Oral Answers to Questions

Jeevun Sandher Excerpts

Tuesday 8th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[John Healey]

The future of this country will be written in our growth rates, after 14 years in which we had low growth, high debt and a Budget that crashed confidence in the British economy. Under this Government, we have already seen a new way of generating growth in more places across the country. Members have seen the way that we will reform the centre of Whitehall, so that we cut through slow decision making, with public leadership and control made accountable to the people. I made announcements yesterday on the ways that we will go further to axe the thicket of administration, to back fast-growth firms, and to change the way that we generate investment across the country.

[Dr Jeevun Sandher (Loughborough) (Lab)]

T4. In areas such as mine in the east midlands, growth has been too low because spending has been too low. As life has become unaffordable, growth has fallen even further. We are seeing that with growth in my local area, as well as nationally, with a rising output gap. Will the Minister set out how making life affordable will make growth rise in Loughborough, Shepshed and the villages?

[The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Dan Tomlinson)]

My hon. Friend is an expert on those matters and is totally right to point to the importance of looking at the demand side of the economy. The Chancellor and Prime Minister have focused on just that, for example, with the cut to VAT on electricity bills and the reinstatement of the £2 cap on bus fares for 2027. My hon. Friend will also support the big focus on the supply side that the Chancellor talked about in his speech yesterday, improving the productive capacity of our economy, so that we can build more homes, labs, transport and power.