Oral Answers to Questions

Alison McGovern Excerpts

Tuesday 10th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

I thank my hon. Friend for her terrific question. Yes, I agree.

[Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)]

When the Chancellor made all his cuts in his emergency Budget, he said that it was because he had to close the deficit by the end of this Parliament. We said that that would be a false economy and that it would not work. In the autumn statement, the Chancellor agreed with us. What do they have to say for themselves now?

[Mr Gauke]

I am not sure that the hon. Lady heard the Chancellor correctly if that is what she thinks he said. The reality is that we have to get the deficit down and we have gone through two years of great challenges in the economy. Our argument was that because of those challenges it was more difficult to get the deficit down. Labour argued that the economy could not grow while getting the deficit down. We were right; they were wrong.