Lucy on the cost of living and the economy
When times are tough, we expect our government to lend a hand. But the Conservatives have made all our lives more expensive and the people of South Derbyshire and across the Midlands will be left paying the price for years to come.
![Lucy Care asking the opinions of people and the effects of the increase in the cost of living](/fileadmin/_processed_/e/d/csm_lucy-care-and-students_1438cf6a1e.png)
Mortgage payments have rocketed, taxes are rising and energy bills are spiralling - and the Government doesn't seem to have a plan to help.
Lucy is doing what she can to support those most in need across South Derbyshire. She led the local campaign for extra money for foodbanks and warm spaces and council tax and energy bill support initiatives.
But none of this should be neccessary. It is a stain on the record of this Conservative Government that they have allowed life to become this tough for so many people. Things have to change.
South Derbyshire needs an MP who understands how tough things are for some and will fight to get the support local people urgently need.
There are people right now sitting at home in the freezing cold because they can't afford the heating. It breaks my heart to hear how people are struggling but the Conservatives just don't seem to understand.
Lucy Care
![Coins coming out of a jar](/fileadmin/_processed_/f/7/csm_Money2_ac8f49581a.jpg)
Lib Dem plans for the economy
- Create good jobs and prosperity in every nation and region of the UK
- Foster the stability, certainty and confidence that are vital for economic growth and investment
- Increase investment in green infrastructure, including renewable energy and zero-carbon transport, industry and housing, as set out in chapters 4, 5, 14 and 16, and give a clearer zero-carbon remit to the UK Infrastructure Bank.
Remain committed to delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the UK and around the world. - Work with partners in international forums, including the OECD and the UN, to tackle international corporate tax avoidance for the benefit of all countries and make the case for increasing the global minimum rate of corporation tax to 21%.
Our priority for tax cuts, when the public finances allow, will be to cut income tax by raising the tax-free personal allowance, benefitting the vast majority of families and taking more low-paid workers out of paying income tax altogether. - Make the tax system fairer and raise the money needed for our investment plans
- End retrospective tax changes such as the loan charge brought in by the Conservatives, and review the Government’s off-payroll working IR35 reforms to ensure self-employed people are treated fairly.
Expand the British Business Bank to perform a more central role in the economy, to ensure that viable small and medium-sized businesses have access to capital, and enable it to help ‘crowd-in’ private investment, in particular in zero-carbon products and technologies. - Empower consumers and ensure that everyone can enjoy the benefits of new technology, by setting a UK-wide target for digital literacy and requiring all products to provide a short, clear version of their terms and conditions, setting out the key facts as they relate to individuals’ data and privacy.
Introduce a national financial inclusion strategy and require both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority to have regard to financial inclusion, such as protecting access to cash, especially in remote areas, supporting banking hubs, expanding access to bank accounts, delivering Sharia-compliant student finance and supporting vulnerable consumers.
Further details are in the Lib Dem Manifesto