ECONOMY CONTINUES TO FLATLINE

THE GDP figures, published by the ONS, show that the UK economy only grew by 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the previous quarter. Furthermore, the economy has only grown by 0.6 per cent in the last year.

Construction fared much worse, declining by 2.5 per cent quarter-on- quarter and 5.9 per cent year-on-year and manufacturing also declined. In fact both construction and manufacturing are smaller than when this government came to power.

But the part time chancellor says the latest GDP figures provide evidence that the Tory-Lib Dem Coalition Government's policies are helping to “build an economy fit for the future”. George Osborne is seriously deluded if he genuinely believes that.

The Economics Director at the Construction Products Association, Noble Francis, says the fall in construction was the biggest of all the major sectors and marks the lowest output since 1999.

He said: “Had construction output merely been flat quarter-on-quarter, GDP growth would have increased to 0.5 per cent.”

The construction industry’s main concern is the government’s slow pace of delivery on its policies, which is hindering real activity on the ground. Ministers announced a £4.69 billion capital investment ‘boost’ in Autumn Statement 2011 and a further £5.5 billion in December. But talk is cheap and there has been very little action on the ground.

Noble Francis claims the government could add an additional 0.8% to GDP if ministers’ actions matched their rhetoric on infrastructure and other building programmes.

As a former bricklayer myself, and the son of a plasterer who benefited from a boost to construction in the 1930s, I know the construction industry can support a sustained recovery.

The truth is both construction and manufacturing are essential cornerstones of economic recovery which have been betrayed by the Bullingdon ideologues running this Government.

A couple of years ago, George Osborne said: “We want the words made in Britain, created in Britain, designed in Britain, invented in Britain to drive our nation forward. A Britain carried aloft by the march of the makers.” Three months later the £1.4bn Thameslink train building contract went to Germany instead of Derby.

Now he claims he’s taking steps to boost construction when the reality is screaming at him that he is killing the construction sector.

George Osborne’s stewardship of our economy will be remembered and defined by incompetence, intransigence and lies. The General election in two years time can’t come soon enough to give the British people the chance to rid themselves of these useless, bungling ideological zealots who are ruining our country.