Oral Answers to Questions

Bob Blackman Excerpts

Tuesday 4th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[Priti Patel]

We have already made changes to that whole area, and that is something we will look at further.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

14. What estimate he has made of the rate of growth in the economy.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander)]

In the year to the third quarter of 2014, GDP grew by 3%; it is now 3.4% above the pre-crisis peak. The International Monetary Fund expects the UK economy to be the fastest growing in the G7 in 2014.

[Bob Blackman]

Clearly the fact that we are leading our European partners in economic growth shows that the long-term economic plan is working. Does my right hon. Friend agree that, with the eurozone in crisis and external factors uncertain, the last thing we want to do is return the keys to those who crashed the car in the first place?

[Danny Alexander]

I am sorry that my hon. Friend has brought up the shadow Chancellor’s recent driving incidents, but I agree with the point that the Labour party made the economic mess that we—Liberal Democrats and Conservatives—came together in a coalition to sort out. We have made strong progress in this Parliament, including achieving the strongest growth in the G7. The last thing that the country needs is to hand the keys back to a majority Labour Government.