03/01/08 - Rob Buckland, Public Sector Deficit

“A Growing Headache” for Government, says Buckland

Significant increases in public sector debt have been described as “A growing headache for a failing Government” by South Swindon Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Robert Buckland.

Speaking as the Office of National Statistics revealed that in November 2007, the public sector showed a deficit on current budget of £9.1 billion, compared with a deficit of £7.3 billion in November 2006,

Mr. Buckland said: “It seems like a very long time ago that Gordon Brown was lecturing us about the need to be prudent.  After having inherited a healthy economy from the last Conservative Government,  he as Labour’s Chancellor squandered the proceeds of growth.  All of us are now paying the price.”

He added: “It is very worrying indeed to note that between April and November of 2007, the public sector recorded a deficit of £23.1 billion, which is an increase of £8.5 billion over the figure of £14.6 billion recorded between April and November of 2006.  For Mr. Brown and Mr. Darling, the chickens are well and truly coming home to roost.  So much for prudence.”

“My concern is that, yet again, this Government will seek to tax us by stealth in order to patch things up.  In this harsher economic climate, Labour will not be thanked for its recklessness.”