Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor addresses Northampton Conference

6.00.00pm GMT Sat 25th Mar 2006

"Labour's £200 for penisoners to meet council tax bills was clearly an election bribe" says Cable

Vince Cable MP, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, visited Northampton this Saturday (25th March) to deliver the keynote speech at the party's East Midlands Regional Conference at The Guildhall.

Other guests included Bill Newton Dunn, Lib Dem MEP for the East Midlands, Paul Holmes Lib Dem MP for Chesterfield and Liverpool City Councillor and Local Government Association Lib Dem group leader, Cllr Richard Kemp.

Vince Cable MP set out the challenges for Lib Dems in responding to Gordon Brown's budget claiming it ignored the 'millions of pensioners paying the unfair council tax' and was 'a budget full of missed opportunities'. He said ' The £200 given off Council Tax to pensioner families was clearly an election bribe by the fact that Gordon Brown did nothing this year to ease the increasing Council Tax burden'

In addition to Vince Cable the conference debated an Emergency Motion on the announcement of the police forces merging in the East Midlands. Cllr Richard Church who is the Regional Part Chair said" This proposed merger will cost millions of pounds with uncertain long term savings and we call on the Government to reverse the decision, in particular we would ask MP's in the East Midlands to vote against this proposal when it comes to Parliament"

The conference was opened by Northampton Mayor, Sally Beardsworth and was attended by Lib Dem members from across the East Midlands.