Campaigners from Jubilee Debt Campaign arrived at Liberal Democrat conference dressed as skeletons to ask Vince Cable ‘What debt skeletons are in the Government’s cupboard’.
Activists in Birmingham outside the Lib Dem Conference
Vince Cable, controls the Government’s Export Credits Guarantee Department – which is responsible for over 90% of the debt owed to the UK by developing countries.
The skeletons reminded Liberal Democrats that their party policy is:
To “conduct our own audit of all existing UK government and commercial debts, ruling invalid any past lending that was recklessly given to dictators known not to be committed to spend the loans on development.” September 2010, Liberal Democrat policy
To “[end] export credit support for military goods.” September 2010, Liberal Democrat policy
Tougher policy on the ECGD was adopted at conference, where the Liberal Democrats also committed to withdrawing ECGD support from “all fossil-fuel related sectors”
Read Jubilee Debt Campaign’s press release “Liberal Democrats adopt tougher policy on responsible exports.”
Conference also passed policy which recognised the progress towards democracy in the so called ‘Arab Spring’. But campaigners claimed that this is undermined by the Liberal Democrats continued inaction on their pledge to audit the hundreds of millions of pounds worth of debts which were run up by the UK supporting deals with dictators.
Read Jubilee Debt Campaign’s press release “Liberal Democrat inaction over dictator debts contradicts commitments to democracy.”