15/09/2010

Mervyn King Addresses TUC Conference

Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has told the TUC conference in Manchester that financial firms and policymakers are to blame for the economic crisis.

Addressing the conference, Mr King told delegates that they were "entitled to be angry" about the rise in unemployment and banks being bailed out with taxpayers money.

However, he stressed that it was "vital" that the government committed to a "clear and credible plan" for reducing the deficit.

Members of the RMT union staged a walk-out before Mr King's speech. Earlier, the union's leader Bob Crow told reporters that he did not believe Mr King should be at the conference and said that he planned to boycott his speech.

Mr King is only the second governor to address the conference. The only other Bank of England Governor to address the conference was Eddie George in 1998.

On Monday, delegates at the conference backed plans for "joint industrial action", if the scale of planned Government cuts is not reduced.

(KMcA)

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