'THE BANKS WANT TO HAVE THEIR CAKE AND EAT IT.' PPC Jerry Roodhouse speaks out

9.00.00am GMT Wed 18th Feb 2009

Rugby and Bedworth PPC - Jerry Roodhouse with Vince Cable

Liberal Democrats are pressing locally & nationally for urgent action to help people survive the recession. Rugby and Bedworth Parliamentary candidate Jerry Roodhouse says "Many families in Rugby and Bedworth are struggling with higher food and energy costs. & local councils are facing record council tax defaults". He continued " We need to commit the banks to start lending the money they have been given by the government to bail them out. Ordinary people quite rightly see this as unfair. The banks want to have their cake & eat it."

This call has been echoed by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg who called for action to crack down on reckless bankers and traders who have done so much damage to our economy at a recent Regional Party Conference.

Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable has supported the call, "We need to bring the free-wheeling, 'anything goes' short termism of the City to an end." "We cannot continue with a culture where bankers pocket big bonuses for taking reckless risks." "Now things have gone wrong and the Government and taxpayers have had to step in to pick up the pieces.. We need to end the big bonus culture, stop short-selling of shares and tackle irresponsible lending."

PPC Jerry Roodhouse seen here with Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable after his speech on the economy at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference