Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Graeme Morrice Excerpts
Tuesday 24th May 2011

(13 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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The hon. Gentleman’s question is about the Salisbury convention, which is one of many conventions that entrench the relationship between the other place and the House of Commons. The Parliament Acts are also vital in that regard. We have no intention of altering either the Acts or the convention.

Graeme Morrice Portrait Graeme Morrice (Livingston) (Lab)
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T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Nick Clegg)
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As Deputy Prime Minister, I support the Prime Minister on the full range of Government policy and initiatives. Within Government, I take special responsibility for this Government’s programme of political and constitutional reform.

Graeme Morrice Portrait Graeme Morrice
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I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his answer. Now that the Deputy Prime Minister is even less popular than the Swiss entry in the recent Eurovision contest—at least they got 19 points—what immediate plans does he have to redeem himself in the public eye? Moreover, what principle or value is he not prepared to sell out over in his quest to cling to power?

Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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Well read and well rehearsed! I will tell the hon. Gentleman one thing that I am not going to flinch from for one minute, and that is to clear up the mess left by Labour. Because of the sheer economic incompetence of the Labour party in government, this country, on the backs of our children and grandchildren, is borrowing £400 million a day. He might think that is okay; I do not.