Finance (No. 3) Bill

Debate between Nic Dakin and James Gray

Tuesday 3rd May 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Ward (Bradford East) (LD)]

On the hon. Gentleman’s point about the mandate, presumably if Labour had got 3% or 4% more in the vote and a majority of 60 or 70 seats on 35%, he would have considered that to be a mandate to do whatever Labour wanted to do?

[The Temporary Chair (Mr James Gray)]

Order. That has absolutely nothing to do with the amendment we are discussing.

[Nic Dakin]

Thank you, Mr Gray, although I think that the hon. Gentleman was reminding me of the part in my speech in which I referred to mandates, as it was important to reiterate that the Government have no mandate for the NHS reorganisation, for police cuts, for the VAT rise, for abolishing the future jobs fund or for trebling tuition fees, and they certainly have no mandate for cutting too fast and too deep. However, they do have a mandate for listening to the amendment we are considering today on the bank levy. There absolutely is a mandate for the bank levy.