Category: Speeches

Alister Jack – 2022 Statement on Supreme Court Ruling

The statement made by Alister Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 23 November 2022.

We note and respect the unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court today.

People in Scotland want both their governments to be concentrating all attention and resources on the issues that matter most to them. That’s why we are focussed on issues like restoring economic stability, getting people the help they need with their energy bills, and supporting our NHS.

Today alone, 11.6 million UK pensioners – around one million in Scotland – are starting to receive up to £600 to help with their energy bills this winter.

As the Prime Minister has made clear, we will continue to work constructively with the Scottish Government in tackling all the challenges we share and face.

23/11/2022
Nicola Sturgeon – 2022 Initial Statement on Supreme Court Ruling

The statement issued by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, on Twitter on 23 November 2022.

1/ While disappointed by it I respect ruling of @UKSupremeCourt – it doesn’t make law, only interprets it.

A law that doesn’t allow Scotland to choose our own future without Westminster consent exposes as myth any notion of the UK as a voluntary partnership & makes case for Indy

2/ Scottish democracy will not be denied.

Today’s ruling blocks one route to Scotland’s voice being heard on independence – but in a democracy our voice cannot and will not be silenced.

I’ll make a full statement later this morning – tune in around 11.30am

23/11/2022
Supreme Court – 2022 Ruling on Whether Scottish Government Can Call Referendum on Independence

The ruling issued by the Supreme Court on 23 November 2022.

Ruling (in .pdf format)

23/11/2022
Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to the Bloomberg New Economy Forum

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 17 November 2022.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Thank you for your attention to Ukraine!

Our communication today actually finalizes the work of your Forum, it is symbolic.

Symbolic, because the global situation directly depends on when and how the Russian aggression will end.

Look at how many threats and crises for everyone in the world have been provoked by this aggression. I will give three examples now, but there are more – much more.

Another Russian terrorist attack has just taken place, in the morning – dozens of missiles, civilian objects are the main target. Russia is fighting against electricity and heat for people, blowing up power plants and other energy facilities.

This is everyday life in Ukraine now – because of Russian terror. That is why we put so much effort into getting modern air defense and anti-missile defense systems from our partners. Plus constant hostilities on the frontline more than a thousand kilometers long.

What does this mean from a global perspective?

Instead of investing trillions of dollars in the development of human capital, the world will spend colossal amounts of money on rearmament – in addition to those already planned. You will see.

Now everyone is paying close attention to how we defend ourselves in Ukraine. They look – which weapons are the best, which tactics work, which defense systems give the maximum result.

To be honest, few countries could now defend themselves against aggression as intensively as we do. So many shells and weapons are simply non-existent. But there are still more potential aggressors in the world and frozen conflicts that can flare up again than such countries. Hence, there is an insane security deficit.

Therefore, the more forms of terror Russia will use in this war, the more funds the world will eventually direct to weapons and to defense against a potential repetition of such attacks as we are experiencing.

Another example… Instead of paying maximum attention to the green transformation, various governments are equally looking for ways to guarantee cheaper supplies of oil, gas, and coal in order to lower energy prices.

It is the price of energy, not the purity of energy, that is the number 1 issue for many. And it wouldn’t be like that if it weren’t for Russian aggression – and Russia’s use of energy resources as a weapon.

The third example… In just a few weeks, the threat of starvation for tens of millions of people arose completely artificially. Not because of a drought or an economic crisis, but because of the military blockade of our ports – a food exporting country.

The world has not seen anything like this for decades.

Any new disaster in one or another country due to high food prices or, God forbid, due to famine, is minus years for global development.

Many different topics were discussed at your Forum during these days… But how many of them do not depend on what Russian aggression has brought and, unfortunately, can still bring? Minority.

Therefore, when Ukraine offers a peace formula, it is really a peace formula not just for us, but for the world.

When the threat is complex, the response must be complex as well. Nothing can be solved by simply ceasing fire. This is our formula. We need to restore peace – reliably and for the long term. You will not restore stability by simply mitigating the crises provoked by Russia. Every threat must be completely dismantled.

The other day, at the summit in Indonesia, I presented exactly such proposals of ours – reliable peace and complete dismantling of Russian threats. And I thank everyone who supports the Ukrainian peace formula.

And now I want to add one more component.

What does peace mean? It’s very practical, actually. This is saving lives. Stabilization. Development.

Development!

Already now, by joining the reconstruction of Ukraine, various countries and companies are receiving incentives for growth.

But when we restore territorial integrity and guarantee reliable peace, Ukraine will become a powerful source of new global development.

And it’s not just about the economy. It’s about the modern economy.

I will give you three more examples.

Ukraine is able to replace dirty fossil fuels from Russia with clean energy.

We have huge potential in low-carbon energy. Ukraine is capable of becoming a key partner of the European Union for the purposes of decarbonization.

We will become one of the main suppliers of green hydrogen and green electricity in the EU.

Climatic conditions of Ukraine, free space, solar energy, wind energy will allow the production of green electricity with a very competitive cost.

Just three years before the Russian invasion, we built 7 gigawatts of renewable energy. The potential is many times more.

Plus, Ukraine can produce tens of millions of tons of green and cheap ammonia. Plus, strong positions in bioenergy. Plus, powerful nuclear energy and energy infrastructure, which is integrated with the energy grid of the European Union.

Now the Russian missile terror is targeted primarily at these our facilities. Only the day before yesterday, Russia fired almost a hundred missiles against our energy facilities in one day. Almost a hundred! Today again…

Of course, the losses are great. But this only means that the reconstruction will be large-scale.

I invite your countries and companies to already assess the prospects and join our reconstruction.

By the way, we now have the decision of one of the largest Australian private investment groups, which has committed to invest the first 500 million dollars specifically in the Green Growth Initiative of Ukraine as part of the creation of the $25 billion Recovery Fund.

I am grateful to Mr. Andrew Forrest for the decision to be the first, and also to Mr. Larry Fink of BlackRock for helping to structure this Fund.

Another example is resource extraction.

The modern economy needs lithium, graphite and other rare earth metals. We have the largest reserves of some of these resources in Europe.

These are already colossal opportunities.

Plus production and transport capabilities, plus our potential in mechanical engineering, our work culture and access to the world’s leading markets – this is the basis for exactly the economic growth that everyone so desperately needs.

The third is the agricultural sector. The world saw that it is impossible to guarantee global food security without Ukrainian exports.

Our export grain initiative already helps with stabilization. And a decision has just been made to extend it by 120 days. But Ukraine’s proposal is to extend the Black Sea Initiative indefinitely. This is vital for stability.

Plus, we founded the Grain From Ukraine program to provide together with our partners as much food aid to the poorest countries as possible.

But the return of peace to Ukraine will mean that we will be able not only to stabilize the market in response to the crisis, but to guarantee food stability and the prevention of any crises.

And again, I gave only three examples, and there are many more.

Peace in Ukraine is a global need. I emphasize – not a temporary lull, not an illusion of peace, which Russia tempts with to simply prepare a new stage of aggression, but real peace. I know it can be achieved.

But for this we need to preserve global unity – and continue to support our struggle for freedom. It is necessary to preserve global integrity – and increase pressure on Russia for terror. And it is necessary to preserve global rationality – and cooperate with us for the sake of future development already now.

Once again, thank you for your attention!

And let there be reliable peace.

Glory to Ukraine!

22/11/2022
Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech at G20 Digital Transformation Panel

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 16 November 2022.

Thank you very much, Mr. President Widodo.

Dear colleagues!

Yesterday at our summit, everyone talked about how to end the Russian war. The Russian representative even made some comments…

And after that, almost 100 Russian missiles hit Ukraine. Burnt residential buildings. Destroyed power plants again. Hundreds of cities were left without electricity, water and heat. Internet traffic has fallen by two-thirds – imagine the scale.

Unfortunately, there are human casualties. And not only in Ukraine! Russian missiles hit the territory of neighboring Poland yesterday. There should be a quick response.

This missile attack is Russia’s real performance at G20. So when I say G19, I’m not wrong. Because Russia is a terrorist, and we protect ourselves from it. Such is the reality.

And I urge you to look at today’s panel of our Digital Transformation Summit from a security perspective. This will be a timely view.

Dear leaders, you now clearly see what modern war is. Today, it is impossible to imagine life without computer networks, high-speed communication, the Internet, and even more so – without electricity. But your enemies may try to deprive you of just that.

My good advice to you is to take Ukrainian defense experience in order to guarantee the safety of your people.

We have created an IT army that prevails in cyberspace. The best specialists and companies of the country have united to protect the state.

We repelled more than 1,300 cyberattacks during the 8 months of the Russian war. In the first week of the invasion, Russia destroyed a key data center of our country, and the response solution is the “clouds” into which we moved part of the information systems.

We have built the protection of public registers. We have preserved the digital resilience of banks. Thanks to digitization, we can quickly organize social payments to those affected by hostilities.

Millions of Ukrainians use our Diia state service every day. These are more than 100 public services without contact with officials. A digital passport, opening accounts, paying fines and taxes, receiving state aid, raising funds to support the army… All this is Ukrainian “Diia”.

If you or your allies and partners do not already have such a system and such digital protection, we will be happy to help you build them!

Cyber defense is about cooperation. The stability of institutions is cooperation. Reliable communication, including satellite communication, is also about cooperation.

What we all need is to put aside disputes and develop collective efforts for global peace. The G19 can be very successful in this!

Ukraine is willing to help. Our security experience is your security experience.

And please remember that everything must now be considered from the point of view of security.

Thank you Mr. President Widodo for a very meaningful summit! Thank you all for your support!

Let there be peace!

Glory to Ukraine!

22/11/2022
Stephen Timms – 2022 Comments on Jeremy Hunt and the Previous Budget

The comments made by Sir Stephen Timms, the Labour MP for East Ham, in the House of Commons on 17 November 2022.

Sir Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab)

I am puzzled by the Chancellor’s position on his predecessor’s mini-Budget. He appeared to acknowledge its foolhardiness but then attempt to defend it. I agree with him about the importance of tackling inactivity, and we on the Work and Pensions Committee look forward to discussing that with the Secretary of State on Wednesday week. I am relieved that working-age benefits and pensions are to be uprated in line with inflation, and I welcome—at last—the uprating of the benefit cap, which, logically, should happen every year. Will he also uprate the local housing allowance, which has been frozen since the pandemic at a time when rents have surged?

Jeremy Hunt

I will write to the right hon. Gentleman on the latter point. On the mini-Budget, let me be very clear that I agree with its priority of growth and with the energy price guarantee, which has given relief to thousands of families, but I do not agree with unfunded tax cuts.

22/11/2022
Sajid Javid – 2022 Comments on Jeremy Hunt’s Financial Statement

The comments made by Sajid Javid, the Conservative MP for Bromsgrove, in the House of Commons on 17 November 2022.

Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove) (Con)

The Chancellor rightly talked about the importance of global headwinds—we have seen two 100-year events in just the last three years. I commend him on his autumn statement, which has risen to the challenge that he has set out. He said rightly how important growth is; we know that it is the only way to improve opportunity and social mobility in our country in the long term. He has rightly protected investment in skills, capital infrastructure and R&D, but can he say a little more about how he will ensure that such investment is spent wisely and for the maximum possible impact?

Jeremy Hunt

I thank my right hon. Friend—I always listen very carefully to what he says because of his enormous experience in economic posts in Government and in spending posts. The reason why growth matters is that it is not often something that can be delivered in one or two years—a long-term strategy is needed. I talked about Nigel Lawson’s big bang in 1986, but that actually took decades to come to fruition and turn London and the UK into one of the world’s great centres for financial services. Every Government have a duty to lay those foundations and make sure that, as far as possible, there is cross-party support for what they do.

22/11/2022
Peter Bottomley – 2022 Speech on Jeremy Hunt’s Financial Statement

The speech made by Peter Bottomley, the Conservative MP for Worthing West and the Father of the House, in the House of Commons on 17 November 2022.

Sir Peter Bottomley (Worthing West) (Con)

The Chancellor will have noticed that Labour Members laughed when he talked about stability, growth and public services. Those who are watching our proceedings will have noticed, as will he, that when he was making his announcements about how we will ease the burden on the poorest and give opportunities to those who most need them, those Members were silenced. People around the country will give backing to his approach. We may have arguments about details, but the key point is to get stability and growth, and to defend public services.

Jeremy Hunt

I thank my hon. Friend the Father of the House. He is right. What I have discovered in the short time that I have been doing this job is that although one might arrive thinking that decisions about money are about numbers and spreadsheets, they are actually about values. Today, I have tried to express our values not just as a Conservative party but as a country. That means protecting the most vulnerable.

22/11/2022
Alison Thewliss – 2022 Speech on Jeremy Hunt’s Financial Statement

The speech made by Alison Thewliss, the SNP MP for Glasgow Central and Westminster spokesperson for the party on economic matters, in the House of Commons on 17 November 2022.

The current Chancellor comes here today as the seventh Chancellor in seven years, and a mere 55 days after the last Chancellor came to this House to present his chaotic mini-Budget. His predecessor managed to crash the economy in 26 minutes; this Chancellor has spent the past 53 minutes trying to patch up those mistakes. The reality is that we will all be living with the disastrous consequences of Trussonomics for some time to come.

The Chancellor has brought forward new targets because he is failing to meet the old ones. His difficult choices are of nothing compared with what many of our constituents face. The Tories spent the summer squabbling in a leadership contest when they should have been preparing for the difficult winter ahead. Now the UK is £30 billion worse off because of the incompetence of the Conservative party. Scotland is paying a heavy price indeed for being in this Union.

The Tories are attempting to cut their way out of a recession. It will not work. Public sector workers deserve a proper pay rise to face the cost of living crisis that the Tories have created, and the Scottish Government do not have the same flexibility as this Chancellor to borrow or make changes in-year. Their existing budgets have already been squeezed and reprioritised and there is nothing left to cut.

The Chancellor says Scotland will get £1.5 billion in Barnett consequentials, yet the Scottish Government’s budget is worth £1.7 billion less than when it was introduced last December. Scotland is being short-changed yet again. Will he listen carefully to what John Swinney has asked for and provide the funding Scotland deserves?

The Chancellor is proposing fiscal tightening on a scale not seen since George Osborne—and we are still living with the real consequences of those poverty-inducing policies: the two-child limit, the rape clause, the brutal benefits sanctions. The Glasgow Centre for Population Health has been clear that the previous round of Tory austerity caused 330,000 excess deaths. More of the same from this Chancellor is a price society cannot afford.

Restoring the triple lock and uprating benefits by inflation is not some victory to be celebrated. Barnardo’s has described it as a “minimum first step”. The rate of inflation announced by the Chancellor is not the actual rate of inflation now—nor, perhaps, will it be the rate of inflation by the time the measure comes into force. Again, the Government are not keeping step with the cost of living. Any compassionate Government with an ounce of humanity would not have to be dragged to make such a decision.

The Chancellor talks about uprating the benefit cap—he should scrap the benefit cap. In Scotland, we have introduced the groundbreaking Scottish child payment and increased it to £25 per child per week, now up to the age of 16. There is no two-child limit in Scotland, because we value every child and want them all to have the best future. Will he commit to the same?

The Chancellor mentioned nothing in his statement for those struggling on no recourse to public funds, and nothing either for asylum seekers trying to survive on just 40 quid a week. Will he increase that support or, better yet, allow them to work and to contribute, as so many want to do?

Inflation is running at 11.1%, a 41-year high. For those in lower-income households, the Resolution Foundation says it runs at 12.5%, as more of their income goes on the essentials. The price of food is up 16.4% in a year, with basics such as bread, milk and pasta all increasing and squeezing household budgets. Combining that with the soaring cost of energy, households are finding it impossible to make ends meet.

Cornwall Insight has estimated that the energy price cap next year may come in at an eye-watering £3,702. I appreciate what the Chancellor has said about energy support, but his energy support package must be wider and deeper. It must lift those who are stuck on prepayment meters and make sure they can turn the heating on. Will he listen to National Energy Action, which is calling for a targeted energy price guarantee, similar to a social tariff, set at £1,500 annually until October 2024?

National Energy Action says that should be for all households on means-tested benefits and disability benefits, those in receipt of attendance allowance and carers allowance and those who are living on less than two thirds of the median household income, and it should be targeted to people living in areas of multiple deprivation. We all know that energy bills will not be reducing any time soon. The Chancellor must ensure that people get the help they need to stay safe and warm.

Insulation schemes should have happened already. The UK Government cut back dramatically on schemes while the Scottish Government invested. More than 100,000 homes in Scotland have been made more energy efficient, while the UK Government have ignored the problem. Now they say, “Wait until 2025.” It is not even jam tomorrow; it is, “Huddle under a blanket for three years until we get to you.” It is absolutely ludicrous.

Will the Chancellor consider not a rent cap, but a rent freeze to help renters, as the Scottish Government have done? For those struggling with their mortgages, will he do all he can to encourage banks to support their customers, and will he fix and expand the restrictive support for mortgage interest scheme, to make it more accessible to those who need it?

There is little in this statement to give hope to businesses. Many that managed to survive the pandemic are now struggling to keep going. Increased labour and energy costs, supply chain difficulties and the crash in the pound have all made a difficult situation so much worse.

I have raised many times in this place the impossibly high contracts that companies are having to sign for their energy bills right now, and the Chancellor was not at all clear how he expects them to keep going once the reprieve finishes in the spring. Companies cannot wait any longer for answers, because for too many it will be too much. We know insolvencies are already on the rise, and with companies going bust, rising unemployment will inevitably follow.

We know that recession has a bigger impact on younger workers. When we look at the Chancellor’s statement, the minimum wage rates are still lagging behind for younger workers. They are being discriminated against on the basis of their age, and that continues to be unacceptable.

There was also nothing in the Chancellor’s statement about carbon capture and storage in the north-east of Scotland. Why not? There was a 45% hike on electricity generators—more than on oil and gas—which will hammer Scotland’s renewables sector.

I will give the Chancellor some opportunities to bring some cash into the UK Government’s coffers. The London School of Economics says that ending the non-dom status could bring in £3.2 billion of additional tax. Taxing dividends at the same rate as income from work would stand to raise more than £6 billion a year.

For some time now, big companies have been engaging in significant share buybacks. Oil and gas, financial services and other companies are using share buybacks because their mega-profits are more than they know what to do with. Those profits are not being invested in new development; they are simply being creamed off. It is estimated that FTSE 100 firms are now due to return £55.5 billion to their shareholders via share buybacks this year.

The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that a one-off 25% windfall tax on share buybacks of FTSE-listed companies could raise £11 billion in a single year. Even if companies were discouraged from buying back shares under the scheme, it would lead to higher reinvestment in development rather than profits. Why would the Chancellor pass up such an economic opportunity?

The Chancellor should also grow the tax base by increasing immigration and improving the lot of those who have already done us the significant honour of coming to live, work and study in our communities. We should thank them, not tell them they are not welcome. It is beyond time that the UK had a sensible, grown-up conversation about immigration. We on the SNP Benches are clear that immigration is an economic good. The OBR forecasts that higher net migration reduces pressures on Government debt over time. The Chancellor should consider that.

Finally, I come to the policy that unites all the Unionist parties in this House: Brexit. The Tories, Labour, the Lib Dems—all Brexiteers now, fully committed to this futile project of deliberate self-destruction. Dr Swati Dhingra of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee told the Treasury Committee yesterday:

“It’s undeniable now that we’re seeing a much bigger slowdown in trade in the UK”

than in the rest of the world. Wages are lower, business investment is lower, and the UK is underperforming in both imports and exports. That political choice has brought us here today, to the Chancellor’s decisions, which will affect us all but will hit the least well off the very hardest.

The economist Michael Saunders said this week:

“If we hadn’t had Brexit, we probably wouldn’t be talking about an austerity budget”.

Put that on the side of a bus.

Scotland did not vote for this. We did not choose austerity and we did not choose Brexit. The OBR says that living standards are to fall by 7% over the next two years. It ought to be of no surprise to anybody that just shy of half of Scots think the UK will not exist in its current form in the next five years. This is a UK so weak that no one would wish to join it. Scotland cannot be forced to stay in broke, broken Brexit Britain.

22/11/2022
Harriett Baldwin – 2022 Comments on Jeremy Hunt’s Financial Statement

The comments made by Harriett Baldwin, the Conservative MP for West Worcestershire, in the House of Commons on 17 November 2022.

Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)

It is good to see the return of the forecast from the official Office for Budget Responsibility. We all remember why a Conservative Government had to set it up. We will have the OBR in front of our Committee next Tuesday, when we can question the underlying assumptions of the forecast.

I welcome the fact that the Chancellor confirmed today that his announcements go with the grain of what the Bank of England is trying to do in bringing down inflation. That surely is the most important economic challenge for our country at the moment. But can he elaborate a bit more on his thinking? He has tasked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with helping back into work those who have left the workforce and he has announced welcome support for those on the welfare system of £900 next year. Can he talk us through his thinking on some of those cliff edges and incentives to work?

Jeremy Hunt

I welcome my hon. Friend to her chairmanship of the Select Committee; I know she will do a brilliant job. She makes an important point. It is essential that we work hand in glove with the Bank of England to bring down inflation. Today, the OBR confirmed that inflation is lower because of the decisions we take. She is right to focus on the worrying increase in the economically inactive, which is not just causing supply chain problems for businesses, but driving inflation. That is why we are lucky to have an excellent Work and Pensions Secretary who will make this his top priority in the work he is doing for the Prime Minister and who will bring his conclusions to this House as soon as possible.

22/11/2022