Struan Stevenson MEP

Struan Stevenson, the Conservative spokesman for fisheries in the European Parliament, has commented on today’s EU fishing quota meeting.

Ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss the quotas for next year, following proposals by the European Commission to cut the quota on cod, herring, haddock and whiting by 25%.  A 7% increase in North Sea sole will also be discussed.

Straun commented: “Fishermen dread this annual meeting.  In a matter of hours, the fate of British fishermen could be sealed in a misguided effort to preserve stocks through micro-management from Brussels.

“A decade of failed fisheries policies has only served to destroy thousands of jobs across the fishing industry, yet fish stocks continue to plummet.

Discarding fish during a food crisis, just to appease Brussels desk-jockeys, is morally unjust.

Struan Stevenson

“The introduction of a kilowatt-day system - a highly complex method of linking engine power to the number of hours fished - on top of the other plethora of controls already in place will not provide the solution to our difficulties.

“The best way for the EU to show it is serious about protecting fish stocks would be to ban fish discards immediately so that a million tonnes of fish is not thrown back into the sea.  Discarding fish during a food crisis, just to appease Brussels desk-jockeys, is morally unjust.”

Brown's Tax Bombshell

George Osborne said the Pre-Budget Report represents “the greatest failure of public policy for a generation” after Alistair Darling announced plans to double the national debt to more than £1 trillion.

Mr Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, described the report as a “Tax Bombshell Budget” and stressed that a debt of £1 trillion was “the bill for Labour’s decade of irresponsibility”.

“It is confirmation of the time-old truth that, in the end, all Labour chancellors run out of money and all Labour governments bring this country to the verge of bankruptcy.”

Eric Ollerenshaw, the Prospective Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Lancaster and Fleetwood said: “This is like a desperate tragedy with Brown as the patient, hooked on compulsive borrowing to pay off yet another credit card - except it’s the rest of us who will have to pick up the final bill through our taxes”.

The Shadow Chancellor stressed that the lowering of VAT and raising of the top income tax band were measures “designed to distract attention” from the massive permanent tax rises in the Pre-Budget Report:

• £20 billion on National Insurance
• £10 billion on income tax
• £5 billion on alcohol and cigarettes
• £2 billion on pensions

These increases amount to nearly £1,500 for every family over the next Parliament - and by 2012/13, anyone earning more than £20,000 will be paying more tax.

George Osborne condemned Labour for putting an “unexploded tax bombshell” underneath the future economic recovery, and stressed that Labour’s temporary tax cuts will lead to higher taxes in the long run:

“Labour has done it again. Massive borrowing. Rising unemployment. Tax giveaways for Christmas paid for by tax rises for life. This Budget is all about the political cycle and not the economic cycle.”

George Osborne said the Pre-Budget Report represents “the greatest failure of public policy for a generation”after Alistair Darling announced plans to raise the national debt to one trillion pounds.

George, the Shadow Chancellor, described this figure as “the bill for Labour’s decade of irresponsibility” - and stressed, “In the end, all Labour chancellors run out of money and all Labour governments bring this country to the edge of bankruptcy.”

He condemned Darling’s strategy of trying to spend money we don’t have to try to escape the recession:

“Like the gambler who can’t give up, he thinks he can borrow his way out of debt.”

George stressed that Darling’s raising of the top income tax band was “designed to distract attention” from the upping of national insurance, which will hit middle-income families hard.

And he condemned Darling for offering temporary tax cuts that will put a “tax bombshell” underneath any recovery and lead to higher taxes in the long-run:

“This budget is about the political cycle and not the economic cycle.”

George Osborne and David Cameron have warned that Labour’s plans to borrow even more money will lead to a tax bombshell for the British public.

George, the Shadow Chancellor, stressed that tax cons funded by Gordon Brown’s borrowing binge will result in tax rises for everyone.

“However Gordon Brown wraps it up, it’s still a Christmas tax bombshell. He is taking the British people for fools if he thinks they can’t spot the difference between a tax cut and a tax con.”

David Cameron urged the Prime Minister to start telling the truth about the state of our public finances and debt levels.

He stressed that because Brown did not use the good years to prepare for the difficult ones, Britain faces the worst recession in Europe.

And he warned the Prime Minister, “You cannot borrow your way out of a borrowing crisis.”

Figures obtained by the Conservatives reveal fishermen are forced to throw away millions of tonnes of dead fish back in the sea every year.

Eric Ollerenshaw, prospective Conservative MP for Lancaster & Fleetwood, said: “It is staggering that Labour have failed to deal with this total scandal of fishermen forced to throw back parts of their catch.  You would have thought they could at least pull this one nail out of the coffin they have created for what is left of Fleetwood’s fishing industry.”

Between 2001 and 2006, the number of fishermen at Fleetwood fell from 206 to 127.

End Fish Discards

Shadow Fisheries Minister Bill Wiggin has met with EU Fishing Commissioner Joe Borg this week to discuss Conservatives proposals to end fish discards.  In the North Sea, English and Welsh fishing vessels have thrown back five million cod in the last three years.   In 2007, they were forced to throw back three out of every four plaice caught.

For every cod we buy in our local fish and chip shop another fish is being chucked back into the sea dead.

Bill Wiggin, Shadow Fisheries

Commenting, Shadow Fisheries Minister, Bill Wiggin said: “For every cod we buy in our local fish and chip shop another fish is being chucked back into the sea dead.  Our fish stocks are in a perilous state and most people will be shocked at the amount of fish wasted each year due to a system that is immoral and environmentally wrong.

“We want fishermen to land all their catch so that we can build a true picture of our fish stocks and make informed decisions based on scientific evidence.

“This will means better quota allocations and marine conservation measures.   Funds raised from over-quota fish will be used to help the fishing industry invest in targeted and sustainable gear.  Unless we urgently change our fishing practices our marine biodiversity faces further serious decline along with our fishing communities.”

David Cameron has stressed Britain faces a clear choice: tax cons now and tax rises later with Labour, or fiscal responsibility and permanent funded tax cuts with the Conservatives.

In a press conference in London, David attacked Gordon Brown’s plans to go on a “borrowing binge”, warning that Labour’s borrowing bombshell will turn into a tax bombshell in the long run.

The Labour Ministers Tony McNulty, Alistair Darling and Peter Mandelson have all indicated that increased borrowing would have to be paid for with higher taxes at some point.

Fiscal Respobsibility

Mr Cameron stressed that instead of tax cons, Britain needs fiscal responsibility:

“Not spending money we haven’t got - but saving it to help people through tax relief.  Not borrowing money on the nation’s credit card - but getting a grip on public spending and making sure Britain starts living within its means.  That’s the only responsible way to get our economy back on the path to recovery.”

David promised to set up an independent Office for Budget Responsibility to bring stability to the public finances and open the way for permanent tax cuts in the future.

Gordon Brown knows that borrowing today will mean higher taxes tomorrow.  If he doesn’t tell you that he is deliberately misleading you.

David Cameron

And he said he would restrain the growth of spending by not matching Labour’s “unsustainably high” spending plans for 2010-11 and the years beyond.

“What once looked affordable in boom times is now clearly unsustainable. Let me put this as clearly as I can - unless we curb the growth of spending, taxes will need to rise in the future. Without such restraint, the borrowing bombshell will turn into a tax bombshell.”

Eric Ollerenshaw, the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Lancaster and Fleetwood, has questioned Labour’s links to Canatxx.

While campaigning to Stop Canatxx Again, Eric commented: “First we had a Labour Peer, Lord Taylor, speaking on the issue in the House of Lords, but not declaring his links as an advisor to Canatxx until forced to apologise.

“Now, thanks to Ben Wallace MP, we find that Jack Straw took a donation from Canatxx to fund a party!  This is now to be investigated by the Standards Watchdog.

It is now time for the local Labour Party to come clean and explain to local residents Labour’s links to Canatxx

Eric Ollerenshaw

“Given the speed with which Canatxx are putting in their second application to store gas under the Wyre coast, it is beginning to look like another stitch up regardless of the views of residents of Fleetwood, Preesall and Knott End.”

Help us to Stop Canatxx Again and sign our petition online now.

David Cameron has outlined “the economic change that only a new Conservative government can bring” in a speech at the Glasgow Science Centre.

David said that we must recognise the mistakes that have been made over the past decade that have led to high levels of debt, a large budget deficit and regulatory failure.

And he outlined what steps a Conservative government would take to ensure a future of fiscal responsibility, financial responsibility, and a more balanced economy:

• Introduce that new Office of Budget Responsibility to ensure every Government department is made to live within its means.
• Restore the Bank of England’s role in regulating the level of debt in the economy to ensure that debt and asset prices never again get so out of control.
• Move away from an economy that relies too heavily on finance and housing to one that includes more science, engineering, green technologies and high-value manufacturing.
• Introduce a simpler and more competitive tax system, cut the headline rate of tax for businesses, and reduce national insurance for the smallest companies and allowing them to delay their VAT bills.
• Radically reform our education system, giving local communities the chance to set up local schools and train local children with the skills they need to succeed.

David said that a Conservative government would not “subscribe to, and crumble before, the failed dogma of spending your way out of recession”.

And he added that our proposals will offer the British people “the change they want - and the change they need” at the next election.

The Conservatives have recently released new analysis, which shows that the Government has turned its back on British fruit and vegetables.

Over the past decade, the fruit and vegetable trade deficit has grown by 55% to £3.5bn while nearly a million acres of planted land for fruit and vegetables has been lost.

Across the UK there has been a 24% decline in planted land for vegetables and a 14% decline in planted land for fruit.

Rising Imports

Imports of fruits and vegetables have also risen over the past decade, with an additional 516,000 tonnes of vegetables imported (41% increase) and 974,000 tonnes of extra fruit imported (38.6% increase). Together, the imports are worth an extra £1.3bn.

The Government has turned its back on British farming with more regulation and bureaucracy

Eric Ollerenshaw

Commenting on the findings the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Peter Ainsworth, said:

“At a time of rising food prices we should be increasing our food security not becoming ever more reliant on imports for produce that can be grown in the UK.”

Eric Ollerenshaw, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Lancaster and Fleetwood added:

“Many families want to buy British to support our farmers, but the Government has turned its back on British farming with more regulation and bureaucracy.

“Ministers need to cut red tape and use the £2bn public food budget to buy home grown food.  Peter Ainsworth asks a good question - why does only five percent of orchard fruits in the NHS come from British farms?”

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David Cameron has outlined our plan for change and promised that a Conservative Government will rebuild our battered economy, renew our bureaucratised NHS and repair our broken society.

He stressed that in these difficult times, Britain needs leadership, character and judgement:

“The leadership to unite your party and build a strong team.  The character to stick to your guns and not bottle it when times get tough.  The judgement to understand the mistakes that have been made and to offer the country change.”

He repeated his promise to work with the Government in the short term to protect our economy, but attacked Gordon Brown for making two massive mistakes that are at the heart of the current crisis: increasing government borrowing and taking away the Bank of England’s powers to regulate financial markets and blow the whistle on the levels of public debt.

Government Borrowing

Mr Cameron pledged that a Conservative Government would rein in government borrowing and create an independent Office of Budget Responsibility to assess the public finances and hold the Government to account.

There will be no hiding place, no fiddling the figures - for all governments, forever.

David Cameron

He made it clear that the problems facing this country go beyond the economic downturn, though, and slammed Labour’s handling of the NHS:

“Labour have taken our most treasured national institution, ripped out its soul and replaced it with targets, directives, management consultants and computers.”

Party of the NHS

He promised to improve the NHS by empowering patients and ensuring doctors answer to patients rather than to Whitehall.

We are the Party of the NHS in Britain today and under my leadership that is how it’s going to stay.

David Cameron

David also pledged to be “as radical in social reform as Margaret Thatcher was in economic reform”, and laid out a series of measures to repair our broken society:

• Strengthening families with more home health visitors and flexible working
• Reforming our school system by establishing 1,000 new Academies
• Ending the ‘something for nothing’ culture with radical welfare reform

He ended his speech, and our 2008 Conference, by saying, “We now have the opportunity, and more than that the responsibility, to bring our country together. Together in the face of this financial crisis. Together in the determination that we will come through it. Together in the hope, in the belief, in the knowledge that better times will lie ahead.”