New technologies and the race for a fairer Britain
There's a first time for everything.
I am currently in deepest, darkest Suffolk, having taken my partner for her birthday surprise. And for the first time I am taking a (frowned-on) minute to write this column on my mobile phone.
Technology never fails to astound me. There are so many minds out there buzzing with creativity and invention. So many ideas that could be a force for good.
We are recent Skype converts in my family. This computer programme enables you to have video calls for free, and means that our daughter can keep up with her Grandpa and cousins at the touch of a button.
I would be so proud of having given Skype to the world.
And that is why I am glad that the Liberal Democrats under Nick Clegg and Vince Cable are promoting investment in new technologies, and specifically green technologies, as part of our costed approach to sustaining our fragile economy.
This, alongside a comprehensive attempt to make the tax system fairer, and put more money back in the pockets of low and middle income families.
These are policies that will directly benefit Hastings & Rye.
But in order to be able guarantee this, we have had to rein in some of our policy aspirations, and redirect funds from government projects that we do not agree with, such as the ID cards scheme, replacing Trident, and the various different (and failing) national IT projects that New Labour has presided over.
The costings for our plans have been independently examined by the Institute of Fiscal Studies, and are constantly under review by Vince Cable - the man who satirist Rory Bremner says gives politics a good name.
Contrast this with the wobble at the heart of Conservative Party economic policy this last week: George Osborne has been seeking to retreat from his party's proposed swingeing cuts, stating that a Tory government will provide a big enough central grant to enable local authorities to deliver a Council Tax freeze.
Despite our opposition to Council Tax in principle - because it is not a fair tax and it hits older citizens disproportionately - the proposals coming out of Conservative Central Office are looking more and more naive.
Vince Cable's joke at our September party conference becomes increasingly ironic as the weeks go by..
The only experience of economics that David Cameron and George Osborne have, he said, is of running their Bullingdon Club bar accounts.
I am inclined to agree.
Gordon Brown, when Chancellor, got us into this mess, and laughed at Vince Cable when he was giving his warnings as early as 2003.
He has neither the credibility nor the mandate to consolidate the recovery.
Please help me, to help Vince, sort it out.
(Keep up with Nick's campaign at www.nickperrylibdem.wordpress.com or contact him via Twitter @nickperrylibdem]
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Weather for Hastings
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: 1 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North west
