Newsdesk
No euro protects local government and services
10th June 2003Hazel Dawe, a senior lecturer in European Law, supports keeping the pound(1). Local Government is already being squeezed in East Kent by transfers to poorer Labour-held areas in the North. If the Government followed the European Central Bank's approach to public spending, then our services in Kent would have even less funding. The European Central Bank response to recent public spending in Britain has been to call for an immediate £10 billion in public spending cuts, with more to follow! Hazel Dawe comments:
"We should keep the pound and give more power and resources to regions and to our local councils. Greens condemn the Government for spending too much money at the centre(2). Two-thirds of households are privately-owned in the UK. Many home-owners have recent mortgages which makes them very vulnerable to interest rate increases. Businesses with recent loans may also be at risk if interest rates rise. European Central Bank control of interest rates is clearly one factor obstructing entry to the Euro, as the Government's documentation attests. Mortgage holders and those with business loans exposed to the risk of variable interest rates must be protected against the Euro, by Britain retaining its opt out.
"We did not get a referendum on fair voting for Westminster elections (shelved permanently). We are not allowed a vote on the Euro (repeatedly postponed). We are not being allowed a referendum on the European Constitution unlike some other European states." ENDS c244 words
FURTHER INFORMATION: Hazel Dawe, Campaigns Officer, East Kent Green Party, 01233 645167/07960 956272. Contact address: 10 Hillbrow Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 4QH. Hazel Dawe is a Senior Lecturer in Law, teaching both European and Contract Law. NOTES: 1. A Green Party briefing on the Euro and the European Constitution is available: email Steve Dawe at stevedawe@gn.apc.org OR steve@no-euro.com for a copy. (Steve Dawe is the Green Party's worker at the No Euro Campaign Office - Mon/Weds each week: 0207 378 0436). 2. Green Party research has noted a catalogue of dubious spending decisions including: a Government subsidy of over £760 million a year for arms sales; £650 million recently to bail out the bankrupt nuclear industry; £15-17 billion a year which subsidises private transport, which does not pay its way since what people pay is insufficient to meet all the costs including policing, accident-related costs, deaths and illness resulting from air pollution; about £19 billion in subsidies to aviation, including untaxed aviation fuel and road-building to support airports. These resources could be spent in local government or by key services such as education and health care.
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