Figures just released by Steve Brine show unemployment in Winchester has risen faster than regional and national averages.
The figure of 781 unemployed throughout the Winchester District at end of December 2008 is 79 percent higher than at the end of December 2007, with the regional average being 47 percent higher and the national average being 34 percent.
Commenting on this data Steve Brine, prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate for Winchester said: “While local unemployment remains a small figure as percentage of population this is very worrying data for us and shows that no area is immune from the current economic crisis.
“The Government’s bank capitalization has not worked and it is becoming increasingly clear Ministers are running out of ideas. The Government must ease pressure on business, get Britain working again and help families and individuals affected by the recession. It was important to get-together this week with the Conservative Party Chairman Caroline Spelman and other prospective MPs including George Hollingbery from the Meon Valley at The Rose Bowl near Southampton for a ‘Recession Forum’ event.”
Business figures and local opinion formers were invited to the event which outlined Conservative plans in detail and heard practical solutions from those present which are being fed back to David Cameron and George Osbourne in Westminster.
Steve Brine adds; “We want to abolish income tax on savings for basic rate taxpayers and raise pensioners’ personal allowance by £2,000 as well as work with councils to achieve a two year council tax freeze. But as important as all of that we have to get credit flowing again into small and medium sized businesses which will save more jobs from being lost. The £50bn National Loan Guarantee Scheme will help enormously in this regard as will David Cameron’s suggestion that we help small businesses with cashflow by delaying VAT bills for six-months.”
Pictured; Conservative Party Chairman Caroline Spelman addresses the event on Tuesday January 6th 2009 at The Rose Bowl.