Business of the House

Emma Lewell-Buck Excerpts

Thursday 9th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman’s characterisation. Scottish Labour and the Labour party have done more than most to stand up to the failures of the Scottish Government, of which there are many. That is why we have returned a record number of Labour MPs in Scotland who won seats directly from the Scottish National party. The Scottish National party and the Government there now have a huge amount of extra money thanks to this Government’s Budget. They have the powers to get that money to the frontline, and we want to see the lives of people in Scotland improved, but we believe that that will be done better when people vote for Scottish Labour in the future.

[Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab)]

My right hon. Friend will know that throughout the pandemic, the Conservative Government excluded nearly 4 million self-employed and other workers from financial support. Lives were lost and livelihoods ruined, and many of those workers remain struggling. Will my right hon. Friend please make time for a debate, so that we can yet again look to right the wrongs of the previous Government?

[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend raises a very good point about those who were excluded and those who were left in great difficulty as a result of the pandemic, which was a huge shock to the economy at the time. Treasury questions are coming up in a couple of weeks; my hon. Friend might want to raise that issue then.