Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Daisy Cooper and John Healey

Tuesday 3rd November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Daisy Cooper (St Albans) (LD)]

The Government’s use of the outdated council tax system to roll out their energy support package has led to an absurd situation whereby between 800,000 and 1.4 million people on low incomes will miss out on the £100, while a wealthy couple who have retired early and have downsized are set to benefit. There is absolutely no excuse for this. The Government could have followed our plan to use existing DWP and HMRC data to roll out a targeted essential energy guarantee, getting the most help to those who need it most, so why on earth did they not do so?

[John Healey]

The hon. Lady disappoints me. Nine out of 10 of the poorest households will benefit from the £100 direct payment. Four out of five households in total—20 million—will benefit from this. She will have seen in the Budget that, for those who do struggle, I have also put an extra £100 million into the special fund that local authorities have to administer. They can make payments in hardship cases for those under extreme pressure, and I encourage her to point people to that.

--- Later in debate ---

[Daisy Cooper (St Albans) (LD)]

The Prime Minister and his Cabinet rightly point to Brexit as a major reason for the UK’s doom loop of low economic growth, and in two and a half weeks’ time, the Government will have an opportunity to do something about it. Rather than just discussing a timid UK-EU youth mobility scheme that should have been agreed months ago, will they start negotiations for a new growth and defence partnership as the only surefire way to put money back in people’s pockets and make the UK stronger, safer and more prosperous?

[John Healey]

We have “been there, done that” on defence. At the EU summit later this month, we are faced with the chance to add billions to our economy and help with prices, with a new deal on food, drinks and farming. It is a chance to reinforce the collaboration on illegal immigration that will help to tackle the small boat smuggling gangs, and it is a recognition that the Brexit deal done by the Conservatives has just not been good for Britain. The Conservative party is opposing all the steps we are taking to improve Britain’s business trading, while we look for practical benefits to make it better.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Daisy Cooper and John Healey

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Daisy Cooper (St Albans) (LD)]

I welcome the Chancellor to his place. After two anti-growth Budgets, I genuinely wish him well and urge him to deliver a growth Budget this autumn, so that we can avoid more punishing tax rises or painful spending cuts.

Last week, the Prime Minister acknowledged that Brexit had ushered in a “decade of low growth” but did not outline what he thinks is needed to tackle it. On Monday, the Chancellor made what was briefed as a major economic speech on growth, the product of deep thinking, and yet there was barely a mention of the impact of Brexit. Recent studies suggest that deeper alignment with Europe could boost GDP by at least 2.5% to 3.6%, so should the Chancellor’s plan for growth not include the growth and defence partnership with the EU that we have called for?

[John Healey]

The hon. Lady is talking to the person who led the work to establish a defence and security partnership with the European Union and bilateral agreements with other countries, on which we now build both our economic strength and our national security strength.

On the question of the Budget, I ask the hon. Lady to look at what we have done in the seven weeks of this Government. We know that we cannot relieve the cost of living and the cost of business pressures, but we will take steps where we can to do that. I will take that principle into the Budget, and we will back business and do what we can to see growth in more places across the country, because for too long this country has relied on too few of our major cities to drive national growth.