Global Economy

Debate between George Osborne and Gordon Marsden

Thursday 11th August 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Osborne]

In the first two quarters of this year the UK has grown more strongly than the United States, but that is not a source of comfort for the world, because we need a strong US economy as well, and we want to help to bring about the international framework that will enable that to happen.

[Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

Is it not revealing that it took to the end of page 5 of his speech for the Chancellor even stutteringly to mention the word “growth”? Will he now reflect on the fact that it is his reckless abolition of regional development agencies and his failure to put money into the local enterprise partnerships that were supposed to solve the problem that have left the English regions stagnant in growth over the past nine months?