BMW: Goddard slams government inaction and Labour council

5.47.25pm GMT Mon 16th Feb 2009

On a day of grim news for Oxford 's workforce, as BMW axes 850 jobs at the Cowley car plant, local Lib Dem candidate Steve Goddard has slammed the government and the Labour-run City Council for making things worse, not better, for those who have lost their jobs. Steve said:

"As the effects of the economic crisis impact on Oxford, it's clear that the government's strategy to cope with the crisis isn't working. The cut in VAT hasn't worked: simply reducing the prices of a few things in the shops is making no difference to anybody. The government should have listened to Vince Cable and the Lib Dems and reduced Income Tax, putting money in the pockets of those who need it most.

"Meanwhile here in Oxford, it beggars belief that Labour are still planning to impose up to 15% rise in council tax in Oxford over the next three years. When people have lost their jobs, putting a bigger tax burden on them is wrong-headed: the government's failure to help significantly with the current economic crisis is being made worse by the financial incompetence of the local Labour City Council. The City should be seeking to make things easier for those who are struggling financially, not imposing heavier taxes on them".