General Election 2011: A Better, Fairer Way
Over the last two years, the trade union movement has consistently put forward an alternative strategy to tackle the crisis that confronts us. We prioritised jobs as the key to recovery and said domestic demand had to be stimulated.
We opposed the attempt to shift the entire burden of adjustment onto the shoulders of low and middle income earners and welfare recipients. We warned of the dangers posed by a severe austerity programme and the damage that would flow from deflating the economy. We said this could this turn a recession into a depression.
Sadly, much of what we feared has come to pass.
But we do still have choices and alternatives. There is no iron law that says we must inflict cuts on the weakest or prioritise the interests of bondholders over the needs of citizens. These were deliberate choices made by the outgoing Government.
We now have a choice about the shape and composition of the new Government, about the policies it chooses and the priorities it sets. This election is a clear opportunity to ensure those policies and priorities reflect the needs and concerns of working people and their families. A focus on jobs and growth holds the key to real recovery.
General Election 2011: A Better, Fairer Way
