“Decisive action needed to tackle unemployment” Menzies Campbell

3.00.54pm GMT Thu 19th Mar 2009

Sir Menzies Campbell MP has called for “decisive action” to be taken to tackle job losses in light of the recent figures which show unemployment in Scotland has risen by 1,000 to 135,000 and the UK wide figure breaching 2 million.

The North East Fife MP said:

“With the UK facing the worst recession for decades we need decisive action to tackle job losses. Right here in North East Fife there are still almost five people for each advertised job.

“We can create 100,000 jobs if the Government scrapped this years £12.5 billion VAT give-away which costs £350 every second of every minute of every hour. It is a colossal waste of money borrowed in our name.

“This money could have laid the foundations for a new green economy and provided 40,000 extra zero-carbon social homes and the insulation of 2 million houses. We could have invested in renewable energy and helped the growth of under developed industry.”

“We are at the sharp end of the economic downturn here in North East Fife following the closure of Woolworths stores, Curtis Fine Papers and job losses at Kettle produce to name a few. There will be scarcely any businesses here who are not up against it.

“These figures paint a bleak picture, which only confirms that Liberal Democrats in the Scottish Parliament were right to insist on a Finance Sector Jobs Taskforce for Scotland”.