Tax Credits

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and David Anderson

Tuesday 15th September 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order.

[Mr David Anderson (Blaydon) (Lab)]

On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. For clarification, will the Minister please explain that the wages of public sector workers are going up not by 2.8% this year, but by only 1%?

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

That is not a point of order.

Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and David Anderson

Tuesday 14th July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Anderson]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that Conservative Members would probably say that going to a food bank is a lifestyle choice?

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

I do not mind interventions, but I want to ensure that speeches come in below 10 minutes.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Anderson]

I certainly will, even though the hon. Gentleman has only been here for five minutes.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. I think that I am the judge of how long people have been here. We have already had one intervention from Kwasi Kwarteng and I can assure the hon. Gentleman that he has been here for a lot longer than five minutes, although it might only feel like that.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. It might help if I remind people that this is a Budget debate, not an election debate.

[Mr Anderson]

Actually, less than a quarter of the people of this country voted for the Tory party, and the vast majority of them would not be traditional working people. More than 75% of the people of this country did not vote for the Tory party.

Let us acknowledge that people in the public sector have made great sacrifices. The hon. Member for Braintree (James Cleverly) told us less than five minutes ago about the 4,000 businesses in his constituency. What about the thousands of people who work in the public sector in his constituency, who he never mentioned once? They have not had a pay rise for five years and will not have one for another five years, but they are the people who pay for his businesses to make their way.

Quite frankly, this Budget stinks—it is as simple as that. It is divisive, it is dishonest, it is damaging, and people inside and outside this House know it. It will not be long before they and those of us who really care about this country stand up against it to get rid of it. We have to send a strong message from this House. On Saturday, going on for 150,000 people marched on the streets of Durham saying clearly, “You’ve got it wrong. We’ve got to stand up. We’re not taking any more of this. We’re sick to death of the poor paying for the failings of the rich.” It is time to change the tune in this country.