'THE BANKS WANT TO HAVE THEIR CAKE AND EAT IT.' PPC Ros kayes speaks out

4.24.00pm GMT Tue 10th Feb 2009

Lib-Dems are pressing locally & nationally for urgent action to help people survive the recession. South Dorset Parliamentary candidate Ros Kayes says "Many families in Weymouth & Portland are struggling with higher food and energy costs. & councils are facing record council tax defaults". She 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."

PPC Ros Kayes with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg after his speech on the economy at the South West Region Party Conference

This call has been echoed by Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg who called in January's South West Regional Conference for

action to crack down on reckless bankers and traders who have done so much damage to our economy.

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."