http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/house_of_commons/
Guy Opperman (Hexham):
In 2012, 150,000 people petitioned this House to stop charitable air ambulances having to pay VAT on fuel. May I thank the Prime Minister for his actions in the 2014 Budget which will mean that more missions are flown and more lives are saved? Does he agree that this is possible only because we are using the LIBOR fines for good purposes and because we have a long-term economic plan?
The Prime Minister:
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I pay tribute to him because he is the founder and chair of the all-party group on air ambulances. He has campaigned tirelessly on this issue, and he led a debate in the House in 2012. I am delighted about the result that was achieved in the Budget. As he says, it will lead to an expansion of the service. He is also right that you can only make these decisions if you look after the nation’s resources, control public spending, and get the deficit down—in short, if you have a long-term economic plan.
Showing posts with label PMQs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PMQs. Show all posts
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
Monday, 31 March 2014
Westminster this coming week & I have a question at Prime Ministers Questions!
Question 15 at PMQs is the MP for Hexham! Very excited as only the 4th PMQ I have ever managed to secure in 4 years - as it is run on a pure ballot basis. Still working on the question, although there are several options.
Today I am meeting William Hague for an update on Crimea and Ukraine, along with the regular Monday Home Office meeting. We have the Finance Bill going through the Commons enacting the budget on Tuesday when we also have the last day of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill Committee - this has taken up a huge amount of my midweek time this last month and it will be a relief to be free to get back into the Commons.
Wednesday morning there is a debate on the FSA and the Connaught scandal - which I will attend to support Alun Cairns MP, who has secured the short 30 minute debate at 11am. Then after PMQs I will stay for the Opposition Day debate.
Thursday I have a number of constituents coming to Westminster and I will be using the day to try and catch up on your letters, casework and emails. I will also be trying to meet again with Sir David Higgins and the HS2 team.
Update: sadly the Connaught debate has been pulled by the Speaker and will be heard in a few weeks time.
Today I am meeting William Hague for an update on Crimea and Ukraine, along with the regular Monday Home Office meeting. We have the Finance Bill going through the Commons enacting the budget on Tuesday when we also have the last day of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill Committee - this has taken up a huge amount of my midweek time this last month and it will be a relief to be free to get back into the Commons.
Wednesday morning there is a debate on the FSA and the Connaught scandal - which I will attend to support Alun Cairns MP, who has secured the short 30 minute debate at 11am. Then after PMQs I will stay for the Opposition Day debate.
Thursday I have a number of constituents coming to Westminster and I will be using the day to try and catch up on your letters, casework and emails. I will also be trying to meet again with Sir David Higgins and the HS2 team.
Update: sadly the Connaught debate has been pulled by the Speaker and will be heard in a few weeks time.
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Francois Hollande - is he still Ed Miliband's "Bon Ami"?
"This new leadership is sorely needed as Europe seeks to escape from austerity … He has shown that the centre-Left can offer hope and win elections with a vision of a better, more equal and just world." Ed Miliband's words on President Hollande's election victory in 2012
France now sees negative growth in Q3, unemployment at 11 per cent and rising, 75% taxes, public spending as a percentage of GDP second-highest in the eurozone, unions kidnapping business leaders [I kid you not – see the Goodyear story], and I have totally ignored the President’s private life. Yesterday at PMQs things went from bad to worse for Ed with the last question of the day:
Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con):
"The Leader of the Opposition has said, “What Hollande is doing in France I want to do in Britain.” Given recent events across the channel, does my right hon. Friend agree that that is completely at odds with our long-term economic plan?"
The Prime Minister:
"I did not catch all of President Hollande’s press conference yesterday, because I was appearing in front of the Liaison Committee, but one thing that I did notice is that the French proposals now are to cut spending in order to cut taxes in order to make the economy more competitive. Perhaps the shadow Chancellor, in his new silent form, will want to consider some of those ideas and recognise that this revolution of making business more competitive and trying to win in the global race is a proper plan for the economy."
France now sees negative growth in Q3, unemployment at 11 per cent and rising, 75% taxes, public spending as a percentage of GDP second-highest in the eurozone, unions kidnapping business leaders [I kid you not – see the Goodyear story], and I have totally ignored the President’s private life. Yesterday at PMQs things went from bad to worse for Ed with the last question of the day:
Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con):
"The Leader of the Opposition has said, “What Hollande is doing in France I want to do in Britain.” Given recent events across the channel, does my right hon. Friend agree that that is completely at odds with our long-term economic plan?"
The Prime Minister:
"I did not catch all of President Hollande’s press conference yesterday, because I was appearing in front of the Liaison Committee, but one thing that I did notice is that the French proposals now are to cut spending in order to cut taxes in order to make the economy more competitive. Perhaps the shadow Chancellor, in his new silent form, will want to consider some of those ideas and recognise that this revolution of making business more competitive and trying to win in the global race is a proper plan for the economy."
Thursday, 19 December 2013
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Today at PMQs Nick Clegg bashed the Labour party from a very Coalition point of view
Labour hate the fact that the Coalition is clearing up the mess that they left behind. Because the PM was in China the Deputy PM, Nick Clegg, stood in for him. On any interpretation he did a great job, when replying to questions from Harriet Harman. On certain issues we clearly have a different approach but on the key fundamental of turning the country around and taking the difficult decisions when left with a debt mountain the size of Everest the Coalition are as one. It is worth analysing some of the questions and answers:
He was tackled on the economy by Harriet Harman:
Clegg replied that:
"We have our differences on this side of the House, but the one thing that unites us is that we would not have gone on a prawn- cocktail charm offensive sucking up to the banks, which created the problem in the first place. We would not simply say to our children and grandchildren, “You can pay off this generation’s debts.” No one on this side of the House [ie the Conservatives and the Liberals] would have broken the British economy in the first place."
Harriet talked about Labour's energy policy [ a little rich from a government that failed to build any nuclear power stations etc]. Clegg replied, making the point about the need for greater switching, competetion and the efforts to reduce bills this week:
"We have done that by adjusting the policies, while adhering to our green commitments, where Government policy has an influence on people’s energy bills. Her party’s policy is pure fantasy—total and utter fantasy. We have got £50; she has a fantasy freeze."
Harriet again attacked on energy prices. Clegg addressed various issues - with a quick diversion into Spanish, which did cause a quick interruption...:
"The right hon. and learned Lady talks about standing up to vested interests, in the week that we discover that the great courage of the Labour leadership to stand up to its trade union paymasters is—[Interruption.] Guess what? It is mañana, mañana, mañana; all too difficult, an absolute—[Interruption.]"
Mr Speaker: Order. This House should be the bastion of free speech.
The Deputy Prime Minister:
"And, Mr Speaker, if I may say so, it should be the bastion of political parties free of vested interests, and it is high time that the Labour leadership does what it says and stands up to its trade union paymasters. The right hon. and learned Lady should stand up to her bosses first."
On the spare room subsidy, which Labour looked at but did not have the courage to address, Clegg replied as follows: "Under the right hon. and learned Lady’s Government, for 13 years housing benefit to people in the private rented sector was provided only on the basis of the number of rooms needed. We are applying exactly that same rule, which they administered for 13 years, to those in the social rented sector. For the reasons we heard earlier, we have at the same time many, many thousands of families in overcrowded properties and 1.8 million households still on the housing waiting list. As with so many other things, we are sorting out the mess they left behind"
Harriet tried to claim that Labour had a plan for the economy - this caused an awful lot of laughter by all present, given that Gordon Brown was their architect [with Balls as his right hand man] of the mess we are in: Clegg replied
"They are not a Government in waiting; they are not even an Opposition in waiting. It is 18 months before the next general election and we still have no clue from those six questions what the Labour party would actually do. Well, we know a few things: an energy con that would see prices go up rather than down; no apology for crashing the economy in the first place; and a total failure to stand up to trade union bosses. If they cannot manage to come up with some sensible polices and they cannot manage their own party, why should anyone think that they can manage our country?"
There were a lot of very upset members of the Labour party chuntering afterwards about how Labour needs to apologise, come up with a credible policies and stop opposing everything. For those interested in the full debate I attach it here:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-commons-debates/read/unknown/12/
He was tackled on the economy by Harriet Harman:
Clegg replied that:
"We have our differences on this side of the House, but the one thing that unites us is that we would not have gone on a prawn- cocktail charm offensive sucking up to the banks, which created the problem in the first place. We would not simply say to our children and grandchildren, “You can pay off this generation’s debts.” No one on this side of the House [ie the Conservatives and the Liberals] would have broken the British economy in the first place."
Harriet talked about Labour's energy policy [ a little rich from a government that failed to build any nuclear power stations etc]. Clegg replied, making the point about the need for greater switching, competetion and the efforts to reduce bills this week:
"We have done that by adjusting the policies, while adhering to our green commitments, where Government policy has an influence on people’s energy bills. Her party’s policy is pure fantasy—total and utter fantasy. We have got £50; she has a fantasy freeze."
Harriet again attacked on energy prices. Clegg addressed various issues - with a quick diversion into Spanish, which did cause a quick interruption...:
"The right hon. and learned Lady talks about standing up to vested interests, in the week that we discover that the great courage of the Labour leadership to stand up to its trade union paymasters is—[Interruption.] Guess what? It is mañana, mañana, mañana; all too difficult, an absolute—[Interruption.]"
Mr Speaker: Order. This House should be the bastion of free speech.
The Deputy Prime Minister:
"And, Mr Speaker, if I may say so, it should be the bastion of political parties free of vested interests, and it is high time that the Labour leadership does what it says and stands up to its trade union paymasters. The right hon. and learned Lady should stand up to her bosses first."
On the spare room subsidy, which Labour looked at but did not have the courage to address, Clegg replied as follows: "Under the right hon. and learned Lady’s Government, for 13 years housing benefit to people in the private rented sector was provided only on the basis of the number of rooms needed. We are applying exactly that same rule, which they administered for 13 years, to those in the social rented sector. For the reasons we heard earlier, we have at the same time many, many thousands of families in overcrowded properties and 1.8 million households still on the housing waiting list. As with so many other things, we are sorting out the mess they left behind"
Harriet tried to claim that Labour had a plan for the economy - this caused an awful lot of laughter by all present, given that Gordon Brown was their architect [with Balls as his right hand man] of the mess we are in: Clegg replied
"They are not a Government in waiting; they are not even an Opposition in waiting. It is 18 months before the next general election and we still have no clue from those six questions what the Labour party would actually do. Well, we know a few things: an energy con that would see prices go up rather than down; no apology for crashing the economy in the first place; and a total failure to stand up to trade union bosses. If they cannot manage to come up with some sensible polices and they cannot manage their own party, why should anyone think that they can manage our country?"
There were a lot of very upset members of the Labour party chuntering afterwards about how Labour needs to apologise, come up with a credible policies and stop opposing everything. For those interested in the full debate I attach it here:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/todays-commons-debates/read/unknown/12/
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