Lib Dems Unveil 30-Page Growth Plan, Propose EU Defence Partnership — SkimNews
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- Daisy Cooper unveiled a 30-page growth plan at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton, arguing that a 'computer says no' approach is holding back Britain's economic potential and causing too many start-ups and research breakthroughs to leave the UK.
- Cooper proposed a digital one-stop-shop service combining tax, regulatory, legal, Companies House, and general business functions within a new Department for Growth to reduce red tape for small and medium-sized businesses.
- Cooper called a new Growth and Defence Partnership with the EU the 'single biggest growth lever we could pull,' claiming Brexit is costing the UK £90bn a year in lost tax revenue and vowing to negotiate single market, customs union, and defence deals.
- Cooper attacked Labour for 'punishing tax hikes' and the Conservatives and Reform UK for 'painful spending cuts,' positioning the Lib Dems as the alternative to both.
- Cooper criticised Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith for his role defending the Liz Truss mini-budget, which she said 'crashed the pound, spiked your mortgage, it cost the country billions,' and noted Nigel Farage defended the same policy.
- Cooper compared Nigel Farage to Donald Trump, warning that 'a President who has used the presidency to enrich himself, dismantled anti-corruption safeguards and pardoned crypto criminals' represents a politics Britain cannot afford.
Why it matters: The Lib Dems are staking out a pro-EU economic position ahead of the next election, with Cooper claiming a single-market deal could reverse £90bn in annual losses. The speech doubles as a direct attack on Reform UK and Labour's fiscal credibility, framing the Lib Dems as the only party willing to pursue deeper European ties.
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