Debate on the Address

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Tuesday 25th May 2010 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I shall endeavour to do my best.

Let me give one other example. In the last Parliament, while the right hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr MacShane) was making all these points, Labour was allied to the Self Defence of the Republic of Poland party, whose leader, Andrzej Lepper, said that

“Hitler had a really good programme”.

Those are Labour’s allies in the European Parliament. I think we have heard enough from the right hon. Gentleman for another five years.

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

rose—

[Hon. Members]

Wooh!

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am sure that the House wishes to hear Mr Simon Hughes.

[Simon Hughes]

I congratulate the Prime Minister on his new office, and he was right to criticise some of the legacy of the Labour party. Can he therefore give the House and the country an assurance that we will do better in his Government at building council housing and providing affordable housing in rural constituencies such as his, as well as in urban constituencies such as mine?

[The Prime Minister]

I am very grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s question, although I hope that before long he will be referring to it as “our Government” rather than “his Government”. You are absolutely right—[Hon. Members: “Wooh!] Sorry, he is absolutely right—I will get the hang of it eventually—and we will be prioritising social housing, not least because the last Government left a huge black hole that they refused to fund—