International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill

Martin Horwood Excerpts

Friday 12th September 2014 Commons Chamber

[Philip Davies]

I agree with my hon. Friend, and that is in effect what the Bill is trying to do.

[Martin Horwood (Cheltenham) (LD)]

rose—

[Philip Davies]

I am not going to give way. We have heard so much from people in favour of the Bill, and now we are going to hear from people who have a more sensible opinion. The hon. Gentleman can keep raising his hand, but I am not going to give way.

[Martin Horwood]

I am trying to tell you why we are binding the hands of our successors.

[Philip Davies]

We heard that in an intervention from one of the hon. Gentleman’s colleagues, who said that his whole intention in supporting the Bill was to ensure that future Parliaments did not change the law. The cat has already been let out of the bag.

It was rather galling to see the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (Mr Brown) lecture the House on how we should not be breaking our promises. The man who promised a referendum on the Lisbon treaty and who shamefully and shamelessly avoided that promise has absolutely no right to come here and lecture the rest of us. [Interruption.] As my hon. Friend the Member for North East Somerset (Jacob Rees-Mogg) says from a sedentary position, the right hon. Gentleman promised us that he had ended boom and bust. He made that solemn promise on many occasions to the House.

--- Later in debate ---

[Martin Horwood (Cheltenham) (LD)]

I mean no discourtesy to the hon. Member for Congleton (Fiona Bruce), who is making an excellent speech, but I should like to move the closure.

[Martin Horwood]

claimed to move the closure (Standing Order No. 36).

Question put forthwith, That the Question be now put.