Fiscal Responsibility and Fairness

Debate between Debbie Abrahams and Danny Alexander

Thursday 19th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

I agree with my right hon. Friend. The plan I have set out today ensures that we would borrow less than Labour and cut less than the Conservatives, ensuring a fair path for the public finances, which is necessary to deliver in full on our plans to dual the A1—plans that he has championed relentlessly during his time in the House. I am pleased it has been a Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary who has enabled that scheme to be funded.

[Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)]

This is clearly the Chief Secretary to the Treasury presenting an alternative Liberal Democrat Budget. He obviously did not hear your statement at the beginning, Mr Speaker. To press him on the point my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham East (Chris Leslie) raised, how will he be voting on Monday, and if he is going to vote for his own alternative Budget, will he be resigning as Chief Secretary to the Treasury?

[Danny Alexander]

With the greatest respect, I think it was the hon. Lady who was not listening. I made it clear that the policy measures in the Budget were ones that I helped put together, on an equal basis with the Chancellor, and I will be voting in favour of all the Budget resolutions, as I think Labour should. If it wants to oppose income tax cuts for working people and measures to support first-time buyers and savers and motorists, it should tell the British electorate.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Debbie Abrahams and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 11th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

The most recent set of figures for the quarter show that long-term unemployment has come down, including in the right hon. Gentleman’s constituency. I note, too, that the shadow housing Minister’s flagship programme to build more houses has been cut away by the shadow Chancellor, or is that yet another way they plan to spend their mythical bonus tax?

[Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)]

Will the Chief Secretary confirm that the employment rate is actually below pre-recession levels?

[Danny Alexander]

The employment rate, the number of people in employment, is higher than it has ever been. The employment rate is getting near to its record high again.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Debbie Abrahams and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 5th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for the question, and I congratulate him on his new appointment in this House. I can reassure him on his point. We are, of course, looking at the range of support that exists in terms of people’s energy bills, but we will not compromise on our commitment to renewable energy and green infrastructure investment. That means we remain absolutely committed to the renewables obligations and the contracts for difference, and that will not change as part of this process.

[Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)]

The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that more than 1 million more children will be living in poverty in 2020, which absolutely wipes out the number of those lifted out of poverty under the previous Labour Government.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Debbie Abrahams and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 22nd March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)]

9. If he will review the pace of proposed reductions in public expenditure to take into account GDP figures for the fourth quarter of 2010.

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

I welcome the hon. Lady to the House. The short answer to her question is no. Of course, growth in the final quarter of last year was disappointing, but, as we always said, the recovery in the early stages would be choppy. Deficit reduction is the essential precondition for growth, and the OBR’s November forecast stated that we would see growth in every year of the forecast.

[Debbie Abrahams]

Will the Chief Secretary explain to my constituents who are either unemployed or facing redundancy how his Government’s catastrophic economic policy is in the interests of the country? Clearly, we are not all in this together.

[Danny Alexander]

I hope the hon. Lady will take the opportunity to explain to her constituents that it is the legacy of the previous Labour Government that has caused the enormous mess and all the problems in our economy. They left us with the largest Budget deficit in Europe, and one of the largest in the world. Countries in our position have to take the sort of action we have taken, or risk being in a much deeper mess. If that is what she is advocating, I suggest she tells her constituents.