Contributions
735 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSmall BusinessesI thank my hon. Friend for his question and take this chance to thank him, on behalf of the Government, for the work he did with the former Chancellor. He is quite right to talk…01 Oct 2019HANSARDSmall BusinessesA new business starts in the UK every 75 seconds. Following the patient capital review, we announced a £20 billion action plan to finance growth in innovative firms. To support…01 Oct 2019HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend for his question. He is a tireless champion of the motor industry, which we all take very seriously. The Government have made a commitment to delivering net…01 Oct 2019HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend for his question; he was obviously responsible for this when he was Exchequer Secretary. Last week I met Charlie Mayfield for a very good discussion about…01 Oct 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundI struggle to see what all that necessarily has to do with the question before the House, but what is very clear is that most people in Bristol are also smart enough to spot that…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundThe right hon. Gentleman makes a point that we have often debated in the House. We believe on the Government Benches in delivering on the referendum mandate, which was to trigger…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundI agree with my hon. Friend. Clearly, if we can secure a good deal that is fair to this country, which is our central aim, that is what everyone in the House should get behind,…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundThe passion that the hon. Lady shows is certainly a match for what I heard when I was in Bishop Auckland recently to address some of her constituents, because they were very clear…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundThe Government do not comment on meetings with individuals, and the hon. Gentleman would not expect me to do so now.30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundI thank my hon. Friend, who has been a distinguished holder of this office. He is absolutely right. There is in all walks of life a demerit to uncertainty. There is a real problem…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundThat is exactly the point I was making, because we need a bit of self-belief in our country. Here we are in the world’s fifth largest economy, and in a country that is widely…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundThe Government’s position is that we do not adopt a fixed target for sterling, as clearly we believe that it is sensible for the currency to find its own level in various…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundThe pound would need a good head for heights in that scenario. My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The City of London is, of course, one of the great assets of this country and…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundI thank my hon. Friend for those kind remarks. It is clear that that would be the ultimate vote of no confidence in the British economy.30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundI could not agree more strongly with the right hon. Gentleman. Yes, the danger is less our leaving the European Union—it is more the Opposition entering Downing Street.30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundI am an historian rather than an economist, but I certainly do not take my lessons on hedge fund activity from Hollywood. We need to be very clear about the fact that there is a…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. I am afraid we cannot get around the fact that we are now dealing with something very dangerous in terms of the division between the two…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundTo the best of my knowledge, we have not commissioned specialist advice on the housing market. If I am incorrect, I will ensure that that is set out in writing to the hon. Lady.…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundWhat I will say is that I believe we can avoid that scenario entirely if we get a good deal and leave the European Union according to plan, on 31 October. We are very clear about…30 Sept 2019HANSARDNo-deal Brexit: Short Positions against the PoundTempting as it is to follow the trail laid down by my hon. Friend, I will content myself with saying that, just as I would not comment on the actions of individuals in my reply to…30 Sept 2019