The "Pasty Tax," Angela Eagle and Liberal Democrat hypocrisy

The Liberal Democrats are rightly coming in for considerable criticism following last night’s vote on the “Pasty Tax,” when only five Lib Dem MPs opposed the proposal.

Speaking in the House of Commons today, Labour spokesperson Angela Eagle drew attention to a recent Liberal Democrat leaflet (Truro Boscawen by-election).

You may recall that I commented on this leaflet a couple of weeks, which stated that a vote for the Liberal Democrats would “stop the Tories taxing our pasties.”

Waving the leaflet, Angela Eagle described the leaflet as a “desperate effort to hoodwink the public.” She pointed out that only five Lib Dems actually voted against the “Pasty Tax” and no-one could be “fooled by their dubious political posturing,” adding that “it was Lib Dem votes what won the pasty tax.”

The leaflet in question (stated: “Joseph Swain and the Cornish Liberal Democrats are campaigning hard to stop the London-based Tory party putting a tax on one of our County’s best loved icons. Labour care more about sausage rolls. By voting Lib Dem today you’ll be voting to aid the campaign to save the Cornish pasty industry, which the Conservatives have put under threat.”

THE FACTS: 261 Conservatives and 34 Liberal Democrats voted in favour of the “Pasty Tax” on 18th April. Only five Lib Dem MPs (three from Cornwall) and 10 Conservative MPs (three from Cornwall) opposed the tax.