Oral Answers to Questions

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Wednesday 16th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jo Stevens]

I am very sorry to hear about Melanie’s situation. However, I would say to the hon. Gentleman that his party were in government with the Conservatives during the coalition years. That Government delivered horrible austerity on Wales, which lead to public services in Wales being degraded. His party was the architect of that.

[Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)]

The Chancellor says that cutting red tape for bankers will trickle down to households. [Interruption.] The 2008 financial crash taught us that that is utter nonsense. [Interruption.] The Secretary of State has just mentioned things that happened in the past; in 2023, she said:

“12 years of ‘trickle-down’ and ‘trickle-out’ growth strategies have failed to deliver for Britain.”

Does she stand by what she said in opposition, or does she now toe the line for the sake of the Chancellor’s friends in the City?

[Jo Stevens]

I apologise to the right hon. Lady; I am afraid I did not hear the start of her question. On tax and what the Chancellor has talked about, we stand by our manifesto commitment not to increase income tax, employee national insurance contributions or VAT. The Chancellor has said that it would be irresponsible to write future Budgets months in advance, especially given the global situation. There are clearly costs and implications to every decision this Parliament makes, but we remain focused on growing our economy in Wales and across the UK.

[Liz Saville Roberts]

That is one way of avoiding answering the question, Mr Speaker. My point is that Labour’s skewed sense of fairness does not stop at prioritising the interests of the banks over others; it is also hitting our farmers and rural communities. The Farmers Union of Wales has warned that Labour’s planned reforms to agricultural property relief will do irreversible damage to the Welsh family farm. Looking ahead to next week’s Royal Welsh Show, will the Secretary of State agree at last that what we really need is a tax on extreme wealth, instead of a tax on those who feed us and sustain our rural economies?

[Jo Stevens]

At the autumn Budget, we demonstrated our commitment to our fiscal rules while maintaining high levels of investment to rebuild our public services—an investment in farming as well—after the mess that the Tories left behind. We have repeatedly said that those with the broadest shoulders should bear the greatest burden, and that has been reflected in the decisions that we have taken so far. Tax changes, as the right hon. Member knows, are a matter for the Chancellor.