Honiton defying economic downturn

Honiton is defying what is going on in the rest of the country - in terms of its economy and vibrancy.

That is what local MP Neil Parish told business leaders in the town when he addressed a breakfast meeting at Zest, in Black Lion Court, last Friday.

Speaking just hours before he was due to jump out of a plane at Dunkeswell in a tandem sky dive for two charities, he said: “I am not saying everything in the garden is rosy in Honiton, because it is not.

“But it is nice to know that people are looking for business premises in the town.

“What is so good is that you have got a good mix of shops, a lace museum and the academy (Honiton Community College).

“My father was a huge pessimist and I’ve always been the opposite.”

Mr Parish said “one great bonus” is that “we are not in the Euro”.

“If I was a German taxpayer, I wouldn’t be too happy at having to bail out other countries,” he said.

The Government’s focus on reducing the national deficit was paying off. Mr Parish said the deficit had already been reduced by �25billion, but accepted “we’ve still got a long way to go”.

“We’ve got to tackle that and we are looking at public spending,” he said.

“Would I say the budget was a huge success? Possibly not. But, we are taking the low paid and giving them more in their pockets. That is helping the economy and we have also found some money for rural broadband.”

Mr Parish said his long-term goals are to see improvements to road and rail links, most notably increased train services between London and Exeter and significant work to upgrade the A303.

He said: “We will be affected by the Euro zone crisis, but manufacturing is starting to come back.”

Mr Parish said manufacturing in China was proving not to be as cost effective as at first thought.

Ensuring there is credit for businesses and those requiring mortgages was being given priority attention by the Government.

Mr Parish was addressing members of Honiton and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry.