After four years of sustained spending cuts under the coalition government, many believe that austerity is failing to resolve the financial crash, and perhaps even exacerbating its effects. The economy may at last be picking up, but this highly contentious policy will no doubt dominate the 2015 general election. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••­••••••••••• PROPOSITION ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••­••••••••••• Professor Tim Congdon CBE is an economist and businessman. He was a member of the Treasury Panel of Independent Forecasters (the so-called “wise men”) between 1992 and 1997 and stood for UKIP in the 2010 General Election. Michael Dunn Goekjian was the Easter 2013 President of the Cambridge Union. He is also a third-year mathematician at Trinity and a competitive debater. Thomas Simpson is a second year economist at Gonville and Caius, current Debating Officer at the Union and a keen competitive debater. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••­••••••••••• OPPOSITION ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••­••••••••••• Chris Dillow is economics writer for the Investors Chronicle and author of 'New Labour and the End of Politics'. He blogs at Stumbling and Mumbling, where he describes himself as "an extremist, not a fanatic". Clare Soloman, of the People's Assembly Against Austerity, co-edited 'Springtime: The New Student Rebellions'. Clare was formerly the President of the University of London. Dr Martin O'Donnell is a sociologist who teaches at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. He is chair of the local branch of the Communist party.

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