Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Esther McVey and Rachel Reeves

Tuesday 1st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)]

Does the Chancellor believe that the changes she has made to employer’s national insurance contributions will lead to higher levels of employment, or will they lead to higher levels of unemployment?

[Rachel Reeves]

Let us look at the record so far. There are 385,000 more jobs in the UK economy today than there were when Labour came to office a year ago, which is more than 1,000 jobs a day. So businesses are voting with their feet and taking on more workers, because of the policies of this Labour Government compared with the Tory policies that took our economy down.

Spending Review 2025

Debate between Esther McVey and Rachel Reeves

Wednesday 11th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

In the spending review today, we have set out: investment in defence to support jobs in Scotland; investment in Acorn to support jobs in Scotland; investment in nuclear, which will benefit the people of Scotland through lower bills; and a record settlement for the Scottish Government. It is up to them now to use that money wisely. I would not hold out much hope, under the SNP.

[Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)]

I know the Chancellor considers herself to be a world-leading economist, so can she tell me how it is that everyone in the country knew that hiking taxes on employers’ national insurance contributions—making it more expensive to employ people—would destroy jobs, destroy businesses and destroy the economy, and the only people who did not know that were her and her socialist boss?

[Rachel Reeves]

I am sorry to disappoint the right hon. Lady, but there are 500,000 more jobs in Britain since the last general election. Business confidence is going up.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Esther McVey and Rachel Reeves

Tuesday 20th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)]

I am sure that the Chancellor subscribes to the basic principle that if the cost of something is put up, we will see less of it. That is why Governments have, over many years, put taxes on things like smoking. Does she accept that the principle also applies to employing people—that the more expensive the Government make employing people, with their jobs tax increasing NICs for employers, the less we will see of that?

[Rachel Reeves]

The Conservative party is a good example of that. The cost of the Conservative party went up, and its number of MPs shrank.

UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue

Debate between Esther McVey and Rachel Reeves

Tuesday 14th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Reeves]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. There have been movements in international markets in the past week or so, and they have been global in nature. In the UK, we must do what we can, which is why I have reiterated today my commitment to the fiscal rules that I set out in the Budget in October. I reiterate that growth is the No. 1 mission of this Government: growth built on stability, which will come through securing the public finances; through investment, including through the national wealth fund and GB Energy; and through reform—of our planning system to make it easier to build in Britain, getting people back to work, and of our pension system. This Government are cracking on after 14 years of failure from the Conservative party.

[Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)]

Did the Communist party of China tell the Chancellor that she was doing a good job or a bad job of running the UK economy when she was there?

[Rachel Reeves]

I was not seeking assurance from any foreign Government on the performance of this Government. What I was seeking—I achieved this in China—were tangible outputs for British businesses trading overseas, helping to create more good jobs that pay decent wages here in Britain. The Conservative party absolutely failed to do that in 14 years.