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Wiltshire Liberal Democrats For our future: free and fair |
| <info@wiltshirelibdems.org.uk> | 12th October 2008 |
Duncan Hames calls for a more sustainable economy5.02.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 20th Sep 2006
Chippenham parliamentary candidate, Cllr Duncan Hames, was invited to speak from the platform at this week's Liberal Democrat conference. He took the opportunity to make the case for a more sustainable economy. Addressing the policy paper: 'Trust in People: Make Britain Free, Fair and Green', Duncan said: "We aim to ensure that sustainable development lies at the heart of economic policy. It is sustainable economic prosperity which comes first in achieving all our goals." "If you take a look at our economy, there is plenty of economic activity which certainly isn't sustainable. Gordon Brown's economic growth has only been afforded by mortgaging our future: we have a consumer driven economy fuelled by personal debt. Overall, people now pay out nearly £1 in every £5 of take home pay just servicing debt. As consumers, we need to review our own consumption choices to reclaim our future." "Businesses also have a role in redressing unsustainable consumption: so much of the billions of pounds spent on advertising is not to compete with substitute products but is designed to stimulate demand. Not just meeting our needs, but artificially creating need to generate sales growth. If we are to live within environmental limits, can we consider this behaviour an economic good?" "The market is just a mechanism; it doesn't work exclusively for good, or for bad. Just because markets are amoral, doesn't mean that players in those markets - be they consumers, producers, or investors, do not have a moral responsibility to act for the greater good in those markets. What greater lever is available to people than through their investments in their pension funds? Higher ethical and sustainability standards for investments by public and private sector pension schemes could apply a reforming incentive for business that is too good to refuse. Otherwise, is it not completely self-defeating for the investments for our retirement to actually be undermining that future's viability?" "As we develop these policy themes around sustainable prosperity, we should build a coherent vision of sustainable capitalism and share it with people."
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[ Related News Stories:Fri 26th Sep 2008: [Duncan Hames conducts largest environmental campaign in local area] Sun 14th Sep 2008: [Duncan Hames in Environmental Debate at Party Conference] Wed 16th Jan 2008: [Action Needed to Improve our Train Services: Duncan Hames] Tue 4th Dec 2007: [Duncan Hames Condemns Post Office Closures] Mon 26th Nov 2007: [Duncan Hames addresses Model United Nations Debate in Local School] Fri 31st Aug 2007: [Duncan Hames Meets Chippenham Town Clerk] Fri 15th Jun 2007: [Duncan Hames calls for an end to Primary School Key Stage tests] Sat 25th Nov 2006: [Simon Hughes MP in Chippenham to back Duncan Hames' campaign] Mon 20th Nov 2006: [Duncan Hames featured by the BBC Politics Show in the West] Thu 12th Oct 2006: [Duncan Hames re-appointed to Regional Development Agency board] Sat 15th Jul 2006: [Lib Dems select Duncan Hames to stand for the new Chippenham constituency] Tue 22nd Feb 2005: [Duncan Hames welcomes the launch of the Liberal Democrat manifesto for women] Thu 27th Jan 2005: [Hames calls for Iraq exit strategy ] Tue 2nd Nov 2004: [America Votes - Duncan Hames joins the 'Get out the Vote' effort.] Published and promoted by Wiltshire Liberal Democrats, 17 St Mary's Place, Chippenham, SN15 1EN. The views expressed are those of the party, not of the service provider. |