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Tag: Grant Shapps

  • Grant Shapps – 2020 Statement on Heathrow Expansion

    Grant Shapps – 2020 Statement on Heathrow Expansion

    Below is the text of the speech made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 27 February 2020.

    Our airports are national assets and their expansion is a core part of boosting our global connectivity. This in turn will drive economic growth for all parts of this country, connecting our nations and regions to international markets, levelling up our economy and supporting a truly global Britain.

    We are also a Government who are committed to a greener future. This Government are acting to tackle climate change and we are the first major economy in the world to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050.​

    The Court of Appeal ruled today that when designating the airports national policy statement, which was backed by Parliament, the previous Government did not take account of the Paris agreement, non-CO 2 emissions and emissions post 2050.

    We have always been clear that Heathrow expansion is a private sector project which must meet strict criteria on air quality, noise and climate change, as well as being privately financed, affordable, and delivered in the best interest of consumers. The Government have taken the decision not to appeal this judgment. The promoters of the scheme will be able to seek permission from the Supreme Court to appeal if they wish.

    As part of its judgment, the Court has declared that the airports national policy statement is of no legal effect unless and until the Government carries out a review under the Planning Act 2008. The Court’s judgment is complex and requires careful consideration. We will set out our next steps in due course.

    We want Britain to be the best place in the world to do business and as a Government we are committed to investing in transport and wider infrastructure as part of levelling up economic opportunities across the country, including investing in the strategic road network, proceeding with HS2, and committing £5 billion of funding to improve bus and cycle services outside London.

    We fully recognise the importance of the aviation sector for the whole UK economy. The UK’s airports support connections to over 370 overseas destinations in more than 100 countries facilitating trade, investment and tourism. It facilitates £95.2 billion of UK’s non-EU trade exports; contributes at least £14 billion directly to GDP; supports over half a million jobs and underpins the competitiveness and global reach of our national and our regional economies. Under our wider “making best use” policy, airports across the UK are already coming forward with ambitious proposals to invest in their infrastructure.

    We are committed to working closely with the sector to meet our climate change commitments. Our global aviation emissions offsetting scheme, sustainable aviation fuels, greenhouse gas removal technology and eventually, electric net-zero planes, will all help play their part in the aviation sector decarbonising. We also welcome Sustainable Aviation’s Industry-led commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the range of innovative action this will unlock to achieve this outcome. We are investing nearly £2 billion into aviation research and technology, and this year my Department will publish an ambitious plan of actions setting out how we will decarbonise transport and support the UK achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

    It is critical that vital infrastructure projects, including airport expansion, drive the whole UK economy, level up our regions, and unite our country.

  • Grant Shapps – 2020 Statement on Northern Rail

    Grant Shapps – 2020 Statement on Northern Rail

    Below is the text of the speech made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 9 January 2020.

    Passengers in the north have had to put up with unacceptable services for too long. We understand how frustrating this has been for people and we are taking action to make sure that performance improves.

    On 16 October 2019 I informed the House, through the Transport Committee, that I had issued a request for a proposal to the current Northern franchisee, Arriva Rail North (ARN) and to the operator of Last Resort as the first phase of securing options for the continuation of passenger services on the Northern franchise. This was triggered by concern over the financial position of ARN.

    It has now been confirmed to me from the most recent available financial information that the franchise will only be able to continue for a number of months. The proposal I requested from ARN is being evaluated. Following completion of this process I will consider whether to award ARN a short-term management contract or whether to ask the Department of Transport’s own operator of Last Resort to step in and deliver passenger services. Longer-term decisions on the franchise will be made in the light of the recommendations of the Williams Rail Review.

    My decision on which short-term option to choose will be made in accordance with the key principles set out in the statement on how I use my rail franchising powers. This includes:

    – protecting the interests of passengers

    – ensuring business and service continuity

    – preserving the interests of taxpayers by ensuring value for money

    – the continued quality of the franchise proposition;

    In order to inform this decision, the Department will assess the extent to which each option performs against these principles. Our value for money assessment will be based on a number of criteria, including which option returns most money to the taxpayer, the risks attached to each, and the value of any improvements in passenger services. I intend to announce my decision before the end of January 2020.

    To clarify, the current financial position of the Northern franchise will not impact on the railway’s day-to-day operations. Services will continue to run and there will be no impact on staff.

  • Grant Shapps – 2019 Speech to Conservative Party Conference

    Below is the text of the speech made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on 30 September 2019.

    Conference, firstly, as Secretary of State for Transport it’s my duty to thank the Civil Aviation Authority, staff across Government, but in particular employees of Thomas Cook for helping to deliver the largest peacetime repatriation in this country’s history.

    They carried on, getting people home, even when their jobs were uncertain.

    I know communities have come together and that…

    With support from Government…

    Where jobs have been lost, people will rebuild.

    Nowhere more so then here in Manchester…

    A city that has come together in adversity so many times.

    So conference, please join me in thanking everyone involved, for working so hard…for bringing people home safely.

    —

    Conference…

    We are driving the modernisation of our country’s infrastructure….

    As is evident here in the North West.

    From improving the M60 here in Manchester…

    To tackling congestion and unlocking new homes in Preston.

    And in the North-East, I know how Ben Houchen is working hard to deliver a new Tees crossing.

    Across the country, our road building plan will reduce journey times, drive local growth and cut carbon emissions.

    We’re also improving local bus links …

    And today we’re setting out our £220 million package to improve services.

    When it comes to railways, Conference, I could try to impress you with the record amount we’re investing – that’s £48 billion, over 5 years.

    Whilst pushing ahead with Northern Powerhouse Rail.

    But, as a frustrated commuter myself, I know what passengers really want is for the trains to simply run on time…

    It’s why one of my first acts as in this job was to prioritise punctuality.

    Surprisingly, until last month, a train was considered on time if it was up to 5 or even 10 minutes late.

    I’ve challenged this. Now a train will be considered late if it is more than a minute behind schedule.

    And as the stats show, there’s a lot of work to do.

    In fact, as Transport Secretary, I’m now in the only job in Government where I routinely find myself apologising to others for them arriving late to my meetings.

    But conference, to achieve excellence we must be honest. The current railway is not working as we want.

    Since privatisation we’ve doubled passenger numbers, they’re travelling many more miles and there are record levels of investment…

    But as the 2018 timetable debacle showed, when things go wrong, it’s not obvious who’s in charge.

    That’s why rail expert Keith Williams is reviewing how we should organise the railways in the future.

    And I’m determined to ensure his reforms deliver for passengers.

    A better coordinated railway, pulling in the same direction, to get trains arriving on time…

    And when things do go wrong? We’ll know precisely whose job it is to fix it.

    Because in 2019, in the city once served by Stephenson’s Rocket, it’s frankly absurd we’re still working out how to run our trains.

    —

    But Conference, there’s no point being on time today, if we damage our tomorrow.

    As we improve our infrastructure, we must protect our planet.

    Now, some call for us to make sacrifices.

    To save the planet, they want you to stop travelling…

    To backtrack on economic growth…

    To live a little less.

    As Conservatives, we know the route to sustainable living is through stronger environmental protection, new technology and the market.

    Consider the acceleration in electric car use, for example.

    As I drove up to Manchester in my family’s electric car, I found it easier than ever to plug-in and charge up…

    That’s because there are now more charging locations than petrol stations.

    But we must go further to protect our environment and improve our competitive edge…

    As you may know, we’ve already committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

    However, if we’re to become the world-leader in green technology, we must always be looking to expand our ambitions.

    I’d therefore like to see government look again at the 2040 target, and thoroughly explore the case for bringing this date forward.

    The Government’s advisory Committee on Climate Change has said 2035 is a date for which we should aim.

    We will need to test the arguments and work in partnership with industry to examine how to proceed.

    Just as we rejuvenated our automotive sector in the 1980s, we’re going to work with our pioneering car sector to help them sell the next generation of vehicles around the world.

    Providing high-skilled jobs, utilising British know-how and ending dependence of fossil fuels

    —

    And just as we strive as Conservatives to preserve what we cherish for the next generation…

    So we know it’s our duty to do right by those in our society, no matter what their circumstances.

    Since becoming Secretary of State I’ve taken steps to boost transport accessibility…

    We expanded the Blue Badge scheme to those with so-called ‘invisible’ conditions like autism, dementia, Parkinson’s and arthritis.

    And, we’ve introduced the 16 to 17 travel card, giving young people half price travel so they can get to college or part-time work…

    —

    As Conservatives, we know that the person best placed to make decisions about your life, is you.

    Yet we also recognise that there is a role for Government, both providing a safety net and expanding opportunity.

    From Disraeli’s education reform to Mrs Thatcher’s Right to Buy…

    Government can deliver.

    And in transport: those canals and railways that saw us incubate the world’s first Industrial Revolution…

    Built with private funds, but often requiring legislation.

    We know that there is a role for Government enabling the ingenuity that has spurred so much of the prosperity we enjoy.

    Conference, our mission is clear…

    To build and run world-class, greener and more accessible transport infrastructure.

    But, my friends, to do this we’ve just got to Get Brexit Done…

    So we can invest in our NHS… level-up education spending… and deliver 20,000 more police.

    So come on, let’s come together, let’s work together and together let’s deliver for our United Kingdom.

    Thank you.

  • Grant Shapps – 2019 Statement on Thomas Cook

    Below is the text of the statement made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 25 September 2019.

    With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about the steps that the Government have been taking to support those affected by the collapse of Thomas Cook, particularly for the 150,000 passengers left abroad without a flight back and the 9,000 people here who have lost their jobs in the UK.

    This is a very sad situation. All parties considered options to avoid the company’s being put into administration. Ultimately, however, Thomas Cook and its directors themselves took the decision to place the company into insolvency proceedings, and it ceased trading at 2 am on Monday 23 September. I recognise that this is a very distressing situation for all those involved. I assure Members of the House that the Government are committed to supporting those affected, including by providing repatriation flights free of charge for all those people.

    We have been contingency planning for some time to prepare for this scenario, under Operation Matterhorn. The Government and the Civil Aviation Authority have run similar operations in the past and have been working hard to minimise the disruption to passengers and to try to assist Thomas Cook’s staff. Even with our preparations, and previous experience with Monarch, the task before us represents the largest peacetime repatriation ever undertaken in the UK. Some disruption and delay is therefore inevitable, and we ask for understanding, particularly for Thomas Cook’s staff, many of whom are still working, alongside the Government, to try to help ensure the safe return of their customers.

    For example, the media reported on the situation in Cuba overnight. That aircraft has now left this morning, and all the passengers from Cuba who were scheduled to come home today are on that flight.

    Normally, the CAA’s responsibility for bringing back passengers would extend only to customers whose trips are covered by the ATOL scheme. However, there would have been insufficient capacity worldwide in the aviation market to allow people whose trips were not covered by the ATOL scheme to book tickets independently and bring themselves home. Some passengers would have had to wait for perhaps a week or longer, and others would have suffered financial and personal hardship as they waited for another flight. In my view, that would have created further economic problems, with people unable to return to work and unable to be reunited with their families. With tens of thousands of passengers abroad and with no easy means of returning to the UK, I instructed the CAA to ensure that all those currently abroad were able to return, ATOL or non-ATOL.

    Due to the size, complexity and geographical scope of the Thomas Cook business, it has not been possible to replicate the airline’s own flying programme and its schedule. In the case of the Monarch collapse back in 2017, the CAA was able to source enough aircraft of the right size and the right types to closely match the airline’s own aircraft. But Thomas Cook was a much bigger airline, and it also provided a global network of package holidays; as a result, this operation has been much more challenging. Some passengers will be travelling home on commercial flights, where other airlines have available seats. I know that the whole House would want to thank all the airlines and ground staff who have offered assistance to Thomas Cook passengers in this difficult situation.

    I would like to update the House with the latest information and give hon. Members a sense of the scale of the operation that has been going on. We have put arrangements in place to bring back 150,000 people, across 50 different countries. That requires over 1,000 flights by CAA-chartered aircraft over the next two-week period. Passengers will be able to complete their holidays, so that they should not be leaving early, and should return on the day that they were intending to.

    So far, in the first two days of the operation, we have brought home nearly 30,000 of the 150,000 passengers, on over 130 dedicated CAA flights. We hope to repatriate a further 16,500 passengers today, on about 70 flights. I checked before I came to the House, and the operation is proceeding according to these amended schedules.

    So far, 95% of people have been repatriated to their original point of departure. Again, we have not been able to bring everybody back to the airport from which they left, because of the difference in size and shape of available aircraft. In the first two days, we have therefore provided onward travel for 2,300 passengers, and have arranged an additional fight from Gatwick to Glasgow to relocate passengers who have flown back to the wrong airport because of that scheduling issue.

    The CAA has reached out to over 3,000 hotels, issuing letters of guarantee to ensure that British holidaymakers can remain in the hotels in which they are booked, and that has been followed up by calls and contact from FCO officials.

    Over 50 overseas airports are involved—around the Mediterranean, in north Africa and in north America—and 11 UK airports are engaged in this programme. There have been over 100,000 calls to our customer service centres, and on the first day alone there were over 2 million unique visitors to the CAA’s dedicated website—thomascook.caa.co.uk—with close to 7 million page views. In total, 10 Government Departments and agencies have been involved, including the Department for Transport, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department for Work and Pensions, in London, and our extensive diplomatic and consular network in the affected countries.

    I have been hugely impressed, as the programme has been rolling out in the past couple of days. The response from everyone involved, including Thomas Cook passengers, has been generally positive, with many praising the CAA, local staff and government officials, even though there has been considerable disruption. For example, people have not been able to check in in advance, as they are used to doing these days, but have instead had to queue to check in for every single flight. That has caused some of the queues that we see on television. The programme has, though, been generally well organised and all those involved have been extremely professional.

    Despite these robust plans and their success so far, this is an incredibly distressing situation for all concerned. One of my top priorities remains helping those passengers abroad to get back to the UK and do so safely, but in addition to supporting passengers, we have been working across Government to ensure that the 9,000 former Thomas Cook employees in the UK and those overseas receive the support that they need. The decision by the Thomas Cook Group’s board has been deeply upsetting for employees, who are losing their jobs. DWP’s Jobcentre Plus rapid response service is in place, helping workers get back into employment. The Jobcentre Plus rapid response managers across the UK are ready to engage with the liquidators to start that vital work. Special arrangements are in place for UK employees who are owed redundancy pay and notice pay by their insolvent employer: the redundancy payments service in the Insolvency Service can pay statutory amounts owed to the former employees through the national insurance fund. I want to say more about that later, but I will do so in answer to questions.

    My colleague the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is establishing a cross-government taskforce to address the impact on employees and local communities. That will help to overcome barriers to attending training, securing a job or self-employment, such as by providing child care costs, tools, work clothes and travel costs.

    My colleagues and I have been in contact with those Members whose constituencies will have been hardest hit by these job losses, and have given assurances that we will work with the industry to offer what support we can. In fact, pretty much every hon. Member’s constituency is affected in some way, even if only through the number of people working in a single shop location.

    My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has written to the Financial Reporting Council to ensure that it prioritises, as a matter of urgency, an investigation into both the causes of the company’s failure and the conduct of its directors and auditors.

    I am also aware of the duty that this Government have to the taxpayer, and while affected passengers have been told they will not have to pay to be flown back to the UK, we have entered into discussions with third parties with a view to recovering some of the costs of this large operation. Around 60% of passengers have ATOL protection, and the CAA’s air travel trust fund will contribute proportionately to the costs of the repatriation, as well as refunding ATOL future bookings. We will also look to recoup some of the costs from the relevant credit and debit card providers and travel insurers, and will look to recover costs from other travel providers through which passengers may have booked their Thomas Cook holiday. We are also in discussion with the Official Receiver to understand what costs can be recouped through the company’s assets.

    The final cost of the operation to repatriate Monarch passengers back in 2017 was about £50 million, including ATOL contributions. The repatriation effort for Thomas Cook is now known to be about twice the size and is more complicated, for reasons that I have explained.

    I have also seen it suggested in the press that the Government should have avoided the collapse with a bail-out of up to £250 million for the company and shareholders. Given the perilous state of the business, including the company’s own reported £1.5 billion half-year loss which was reported in May and followed by a further profit warning in November, this simply was not the case, with no guarantee that an injection would have secured the future of the company. Our concern was that if we put in £250 million, we would risk throwing away good money after bad and still having to pay the cost of this repatriation. It is quite clear that in the last several years the company ran into a number of problems by trying to expand itself through investing more in the high street rather than less, while the entire market was moving in the opposite direction.

    The loss of an iconic British brand with a 178-year history—one of the oldest travel companies in the world—is an extremely sad moment. However, this should not be seen as a reflection on the general health of the UK aviation industry, which continues to thrive. Passenger numbers are actually up, and people are traveling more. However, the truth is that the way people book their holidays has changed an enormous amount over the years, but it did not change as much within the company. None of this should distract us from the distress experienced by those businesses reliant on Thomas Cook, by passengers and by Thomas Cook employees who, as I have said, have worked above and beyond, particularly in recent days during this distressing situation.

    We have never had the collapse of an airline or a holiday company on this scale before, but we have responded swiftly and decisively. Right now, our efforts are rightly focused on getting those passengers home and looking after those employees who have lost their jobs, but we also need to understand whether any individuals have failed in their duties of stewardship within the company. Our efforts will then turn to working through the reforms necessary to ensure that passengers do not find themselves in this ridiculous situation again. We need to look at the options within ATOL, and also to ascertain whether it is possible for airlines to be wound down in a more orderly manner. They need to look after their customers, and we need to be able to ensure that their planes can keep flying so that we do not end up having to set up a shadow airline for no matter what period of time. This is where we will focus our efforts in the next couple of weeks, but in order to do this we will require primary legislation and, dare I say it, a new Session of Parliament.

    In what has been a challenging time, I want to put on record my appreciation for the work of all those involved in this effort, particularly Richard Moriarty, the chief executive officer of the CAA. He and his team, and my officials in the Department for Transport, have done an extraordinary job so far. I am also grateful for the support of others, including the Mayor of Manchester, who has acknowledged the Government’s repatriation effort and its work with all the agencies involved in helping to get people home. This has been an unprecedented response to an unprecedented situation, and I am grateful to all the parties who have stepped in to support these efforts. I commend this statement to the House.

  • Grant Shapps – 2013 Speech on the Labour Party

    Below is the text of the speech made by Grant Shapps on 31st July 2013.

    I know the summer is not a traditional time for political speeches…

    …so apologies for rousing you from your deck chairs…

    …but there is a certain urgency to what I want to say and less than two years left to get this message across.

    Since the beginning of this parliament, we’ve been working relentlessly to sort out the mess…

    We’ve cut a third off the deficit…

    … created 1.3million jobs in the private sector…

    … and cut tax for 25million working people.

    We’re supporting a nation that wants to get on.

    Making tough decisions now…

    …so that we can help not just this generation…

    …but the next.

    That’s the story so far.

    But what if the next five years told a very different tale?

    I’d like you to imagine for a moment that it’s the day after polling day…

    … the 8th May 2015.

    The sun is rising over the Thames…

    … the longest night of the political calendar is over…

    … and a new government is formed.

    History in the making.

    As the city starts another day, a car travels up Whitehall.

    In it are Ed Miliband…

    …and Ed Balls.

    Len McCluskey’s there too, of course…

    … After all, he paid for that car…

    … chose the passengers…

    … and put fuel in the tank…

    …In every sense, the back seat driver.

    Now, as the car slowly approaches the gates of Downing Street.

    The Skycopter hovers above…

    … capturing live the unthinkable nightmare that so many have dreaded.

    Yes – that’s right.

    After years of fighting off their radical left-wing policies…

    …And despite a gruelling, hard-fought campaign stretching back a generation…

    …It’s finally over for the Blairites

    Because they know, as we do…

    …how the bungling premiership of Miliband, driven by Balls, would inevitably pan out.

    And so I invite you to imagine…

    …if indeed your power of creativity can stretch this far…

    …that it’s the two Eds’ first day on the job.

    One man and his tempestuous Chancellor.

    A new day has dawned, has it not?

    You can picture the scene for yourself…

    Weak Ed Miliband cuts short his first bilateral to hurriedly address the irate calls of his Chancellor…

    …that it was a skinny latte, not a cappuccino that he ordered.

    And imagine Miliband sigh as the Downing Street switch connects the soon-to-be Lord McCluskey of Anfield…

    …with his third set of policy demands for the day…

    Because after all those rigged MP selections…

    …And the tens-of-millions of pounds in union funding…

    …Today – is payday for Unite…

    …And it’s gonna come with 1,000% interest.

    Because now, it’s starting to sink in for Ed…

    … he’ll be lucky if he gets to choose his own sandwich at lunchtime…

    …let alone his Cabinet.

    Meanwhile – there’s Ed Balls…

    Yes, think for a moment of Ed Balls.

    There he is next door…

    …unpacking his portrait of Gordon to hang on the wall…

    …and already thinking about measuring up for the Number 10 curtains…

    …As the country braces itself to relive the torrid nightmare of a Chancellor…

    …who is once again demanding to know…

    …when it will be his turn.

    On that first day they waste no time in enacting their manifesto.

    And it’s a package that comes with a sense of inevitability…

    Since Labour have already committed to billions more in unfunded spending this year alone…

    … in government, the deficit quickly begins to grow…

    …foreign investors soon take fright…

    …and mortgage rates – for millions of ordinary people – start to rise.

    In opposition, Labour opposed all the changes to tighten border controls.

    They’ve even proposed going further – planning a higher target for immigration.

    So back in government, immigration goes up…

    …bringing new pressure to our public services…

    … and fresh strains on health, housing and education.

    In Opposition Labour have opposed…

    …every single measure introduced to fix the welfare state.

    So in addition to reversing our own measures…

    …Messrs Miliband and Balls follow through on Labour’s pledge…

    …to make benefits a human right.

    Now, I’m not making this up –

    … Labour has actually been working on this policy…

    Which, taken to its logical conclusion…

    …could allow prisoners – serving a life sentence at Her Majesty’s Pleasure…

    …To be entitled to housing benefit.

    As they…and thousands more…

    …exploit the Human Rights Act…

    …to secure their newfound human rights to claim welfare, regardless of personal circumstances…

    … The implications for public finance are immense.

    Gone the fairness brought to the welfare system…

    … gone the incentive to get back into employment…

    … and gone the assurance that work will always pay

    Forget the cost to the state…

    …or to hardworking taxpayers…

    …because with the Welfare Party…

    …benefits always come first.

    But they’re not done yet…

    Next up, they implement their pledge…

    …to get rid of medical professionals examining care standards in our hospitals.

    As if to learn nothing from the NHS tragedies of Morecambe Bay…

    …or the appalling conditions at Mid Staffs…

    …Labour once again hand the most crucial role in patient safety…

    …back to those with no qualifications whatsoever in healthcare.

    So – they’ve returned uncertainty to the Health Service…

    They’ve brought the benefits system to its knees…

    … they’ve spent more…

    …borrowed more…

    …and created more debt.

    And after a while, these decisions –

    …real choices that Labour have committed to or worked up during this parliament…

    …come back to bite them…

    …and the rest of us.

    Imagine the concern of hardworking people…

    …as their council tax bill doubles – just as it did under the last Labour government …

    … leaving those on fixed incomes – like the elderly – financially vulnerable.

    And imagine the angst of parents as they start to attack – and close down – popular Free Schools…

    even though people in their own party – like Lord Adonis – have praised them as some of the country’s best.

    Meanwhile, as the deficit creeps back up to double digits…

    … the Paris based Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development issue a bleak warning on the state of Britain’s economy…

    …With the economic news worsening, in scenes reminiscent of some of our Eurozone neighbours…

    … the International Monetary Fund meets in Washington to draft its UK bailout demands.

    A nation is pushed to the brink once more…

    … Britain firmly back in the danger zone.

    Yet inside Downing Street the mood is only worsened…

    …by the endless television rounds of Lord Mandelson…

    …keen to offer his view.

    As they say in the Labour party –

    Things Can Only Get Better…

    …if only because they’d struggle to get any worse.

    Right, I think that’s enough dystopian torture for one day…

    So let’s get back to reality.

    While we’ve been working to get Britain back on track…

    Labour are on the wrong side of every major argument.

    They said that, under this government, crime would soar…

    … It hasn’t.

    … Crime has fallen by 10%.

    They said there’d be a double – or was that triple – dip recession…

    … There wasn’t.

    We now know the only actual recession took place under Labour –

    … and at 7.2% it was the biggest in this nation’s history.

    They said the private sector wouldn’t create jobs –

    … meaning a million more unemployed by today…

    … But they were wrong…

    … private sector employment is at an all-time high.

    The sad fact is, Labour loves doing Britain down.

    In every case it’s almost as if they’ve been willing the country to fail…

    You could almost sense palpable disappointment for Ed Balls just last week…

    … as, through gritted teeth, he acknowledged stronger than expected growth.

    It’s the single biggest difference between our outlooks.

    We can see a vision of this country beyond the boom and bust of Brown.

    A future where we continue to generate employment…

    …adding to those 1.3million jobs created in the private sector.

    A future where we drive up apprenticeships…

    …adding to the record number created since 2010.

    … And a future where we help businesses trade around the globe…

    …continuing record rises in exports to China, India and Brazil.

    We recognise that times have changed.

    And as a nation we can harness the opportunities this brings to our citizens.

    Take the humble phone in your pocket for example…

    Just a few years ago it was good for making an emergency phone call.

    Or perhaps sending a text…

    But today here in Britain, there are more mobile phones than there are people…

    These sophisticated online devices are changing everything about our lives.

    The built-in cameras capture events…

    … as three-quarters of Britain’s 34m facebook users access their news-feeds through their mobiles…

    They enable us to share projects and thoughts through social media, no matter where we are.

    Now, we can just as easily access TV and Radio from across the globe…

    … as we can discover what’s happening in our own back yard.

    Just this month, new payment technology means that if you leave cash and your credit cards at home…

    …you can still pay by simply touching your phone on a contactless reader in quarter-of-a-million UK shops.

    You can bring colleagues together for meetings using Skype or Facetime – from London to Bejing.

    …Who here shares my appreciation of the phone’s flash – which doubles as a torch – when you’ve come home late and dropped your keys?

    … and this morning maybe you blamed your phone – rather than your alarm clock –

    …when you overslept and missed the Deputy Prime Minister’s press conference!

    Today it’s a reality that we carry the world around with us.

    Of course this raises all sorts of complex questions for society and public administration.

    But as a government, we must be at the epicentre of the opportunities this brings.

    That means removing the digital-divide for all our citizens…

    …with the most ambitious rollout of fibre-optic broadband in Europe.

    And the faster deployment of 4G, which just this week saw 15 UK cities upgraded to a staggering 60megabits per second…

    …that’s a high-definition film downloaded in just 3 minutes.

    It means helping young people fresh out of education to set up their own e-businesses…

    … backing world-beating innovation from aerospace to computing…

    …and hi-tech engineering to pharmaceuticals.

    Yet in this changed environment,

    Labour leaders remain inextricably bound up with the past.

    Their addiction to wholesale union funding means they maintain an old fashioned, skewed relationship with trade union barons…

    … demanding policies…

    … fixing candidates

    and installing their leader.

    It’s a dinosaur world, that time forgot…

    …which would lead to them governing in response to the demands of a few.

    Instead, we’re governing for the many…

    … unencumbered by narrow interest and restrictive practice.

    …We look to the advances and opportunities from technology…

    … to unleash new jobs in brand new industries.

    It’s part of our overall package to rebalance our economy and get Britain moving.

    But it’s something which the same old Labour party…

    … wedded to their old ways and beholden to their union paymasters – will never match.

    Now, the last few years have been a struggle for people in this country.

    But they’ve led the way in sacrifice to get this economy back on track.

    Of course, down the line they’ll hear the false promises of Labour’s soft options and easy credit.

    But this country has been there before…

    … and it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

    So today, I’m here to remind all of us –

    …that if we give up on our recovery now…

    …we’d be handing the keys right back to the people who crashed the economy in the first place.

    Same Old Labour…

    …forcing Brits to live the pain again.

    So on that morning of the 8th May 2015…

    …I want to make one thing certain.

    Ed Miliband and Ed Balls must drive past those gates of Downing Street – without turning in.

    They’re off to the commiseration party at Labour HQ.

    t’s a vision we need to make a reality.

    Because if we don’t see this through…

    We’ll be condemning our citizens to relive the austerity gains of the past few years.

    And if we do that – we’ll be letting Britain down.

    I’ve absolutely no intention of doing so…

    …and nor does this Prime Minister.

    hat’s why, during this summer, Cabinet colleagues will be outlining what we’ll be doing next.

    You’ll be hearing from our excellent Home Secretary Theresa May…

    … the redoubtable Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith…

    … and ministers from across the government.

    Because we’ve got to continue the bold steps to recovery…

    …so that we can go to the British people in two years’ time…

    …and ask for their permission to finish the job.

    And we won’t throw away a single minute…

    …not even a single second in getting our country back on track.

    So when parliament returns this September…

    It will be clearer than ever that we have the right programme to take this country forward.

    We’re determined to do what’s right for our nation in the long term, rather than what’s popular in the short.

    We’re advancing to a brighter and better future.

    Because we’re on the side of hardworking people the length and breadth of this country…

    …And we must not let them down.

    …because they are relying on us to succeed.

    Thank you.

  • Grant Shapps – 2010 Speech on Aspiration

    Below is the text of the speech made by Grant Shapps at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in London on 8th June 2010.

    Introduction

    Thank you to Robert Peto for your very kind introduction and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for hosting this event this morning.

    Last time I was here as Shadow Minister to launch a collection of my speeches.

    Old habits die hard – in a speech last week I made the mistake of calling myself the Shadow Housing Minister.

    As one of my staff cruelly pointed out – “Minister, you spent longer as a shadow than Cliff Richard!”

    But I’m finally here and it’s great to be able to talk to you today on a subject I am passionate about.

    Something that is at the heart and soul of this Government – aspiration.

    Aspiration

    Now, my predecessor famously said that falling levels of home ownership were ‘not such a bad thing’.

    I’ve asked RICS to host this event to make clear from the outset that I believe that home ownership is a very good thing.

    In fact I will work every day to help people achieve their aspirations to own their home.

    Of course I am not arguing that everyone should somehow aspire to home ownership.

    Renting a home can be a positive and flexible choice.

    And social housing provides a sense of security for millions of families.

    I am simply saying to those who aspire to own their own home –

    This Government will support you.

    You will not be ignored.

    The age of aspiration is back!

    There are an estimated 1.4 million households who aspire to own a home but are unable to do so because of house prices and mortgage availability.

    There are hundreds of thousands of people in rented accommodation, or living with parents, who yearn to be first time buyers.

    It is now true that the average age of first time buyer (with no support from their family) is 37.

    Now that 37 year old is not asking for a hand-out they just want a chance.

    We need to give them that opportunity.

    Sound economic management

    The best thing we can do for the all-important First Time Buyer is to get the economy back onto a sound footing.

    This Coalition is prepared to take the tough decisions needed to make that happen.

    The Prime Minister said yesterday that his number one priority is to deal with the country’s massive deficit.

    As he put it; if we don’t, we run the risk of much higher interest rates. But it’s not just that they will be higher:

    It’s that they’ll climb faster – and further – and sooner and stay high for longer – if we don’t act immediately.

    We’ve made a good start with over £6 billion in savings for this year. George Osborne is sending a strong signal to the markets that we’re very serious about tackling head on the huge financial challenges we face.

    We will need to work together across the housing market – builders and surveyors, lenders and brokers, Regulators and agents – to ensure that the conditions which created the housing bubbles of the past are never repeated.

    But there are still difficult adjustments to be made and I know that market confidence remains fragile.

    There is a risk that the market may not respond to changing conditions quickly enough, leaving creditworthy borrowers still out in the cold.

    I see responsible lending and responsible borrowing as two sides of the same coin.

    Borrowers will need to demonstrate financial responsibility and show that they can sustain homeownership.

    In return lenders will need to support creditworthy homeowners. I know the housing market is still fragile but we in Government will do all we can to help.

    We’ve already taken quick and decisive action to make HIPs history.

    Expensive and bureaucratic Home Information Packs increased the cost and hassle of selling homes. We have ripped up red-tape that was strangling the Housing Market recovery.

    A move that has already started to have an impact – the number of homes coming to market immediately jumping by a third.

    The Coalition Government has also agreed to promote shared ownership schemes and help social tenants and others to own or part-own their home.

    Housebuilding

    But if we are really serious about supporting people’s aspiration for home ownership, the real prize is we must build more homes.

    In that booklet of speeches I launched here earlier this year, I sympathised with my predecessors in this job, saying:

    Ordered to deliver 3m homes by 2020 – it was just a race against time for this week’s hapless housing minister to make something … anything …happen … before the inevitable reshuffle.

    So higher targets … louder diktats … a bigger stick and more legislation to create strange sounding Quangos designed to deliver on the Government’s housing targets … RSS’s … the HCA … RDAs … EEDA … SEDA … EERA … NERA.

    As the latest housing minister pulled the levers of state, he or she pushed the people further away.

    And now, I am that Minister with my hand on the levers.

    And I’m determined to deliver.

    So in place of those meaningless targets – we will introduce powerful incentives.

    In place of centralisation – I will devolve power.

    In place of expensive Quangos – we will trust people.

    I’m going to release those centralised levers that don’t work anyway – and as I do, I am certain an extraordinary thing will happen.

    The more power we give away – the more people will act to generate real change.

    For the first time incentives will create direct benefits for local communities. Bringing jobs, investment and yes – more homes for local people.

    Rather than being told what to build and where – residents of villages, towns and cities will be able to develop their own vision for their place.

    We’ll introduce Local Housing Trusts. Enabling communities to create new housing for local people.

    We understand that the transition to a more open, transparent and democratic planning system is not entirely anxiety-free for many involved.

    But we know that there is no future in this centrally planned system which has so dramatically failed, delivering fewer homes now than during any peacetime year since 1924.

    By unleashing the aspirations of communities as well as individuals to build homes where and when they are needed, we will bring about greater certainty.

    Certainty that will replace the conflict caused by imposing housing numbers from right here in Whitehall.

    Certainty that will give investors confidence to invest.

    Conclusion

    The last thing we need is a return to the house price boom and bust of recent years.

    Falling prices are bad for homeowners and builders alike, whilst soaring prices freeze out first time buyers.

    So, we need to build more homes and entrench sensible lending practices so that, in the long run, houses will become more affordable.

    That’s our aim: a stable housing market that gives both home buyers and builders a solid base to invest for the future.

    Homeownership has provided personal and financial security to millions of people in the UK, including (I am almost certain) the majority of this audience.

    I do not believe that it is right to deny the benefits of homeownership, that we have enjoyed, to the next generation.

    And this new Government is not in the business of pouring cold water on people’s aspirations.

    Of course I know many analysts predict further short or medium-term falls in homeownership.

    And given the appalling financial legacy left to us – they could be right.

    But it is not good enough to simply say “this may be a good thing.”

    I believe that it is human nature to aspire to shelter and security – and for the many that means owning the roof over your own head.

    And I don’t consider it my job as Housing Minister to hold those aspirations back.

    With a new Government and despite the enormous financial difficulties the country faces I want to state clearly today:

    “The Age of Aspiration is back.”