they’ve now turned to the Tory that trashed the NHS. Some competence……The whole Tory party is throwing each other under whatever busses are coming along. In Liz Truss’s case it’s like she’s been in a car crash of her own making and now crashed the ambulance coming to rescue her. “
General Election now!
County Labour group leader Cllr Leigh Redman (Bridgwater North & Central) said “The only thing keeping this PM in office is the fact that there is no one to replace her! The best thing for this country is a general election but we are unlikely to have one because of her decisions and the fact that Tories are unelectable everywhere….. I call on the pm to let the people decide NOW!”
U-Turn is too late
Bridgwater Town Council Economy spokesperson Cllr Mick Lerry (Labour, Victoria) adds “The Prime Minister’s U Turn on the mini budget is too late, the economic damage has already been done. Truss can try and claim that she is working for the nation’s interest, when the damage has been done. The nation is still left with further increases in mortgage rates, further increase in inflation and still further increases in the cost-of-living. Working people are in a worse financial position now than they were before the mini budget. Truss keeps on saying her vision is growth, growth and growth, when in reality the economy is shrinking. The mini budget was never scrutinised for risk and the Office for Budget Responsibility will be reporting at the end of October, too late the damage is done. The Government’s mismanagement of the economy is self-inflicted and it will be the British people who will suffer. Working people have seen their incomes and opportunities further eroded, because of the Tory Government’s arrogance once again. The only way forward now, is to have an immediate election to elect a Labour Government, who will bring confidence back to the financial market and national economy”.
Tory Cost of living crisis
His view is echoed by Bridgwater mum Meg Boucher who said “The economic and cost of living crisis we are facing in this country is a direct result of the Conservative party not being in touch with average family and having a total lack of understanding of the economic climate. The constant u turns and shuffling of ministers demonstrates that there is no one within the party with adequate skills to manage this crisis and provide structures that will enable people to thrive.”
Lies always catch up with you
Elsewhere in the County, Langport Labour Councillor Sean Dromgoole says “Lies always catch up with you. This what happens when your politics is based on conning half of the electorate into voting for policies that only really benefit the 1%. The other 99% eventual work out that you are just not on their side. Then you try to square circle with a bonkers budget with tax cuts, spending cuts and borrowing you haven’t bothered to calculate and it all falls in. The Tories might trust the markets, but the markets no longer trust the Tories. Their lies are like a pyramid scheme and those at the bottom are the ones that get truly clobbered. Time to get rid of the lot of them and have a simple solid Labour government that runs this country for everyone, not just the oligarchs.”
Every day that this shambles continues means more price rises, more people in poverty and more pain from the coming recession. At this point, a general election would be best for Britain.