Commons Financial Privilege Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Commons Financial Privilege

Alex Salmond Excerpts
Wednesday 28th October 2015

(9 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I gently ask the Leader of the House to face the House so that we all get the benefit of his words.

Alex Salmond Portrait Alex Salmond (Gordon) (SNP)
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As we all carefully reflect on the 15th-century precedent, could we also carefully reflect on the modern world? A Government elected on 37% of the vote and 14% in Scotland might not be expected to win every single Division in the legislature. Should the Government not accept that their position seems to be based on a sense of entitlement as opposed to an attachment to the democratic ballot box?

Lord Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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The issue has nothing to do with entitlement and no Government should ever take either House for granted, but it is not unreasonable that, when precedents and conventions have existed for handling financial matters for decades and decades, they should be respected.