Lib Dems urge more red tape to strangle British business
Posted, May 20, 2008 @ 00:00
Lib Dems urge more red tape to strangle British business
As the credit crunch bites, Lib Dems propose new job-destroying social laws, whilst at the same time backing cuts in red tape
Strasbourg, 20th May 2008 -- A top Lib Dem MEP has exposed her party as two-faced on a key economic policy by urging a red tape cut for businesses last week and then this week urging the Commission to adopt the biggest social legislation package the EU has put forward in years.
Speaking ahead of the debate today on non-discrimination in the EU, Conservative MEP Deputy Leader Philip Bushill-Matthews echoed the concerns of British Chambers of Commerce* by commenting:
"Last week Liz Lynne MEP announced that she was backing plans to cut the amount of red tape small businesses have to deal with, supporting Conservative calls for a new EU-wide Small Business Act. This week in Strasbourg she is doing the precise opposite by calling for yet another "comprehensive and broad" EU Directive against Discrimination.
"This is at best political posturing and at worst an open-ended invitation to the Commission to produce yet more and more one-size-fits-all EU legislation in a very sensitive area."
Mr Bushill-Matthews added:
"We abhor discrimination in all its forms, and have tabled our own amendments to make this clear. But while some aspects of ongoing discrimination may still be a problem, to suggest that more EU legislation is somehow the solution is way off the mark. The leftist line-up with the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Communist MEPs all voting together is most revealing.
"The UK already has a full body of law regarding discrimination, which continues to prove difficult to implement in practice. There needs to be better implementation of existing laws, and better understanding of the problems in their implementation before we go down the road of yet more EU Directives."
Below is a selection of comments from UK Chambers of Commerce:
David Burton, Chairman of the Confederation of West Midlands Chambers said that this proposal is "unnecessary and unwanted".
Louise Bennett, Chief Executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber, said that the response from her members had been "an absolute No to more onerous employment and indeed anti-discrimination legislation. We have in the UK robust anti-discriminatory legislation which does not require further embellishment."
Simon Tulitt, Divisional Director (Policy) for South Staffordshire Chamber commented: "This offers a blank cheque of limitless legislation in this area, when we are already struggling to implement effectively the legislation we already have. We don't want it."
Jane Cook, Policy Manager North Staffordshire Chamber, agreed that this proposal was unnecessary and passed on a key comment from a member company:
"Most discrimination is not going to be solved by extra legislation. Time would be much better spent on multi-cultural, multi-faith events to change perceptions".