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Tag: 2022

  • Jerome Mayhew – 2022 Speech on the Government’s “Plan for Growth”

    Jerome Mayhew – 2022 Speech on the Government’s “Plan for Growth”

    The speech made by Jerome Mayhew, the Conservative MP for Broadland, in the House of Commons on 19 October 2022.

    If we have learned one thing from the experience of the past few weeks, it is that there really is no magic money tree, and the Government really do have to pay their way. Some of us, including myself, had started to doubt that essential economic truth because of the Government’s heroic response to the covid crisis.

    I had intended to say that we had supported the families and businesses of this country to the tune of £400 billion. However, I listened to the Minister at the Dispatch Box, and when we add up all the unplanned borrowing very substantially as a result of covid, the total is actually £630 billion. It is because of that enormous intervention to support families and businesses by this Government that we did not have thousands of bankruptcies and millions of people cast out of work, as was the expectation. Right hon. and hon. Members will recall a forecast that we would have 12% unemployment, but because of the economic management by this Government the impact was cushioned and the economy protected from that enormous external shock.

    The Government were quite right to do that, but why were they able to? It was because of the decade of prudent economic management that repaired the enormous economic damage left by Labour in 2010—prudent decisions that Labour fought against tooth and nail. The Labour motion before us calls for a plan to make the economy work for working people, but Labour does not stand up for working people. Every Labour Government in history, without exception, have left office with more people out of work than before. Their policies, again and again, are not the policies for working people, but the policies of unemployment.

    Compare that record with that of this Government. Despite suffering the biggest economic shock to the world economy in a century or perhaps longer, unemployment has not gone up, as it always does under Labour. It has gone down, most recently to 3.5%, the lowest level since I was a tiny boy in 1974. In my Broadland constituency, the rate is even lower. That economic management is forcing employers to offer higher wages for staff—exactly the kind of economic conditions that help workers, particularly the lowest paid. It also serves to increase productivity, as local employers invest to limit the number of staff needed to produce. That is what will pay for the wage increases of the future, not Labour meddling.

    I recognise, as does the Prime Minister, that the mini Budget went too fast and too far, and she has rightly apologised for it, but this Government have the right economic policies for growth. As one of the few entrepreneurs in this place, having helped to create hundreds of worthwhile, well-rewarded jobs and careers, I know the truth of the business saying that time kills deals. Speeding up the ability of businesses to get projects up and running will have a huge impact on the future growth and prosperity of this country.

    The Government are right to launch investment zones. These zones do not just corral investment into a particular area; by speeding up the process of business, they will also grow the size of the pie. I hope that the results will be so striking that over time they will become a beacon for wider economic policy, showing the way for the rest of the economy.

    The Government are also right to accelerate productivity-enhancing infrastructure projects across Britain to help with levelling up, including the building of the western link road in my constituency, which will shorten ambulance times by 20 minutes, open up a swathe of Norfolk businesses to improved market access and relieve the residents of Weston Longville and others from terrible rat-running—all opposed by Labour, I might add. As for the local Lib Dems, literally half of them have said they want it and the other half have said they do not. That says it all about the approach of the Liberal Democrats: to say whatever they think will sound good to local constituents, with no consistency at all.

    Finally, the Government are right to speed up the review of EU-inspired regulations to make them bespoke for the United Kingdom economy. That will help British businesses and British workers. This Government have an economic record to be proud of, and I would back them to the hilt over Labour any day.

  • Paula Barker – 2022 Speech on the Government’s “Plan for Growth”

    Paula Barker – 2022 Speech on the Government’s “Plan for Growth”

    The speech made by Paula Barker, the Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, in the House of Commons on 19 October 2022.

    Government Members should not think for one second that the Opposition will relent from holding them to account for this dog’s dinner, which is entirely of their own making. Like a broken record, the lame duck Prime Minister cites global economic headwinds, refusing to take any responsibility for the decisions that brought the British economy to the edge of disaster.

    We have a Prime Minister in office but not in power, humiliated and bereft of ideas. Her manifesto drawn up by the libertarian right and the Institute of Economic Affairs has been cut to ribbons. The dogma espoused in “Britannia Unchained” must never again be allowed to reign supreme in Whitehall. In fact, the ideas must be consigned to the dustbin of history.

    Now the Prime Minister has brought back an old foe, who underfunded our NHS for years, to implement austerity 2.0, and once again it will be communities like mine in Liverpool, Wavertree who suffer. This is a Tory crisis, and the damage has been done: an estimated 14,344 people in Liverpool will be paying higher mortgage bills next year as a result of this Government’s irresponsible actions. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor now admit that the mini-Budget caused mortgage rates to go up and borrowing costs to surge—a Tory cost we will be living with for years.

    Working people have gone through enough. Now they are told that, to re-establish market stability, the responsibility is being shifted from the Government on to households, communities and working people. It all feels very 2011. Some are even saying that a previous Chancellor, the former Member for Tatton, is pulling the strings. The new Chancellor embodies a very different type of dogma from the Prime Minister’s, but it is dogma nevertheless—a school of economics that saw us enter the coronavirus pandemic with public services under-resourced and under-prepared.

    Feryal Clark

    Does my hon. Friend agree that it is not just public services, but local councils such as mine in Enfield, which faces a £100 million budget gap due to spiralling inflation, that are paying the price for this Government’s mismanagement of the economy?

    Paula Barker

    My hon. Friend makes a pivotal point. Local authorities have been cut to the bone. They provide valuable resources and frontline services out in our communities, but they are being decimated yet again by this Government. Our public sector workforce is demoralised after a decade of pay restraint and cuts to frontline services.

    If this Government think for one moment that our people will now put up with more of the same while bankers’ bonuses remain uncapped and millionaire bosses continue to rake in profits and dividends, they are sadly mistaken. The British people have woken up to the con. No longer does the promise ring true that each succeeding generation will have it better than the last. That promise, forged in the fire of the post-war consensus, is now in ruins after decades of short-termism and the dominance of capital over labour. We are not all in this together. Not once since 2010 have we all been in this together. Despite the empty rhetoric of a strong economy and levelling up, the Conservative party has always sought to look after its own class interests at the expense of the rest of us.

    Young people in my Liverpool, Wavertree constituency now face their lives being put on hold because of this Government’s incompetence. They have done the right thing: they have gone out, worked hard and saved, only to be cheated and denied the opportunity of home ownership. Working people are up against real-terms cuts to their pay and our elderly are anxious about heating their homes in the run-up to winter. There is even more uncertainty for small businesses and charities, such as the amazing Love Wavertree in my constituency, which does incredible work. It announced today that the increase in its energy bills means it must consider whether it can continue to run its community shop, a lifeline for many people in my constituency.

    History will not be kind to this Government, nor to anyone who has participated over the past 12 years. The Conservative party is lost. Thankfully, change is coming. As the Leader of the Opposition said so eloquently at Prime Minister’s questions today, we are the Government in waiting; the Conservative party are the Opposition in waiting. Frankly, that cannot come quickly enough.

  • Steve Double – 2022 Speech on the Government’s “Plan for Growth”

    Steve Double – 2022 Speech on the Government’s “Plan for Growth”

    The speech made by Steve Double, the Conservative MP for St Austell and Newquay, in the House of Commons on 19 October 2022.

    I think we all knew that whoever was Prime Minister or Chancellor and in government at this particular time were going to face some really tough decisions. The fall-out from the pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine and a number of other domestic and global factors were going to mean that some really difficult decisions would have to be made around our economy and our fiscal policy. None the less, the one thing that we should all be able to depend on is that, no matter how difficult times are, the Government will not make those decisions even harder. Sadly, that is what has happened as a result of the rushed mini-Budget. The fall-out has been a loss of confidence—a loss of confidence in the markets and, talking to many local businesses in my constituency in the two weeks immediately after the mini-Budget, a great loss of confidence in the business community.

    Growth is a hard-won thing. We do not achieve growth simply by saying as loudly and passionately as possible that we are going to get growth. Growth needs to be nurtured with the right policies that instil confidence in the business community. It is therefore incredibly welcome, and I am incredibly thankful, that the new Chancellor has stepped up and taken a grip on the situation. I am also delighted to see my very good friend in the position of Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Between the two of them, I have great confidence that they will bring the grip and the leadership to the Treasury that is necessary to create the stability we now need to address this difficult situation. As a result, many elements of the original mini-Budget have now been dropped, and we await further details in the near future of exactly how the Government will now balance the books and lay out their policy going forward.

    However, we really need to know what the Prime Minister’s policies are. She made a number of very bold statements in her leadership campaign to become Prime Minister, most of which have now been dropped. It is very important that we have confidence that No.10 and No.11 are in lockstep at this challenging time and that they have the same policies, so we need the Prime Minister to confirm exactly what her policies are.

    We are aware that some very difficult decisions lie ahead but, in making those decisions, it is vital that we protect the most vulnerable in our society from the damage that has been caused. Those who are least able to shoulder the burden should not be required to pay the price for it. Therefore, it was incredibly welcome that the Prime Minister gave a clear statement at the Dispatch Box that the triple lock will remain in place for pensions. Pensioners in my constituency and across the country will welcome the reassurance that that triple lock will be in place and that they will get a rise in their pension in line with prices.

    It is vital to do a similar thing with benefits. The Government have done a lot of work over many years in reforming benefits. Universal credit pays people to be in work, and I have heard at first hand how popular it is, but it is right that those benefits keep pace with the increase in prices and that those on benefits are not the ones who pay the price of balancing the books.

    One measure that has survived the cull from the mini-Budget is the cut in stamp duty. Naturally, I am someone who welcomes a cut in stamp duty. However, Cornwall is currently in the middle of a major housing crisis. Experience from the previous cut in stamp duty during the pandemic showed that it fuelled demand for second homes and investment properties. That inflated house prices in Cornwall way higher than the national increase, meaning that even more local people are unable to afford to buy a house. If the Government are to press ahead with the stamp duty cut, will they ensure that it applies only to primary residences and that those who seek to buy second homes and investment properties for holiday lets are not able to attract the proposed cut? If the cut goes ahead, all we will do is fuel second home and investment property purchases in tourist areas such as Cornwall, making our housing crisis even worse. We need the Government to help us address that so that local people can get the housing they need. I ask the Ministers on the Front Bench to take that particular point away and look at it. Yes, a stamp duty cut is welcome to help people buying a home, particularly their first home, but it should not go to those who are buying second and subsequent homes.

    All in all, after a very difficult time, I am in a much better place and am confident that the new team in the Treasury has a grip on the situation and will provide the stability and leadership that we need. I look forward to hearing more details in due course of exactly what policies will be put in place.

  • Edward Leigh – 2022 Comments on Limiting Migration

    Edward Leigh – 2022 Comments on Limiting Migration

    The comments made by Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough, on Twitter on 20 October 2022.

    We must meet our manifesto commitment to stop mass migration. It’s no good replacing migration from the EU with migration from the rest of the world.

  • Yvette Cooper – 2022 Comments on the State of the Government

    Yvette Cooper – 2022 Comments on the State of the Government

    The comments made by Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, on Twitter on 20 October 2022.

    Cabinet appointed six weeks ago:

    Home Secretary sacked

    Chancellor sacked

    Chief Whip out then back

    Tory MPs fighting like rats in a sack

    Security, policing and borders are too important for this total chaos. Why should the country have to put up with this for a single day more?

  • Siobhan Baillie – 2022 Comments on the Fracking Vote

    Siobhan Baillie – 2022 Comments on the Fracking Vote

    The comments made by Siobhan Baillie, the Conservative MP for Stroud, on Twitter on 20 October 2022.

    Environmental issues are hugely important to my constituents. I abstained on the vote last night, knowing the potential consequences. For those asking whether I am still a Conservative MP – I don’t know but I hope so.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2022 Comments on Boris Johnson Returning as Prime Minister

    Nadine Dorries – 2022 Comments on Boris Johnson Returning as Prime Minister

    The comments made by Nadine Dorries, the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire, on Twitter on 20 October 2022.

    One person was elected by the British public with a manifesto and a mandate until January 2025.

    If Liz Truss is no longer Prime Minister there can be no coronation of previously failed candidates.

    MPs must demand return of Boris Johnson – if not it has to be leadership election or a General Election.

  • Anneliese Dodds – 2022 Comments on LGBT Rights

    Anneliese Dodds – 2022 Comments on LGBT Rights

    The comments made by Anneliese Dodds, the Chair of the Labour Party, on Twitter on 19 October 2022.

    Labour will:

    ▪️ ban all forms of conversion therapy
    ▪️ appoint an envoy to promote LGBT+ rights globally
    ▪️ modernise the Gender Recognition Act and protect the Equality Act

    Labour leading on LGBT+ rights. The Tories paralysed by chaos.

  • PRESS RELEASE : More than one million families claiming tax credits to receive second Cost of Living Payment from 23 November [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : More than one million families claiming tax credits to receive second Cost of Living Payment from 23 November [October 2022]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 20 October 2022.

    More than one million claimant families receiving tax credits, and no other means-tested benefits, will get their second Cost of Living Payment from Wednesday 23 November 2022, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed.

    This £324 government payment will be paid automatically into most eligible tax credit-only customers’ bank accounts between 23 and 30 November 2022 across the United Kingdom.

    Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, said:

    This second Cost of Living Payment will provide further financial support to eligible tax credit-only claimants across the UK.

    The £324 will be paid automatically into bank accounts, so people don’t need to do anything to receive this extra help.

    The second payment will see more than 8 million households across the UK receive their £324 cost of living cash boost by 30 November and follows the first cost of living payments of £326, which eligible families received from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) from July and HMRC from September.

    The government recently announced that households receiving DWP benefits will get their second Cost of Living Payment from 8 November continuing through to 23 November. This includes tax credit claimants who also receive other income-related benefits from DWP.

    HMRC is making payments shortly after DWP in order to avoid duplicate payments.

    This latest payment comes on top of wider government support with the cost of living this autumn and winter, including:

    • the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment, already paid to around 6 million disabled people
    • more than 8 million pensioner households who will receive an extra one-off £300 Winter Fuel Payment this year

    This is in addition to an extension to the Household Support Fund, which is providing an extra £421 million for use between October 2022 and March 2023 to help vulnerable people with the essentials. A £150 Council Tax rebate was sent earlier this year to those in Council Tax bands A to D in England, creating at least £1,200 in direct support for millions of households.

    A £400 reduction on energy bills is also being given to all domestic electricity customers over the coming months, and the Energy Price Guarantee is protecting households from significant rises in their energy bills this winter.

    The government is offering help for households. Customers should check GOV.UK to find out what cost of living support they could be eligible for.

  • PRESS RELEASE : England and Wales fans urged to follow World Cup travel tips – Qatar 2022 [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : England and Wales fans urged to follow World Cup travel tips – Qatar 2022 [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 October 2022.

    • FCDO issues six top tips to help travelling fans enjoy the tournament in Qatar
    • One month to go to the start of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup
    • England and Wales bosses Gareth Southgate and Rob Page encourage supporters to check out Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice

    With only one month to go until the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks off in Qatar, the FCDO has issued 6 top tips for travelling England and Wales fans. Following these tips will help fans avoid preventable problems and enjoy the tournament.

    Any Brit planning to attend the World Cup is advised to:

    • Prepare before you go. Our checklist has all the practical steps that fans need to think about before they head off to the tournament, from passport validity to health prescriptions.
    • Read our travel advice and sign up for e-mail alerts. World Cup-specific information can be found at gov.uk/qatar2022. Our Qatar travel advice is kept under constant review so fans should sign up for email alerts to stay up to date on the latest developments throughout the tournament.
    • Follow the entry requirements for Qatar. To enter Qatar, fans must have a Hayya Card (a form of fan ID), as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 result through a valid PCR or rapid antigen test certificate. Accommodation must be arranged before travelling out.
    • Get travel insurance. Without it, fans risk medical bills which may run to thousands of pounds. Fans should check that insurance covers them for all destinations, medical needs, COVID-19 costs and planned activities.
    • Know the do’s and don’ts. Qatari laws and customs are very different to those in the UK. There may be serious penalties for doing something that is not an offence in the UK. The availability of alcohol, and associated laws, will be different to previous tournaments.
    • Steer clear of drugs. Qatar takes a zero tolerance approach and visitors can expect a severe penalty for the possession of even residual amounts. Punishment can include lengthy custodial sentences.

    Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

    The countdown to the World Cup is on, with only a month to go until the action kicks off in Qatar.

    We want all travelling Brits to enjoy their World Cup experience, and they are more likely to do so if they prepare before they go.

    Following our six top tips and signing up to Qatar travel advice email alerts will help fans have the best possible time at the tournament.

    The FCDO is working closely with a range of partners, including the Football Associations, fan representatives and UK Police, to provide practical information and advice to travelling supporters.

    England Manager, Gareth Southgate said:

    I know how much our fans look forward to watching England at major tournaments.

    With only one month to go, I would suggest anyone travelling to the World Cup signs up for the UK Government’s travel alerts.

    As well as keeping them across all the information they need, they will get important tips too for getting the most out of following England away. We look forward to seeing them all at the finals.

    Wales Manager, Rob Page said:

    Everyone in Wales is looking forward to seeing Cymru in the World Cup, our first appearance in the competition since 1958.

    For those fans who are travelling to Qatar, we know how excited they are to be watching Cymru play at the tournament but it’s incredibly important that they keep up to date with the very latest information and advice.

    For the best possible experience, we advise our fans to sign-up to the Qatar travel advice email alerts.

    Ashley Brown, England Fan Embassy Team, part of the Football Supporters Association said:

    Travelling to World Cups always requires a level of planning for supporters to make sure we get the most out of a tournament – whether that’s match days, sightseeing or general safety.

    Qatar has very different laws to the UK and we’d encourage all fans to familiarise themselves with the FCDO’s six top tips and to follow the FSA for further supporter-specific updates.

    Paul Corkrey, Fan Embassy Wales said:

    This is our first World cup in a generation and we know the Welsh fans will be determined to enjoy the experience.

    It is a trip to the unknown but information is available and we urge the Red Wall to bookmark the FCDO travel advice website.

    The UK will have a consular presence in Qatar and across the region throughout the tournament. British nationals needing help or advice will be able to contact the FCDO by phone 24/7 on +44 (0)20 7008 5000 or by calling the Embassy locally on +974 4496 2000.  Fans in Qatar can access the Qatari emergency services by dialling 999.

    Fans planning to travel elsewhere in the region should check the travel advice for each location they plan to visit or transit through. Rules and requirements will vary from country to country.