Financial Services Regulation Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Financial Services Regulation

Guy Opperman Excerpts
Wednesday 16th June 2010

(14 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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My right hon. Friend the Member for Hitchin and Harpenden (Mr Lilley) was clear about the risks of creating the tripartite system when he was the shadow Chancellor who opposed that legislation. When it comes to light-touch regulation, let me quote what the former Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, said in 2006:

“I will be honest with you, many who advised me, including not a few newspapers, favoured a regulatory crackdown. I believe that we were right not to go down that road”.

I am afraid that the regulatory approach taken by the Labour Government when they were in office completely failed, and we will learn the lessons of their mistakes.

Guy Opperman Portrait Guy Opperman (Hexham) (Con)
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Does the Chancellor agree that the Opposition, who sold the gold so wisely and then bought euros, prophesied a golden age and then brought the economy, like a ship, on to the rocks, are not qualified to give us financial advice and seem to have such a poor memory?

George Osborne Portrait Mr Osborne
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I agree with every word that my hon. Friend said.