Alistair Darling - Merseyside's "Mr No"
Alistair Darling seems to be making a habit of saying "no" when he's asked for money from businesses or politicians in Merseyside.
Back in 2005 when he was transport secretary he turned down ã170m of funding for Merseytram's Line One from Liverpool to Kirkby.
As we report today, now as Chancellor he says there will no bank-style bail-out for recession-hit car manufacturers.
"Maintaining the banking system, so that it is effective and operational, is essential to everything we do. In relation to companies in general, we offer support for investment," Mr Darling said.
While the government allowed MG Rover to collapse in 2005, the economic conditions could hardly have been more different to today.
Unemployment is already on the rise, and thousands of people rely on car manufacturing on Merseyside for their living.
Mr Darling is quite right to say that the banking system is something which directly affects us all, but does that mean car manufacturing should be abandoned to the free market?
Surely it is no longer a "free market" if the USA and Germany bail out their automotive industries (including the parent and sister company of Vauxhall)?
2 Comments
Leave a comment
Dale Street Associates
David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
Read My Posts »
very salient all this young david.
Indeed it is. Labour would pay heavily if they failed to intervene.