Thurso: Economy is key to the election

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th Apr 2010

Speaking in Embo on Wednesday evening, 14 April John Thurso, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate highlighted, the economy as the central issue of this election.

"This election is about jobs - not just getting people back to work in the short term but just as importantly to make sure that we have quality jobs for the future. That needs a change in the way we run our economy.

"Relying on financial services has proved to be a "house of cards" and has starved the real economy of investment. The Labour Government spent a decade wooing the City with light-touch regulation. Their failure has meant a lack of resources for technology, engineering, science and innovation. It has meant bankers bonuses at the expense of wealth creation in small businesses. It has been a critical factor in the decrease of social mobility. This has to change. The Liberal Democrats have put forward a plan to invest £3.3billion in the short term to get the economy moving, investing in real businesses and creating real jobs and to lay down a sound future for our manufacturing and exporting industries.

"Here in the north investment in real jobs is critical. We have a high skills base and entrepreneurs capable of growing their businesses but to do that we need money to invest and that means getting the banks lending again and getting investment in businesses. Liberal Democrats were the only party who warned of the dangers before the crash and we have credible and thoughtfully costed plans to invest in industry, break up the big banks and support real people and a real economy by investing in real jobs producing products that people actually want".