USE LAST CHANCE BUDGET TO PUMP-PRIME ECONOMY
Alastair Darling, should resist calls to cut public spending and use next week‰Ûªs ‰ÛÏlast chance ‰ÛÏ budget to pump-prime the economy and create a fairer society, says UNISON, the UK‰Ûªs largest public sector union.
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:
“The richest one per cent in our society have doubled their share of total income since the 1980s and today pocket more money every year than the entire pay bills for the NHS, state education and local government put together. They, too, should pay their way.
“The Chancellor has a last chance with this budget to get the economy back on track and create a fairer society. He should resist calls to cut public spending and use it to pump-prime the economy and restore confidence. Cutting back on public spending will undermine our economic recovery and harm the most vulnerable in society.
“The budget offers a chance, too, for the Government to draw a line under recent scandals and petty point-scoring and show a united, determined effort to work to the people’s agenda. That means help for the jobless, supporting the economy and strengthening public services that people rely on.
“Most importantly, it could be used to create a fairer society by making those responsible for the current crisis pay their way. Many of them made their fortunes through irresponsible speculation and still pay next to no tax.
“The people want to see fair play, a fair taxation system and a crackdown on evasion and avoidance that loses us at least å£25 billion every single year.
“Health workers at our conference next week will be expecting to hear that the NHS is still safe in Labour’s hands.”
The union is advocating using money from a crackdown on tax evaders to create 300,000 new jobs and provide a stimulus to the economy of around 1.5% of GDP. For example:
å£100m would safeguard vital services provided by the community and voluntary sector
å£150m could bring school kitchen staffing up to levels needed to deliver new nutritional standards
å£500m could recruit 10,000 new social workers, reducing child protection caseloads
å£1b would pay for 30,000 more hospital cleaners, addressing staff shortages that led to MRSA
å£1.5b would ensure that every English council met the Decent Homes Standard this year
å£2b would give daily home care visits to 370,000 elderly people now denied the help they need
å£2.8b could deliver equal pay to hundreds of thousands of women working in local government
å£5b would let councils insulate 10 million homes, improving energy efficiency and easing fuel poverty
å£12b would allow councils and housing associations to build 80,000 new affordable homes.