Ian recently attended a rally in Parliament in order to draw attention to the unfair practices of payday and doorstep lenders in Edinburgh. At the meeting, held as part of an ongoing campaign led by Labour MPs, Compass, Citizens UK, the Co-Op and the Better Banking coalition, Ian called on the government to support legislation which would put a cap on the total cost of credit that can be charged, give powers to local authorities to limit the number of credit agencies on high streets, and widen access to credit unions and debt advice services.

•

Ian said: “Many constituents have come to my surgeries after being locked into cycles of debt by payday and doorstep lenders. That’s why I’m supporting this campaign -; the government has a duty to intervene in order to prevent the most vulnerable people in South Edinburgh from being exploited by unscrupulous lending practices. I have added my name to a growing list of MPs, consumer groups and debt advice experts, all of whom are demanding that action is taken.”

•

The rally took place from 7pm to 9pm in House of Commons Committee Room 5 on Tuesday 7th December 2010. Speakers included Martin Lewis of MoneySavingExperts.com, Gavin Hayes of Compass, Maurice Glasman of Citizens UK and Stella Creasy MP.