"When my right hon. Friend met the IMF and World Bank officials in Washington recently, did they agree with his approach on reform, fairness and growth, which he has presented today, or did they suggest something else, like the Opposition have?..." Mary Macleod - View Speech
"Let me state for the record that the Royal Bank of Scotland used to be a client of mine.
I suggest to the hon. Gentleman that if customers and constituents are having problems with lending or other general banking issues, they should be encouraged to bring their problems to us …..." Mary Macleod - View Speech
"Does my hon. Friend agree that a reduction in corporation tax is a way to encourage more small businesses and to keep big business in the United Kingdom, and that it will help the overall long-term growth of our economy?..." Mary Macleod - View Speech
"I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate on a matter that impacts on the life of every person in the country, every minute of every day. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Andrew Jones) on his maiden speech, in which he …..." Mary Macleod - View Speech
"My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That proves that the Opposition are living on a different planet, and that they have not a clue about what they have really done to the country over the past 13 years.
"The hon. Gentleman clearly has a very short memory of what the present Opposition did to the country. What we, as the Government, need to do now is address the present situation and, as we have done in the emergency Budget, come up with measures to turn it around.
"The hon. Gentleman spoke very movingly about the impact on his constituents. Let me reassure him that I believe that this is the right Budget for the future, and that his constituents will recognise that over the next five years. If we retain our current debt in five years’ time, …..." Mary Macleod - View Speech
"I understand what the hon. Gentleman is saying, but I have been in business for 20 years, and I could cite plenty of others, including Richard Lambert, director general of the CBI, and the OECD, which says the Budget is far-reaching and courageous, so we need to have a balanced …..." Mary Macleod - View Speech