Come Clean on Northern Rock

The party has launched a petition: Come Clean on Northern Rock.

As usual, Vince Cable is playing a blinder:

Gordon Brown is paying out billion of pounds of taxpayers' money in loans to bail out the Northern Rock bank.

But he is refusing to tell us how much of our money he is spending, and even whether it is ever going to be paid back in full.

When taxpayers' money is being used, we should be told how much.

Media reports suggest as much as £24 billion has been lent, but Gordon Brown is refusing to tell the country just how much – and refusing to give a commitment that all the money will be paid back with the correct amount of interest.

£24 billion is equivalent to twice the amount of public expenditure on primary schools every year, and four times the international aid budget!

Gordon Brown should come clean on Northern Rock - it's our money, not his!