'The country in the triple dip should not lecture the EU about economic growth', says EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion in reference to David Cameron's plan to repatriate power back from the EU.
Governments must avoid policies that axe spending in the name of competitiveness and short-term savings, “but in reality jeopardise future competitiveness and longer-term prosperity” EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion László Andor has said in a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) today.
In his keynote speech at the IPPR’s Revitalizing Social Europe event, Mr Andor warned that “polices that axe spending in the name of competitiveness may jeopardise … future prosperity”.
“Ill advised cuts can aggravate [deficit reduction] and risk a downward spiral,” he said.
“For instance, putting public workers out of work may reduce public spending on wages, but it will increase public spending on welfare benefits as well as resulting in a loss of tax revenue.”
The Commissioner also said a rise in social welfare spending at start of crisis held up UK living standards compared to those of Ireland and Greece, and he added that social investment was crucial to ensuring that a stronger, more cohesive and more competitive EU emerged from present crisis.
“It means treading a fine line between reducing spending to improve the public finances and jeopardising the future.”
Mr Andor also defended the EU’s Working Time Directive, which has been subject to much criticism from the Right in Britain of late.
“[The Directive] is a much discussed piece of legislation which I inherited as part of my portfolio, along with the Posting of Workers Directive, that was also controversial in some quarters,” he told the audience.
“A few weeks ago, I saw a set of short BBC interviews of individuals who were responding to questions regarding the consequences if Britain were not a member state of the European Union.
“Among them was a doctor who was very concerned at the effect of long working hours on his capacity to perform his work properly. He was worried that he might make serious errors of judgment affecting his patients through being overworked and lacking sleep.
“Another interviewee was a haulage-company operator. He was worried about unfair competition from other hauliers from other Member States who did not have to comply with the same rules.
“We must work to ensure that employment and social cohesion are given substance in EU policy — on a par with financial consolidation and economic growth.
“The recovery must bring jobs and opportunities for people, not just profits for companies and banks.”
Mr Andor’s full speech can be read here.
23 Responses to “‘Ill advised cuts can risk a downward spiral,’ EU Commissioner warns”
Mick
Many in Labour’s BNP tendency are promoted.
Milliband’s candidate for the Eastleigh election is none other than the bloke who wanted to see the IRA bomb Margaret Thatcher again. And he wasn’t the only one. (Plus the last TUC conference saw a foyer stall selling ‘party packs’ anticipating the Iron Lady’s DEATH.)
Honestly, it takes an electoral drubbing to see the weirdos and cranks shoot straight to the surface again in that veritable prime bastion of left wing arsery..
Newsbot9
Keep on mad-libbing. Your far right can’t kill enough fast enough for you!
Mick
Mutualists are anarchists who hate landlords and bank customers as their loans and rents aren’t ‘earned’, who want a barter economy based on what they dictate workers are ‘worth’, etc. We wnt through that crap before. You don’t need to kill races to be mental.
And given anarchists are also regularly involved in riots we have, you don’t have much gravitas pretending to be all straight and decent.
And who denied the holocaust? I didn’t. I’ve seen no evidence of LB or whoever doing it either. Just more of your ranting because you can’t answer questions propely.
Mick
Look at Newsbot! He can’t tell the difference between denying the holocaust and denying you deny it! Aaaaah, bless.
And he can’t grasp that just because he says something, that doesn’t make it so. Aaaah! Have a lollipop and trash some shops with your anarchist pals! Then blame David Cameron!
Newsbot9
Ah right, so you’re a holocaust denier as well as denying cause and effect.
Keep on trying to say I’m a violent thug like you, as you utter your arrant class-war slogans.