§ Mr. Cyril Smith (Rochdale)With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I beg leave to present a petition from the Liberal Party, supported by 271,957 people. It relates to the disastrous level of unemployment and the need to change the Government's policy, which has led to that high unemployment. It demonstrates the anxiety that my party feels and, more importantly, that the public feel for this matter. The petition is signed by people throughout the United Kingdom who are deeply concerned at the way the country is being led.
With your leave, Mr. Speaker, I shall read the petition.
It states:
To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. The humble petition of the citizens of the United Kingdom sheweth:That the policies of Her Majesty's Government, including public spending cuts and higher taxation upon employment, are causing the closure of well-run businesses, and real misery and mass unemployment throughout the United Kingdom;That the industrial base and international competitiveness of the country are being destroyed, and young people are being offered no hope for the future.Wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray that your Honourable House will reject these policies and as a matter of the greatest urgency cause the Government to reduce interest rates, halt destructive public expenditure cuts, finance investment in new industry, increase training and retraining programmes and improve our international trading position to bring more jobs to the peopleAnd your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.
§ To lie upon the Table