Southport’s Shane the Builder becomes Tory symbol of recession

Dec 5 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

HE WAS the cult figure of the presidential election – Joe the Plumber, who challenged Barack Obama at a campaign rally and became the symbol of recession-hit America.

Such was his celebrity that his face was plastered across Republican T-shirts, he was pursued for a major record deal, and a police officer even let him off a speeding ticket.

Last night, Britain met its own “Joe the Plumber” in a Conservative television broadcast – and his name is Shane the Builder, from Southport.

Millions of viewers watched Tory leader David Cameron introduce Shane – full name Shane Prescott, a 51-year-old father of four from Churchtown – as the epitome of a Britain betrayed by Gordon Brown.

Like many small businesses, family-run Prescott Building Contractors has been forced to make redundancies and its owner is gripped by fears for the future.

The four-minute broadcast ended with Mr Cameron explaining how his “plan for a strong economy” – delaying VAT payments for six months, cutting corporation and payroll taxes – offered hope.

Mr Cameron’s aides said Mr Prescott had written to the party to explain his company’s plight.