Contributions
1,178 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDMiddle EastIn a crisis, Governments have permission to do things that are not possible in normal times, but I am worried that what the Prime Minister is going to bring forward will not meet…13 Apr 2026HANSARDMiddle East: Economic UpdateCould I gently ask the Chancellor to be less partisan at a time of crisis? If she brings before the House difficult measures that are right for the country, she will have the…24 Mar 2026HANSARDTopical QuestionsOne of the things that makes our economy less resilient is high levels of debt. The Chancellor and I have both followed fiscal rules that allowed us to claim that debt was…10 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle East: Economic UpdateWhen I was doing the Chancellor’s job, the Treasury rule of thumb was that a 20% increase in energy prices meant 1% more on inflation and 0.5% less on growth. The truth is that it…09 Mar 2026HANSARDSpring ForecastGiven what the Chancellor has just said about gas prices going up by nearly 50% in the past week, her Budget promise to reduce household energy bills by £150 will ring hollow for…03 Mar 2026HANSARDMiddle EastBritish influence in the middle east is directly linked to the strength of our military and our willingness to use it. When he took office, the Prime Minister rightly increased…02 Mar 2026HANSARD Nigeria: Freedom of Religion or BeliefI thank the hon. Gentleman for his excellent work as the FORB envoy and the extraordinary effort he is putting into the role. In a world in which geopolitics is becoming…13 Jan 2026HANSARDEconomic Growth: Transport SystemBeing able to commute to work easily is vital for economic growth, but my constituents using Ash Vale station have to climb the equivalent of two storeys of stairs, making it…08 Jan 2026HANSARD VenezuelaMost people’s thoughts on Maduro’s capture will be, “Good riddance”, and I would have liked the Government to have been more categorical in supporting US action to remove an…05 Jan 2026HANSARD Budget ResolutionsBudgets are not easy for Chancellors, because there are so many things beyond their control, but being forced to make trade-offs reveals priorities. I am afraid today’s priority…26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsI absolutely share the hon. Lady’s concern. That standard was introduced when I was Health Secretary. This could have been the Budget in which the Chancellor announced we would…26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsI recognise that the hon. Gentleman’s concern about child poverty is sincere; I just have a totally different view as to how to reduce child poverty in this country. I think…26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsI absolutely agree with the hon. Gentleman, but I profoundly disagree on the way the Government are choosing to do that. By expanding the welfare bill and expanding the number of…26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that we should look at the facts, which are very clear: the OBR upgraded growth for this year, and then downgraded it for every single year…26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsI would be happy to tell the hon. Lady which Government were responsible for 11% inflation: the Russian Government were responsible for 11% inflation. I will happily look in the…26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Chancellor makes a great play of fiscal responsibility—incidentally, I hope she will correct the record, because she said that she was…26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsI will give way one last time to my right hon. Friend.26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsLabour Members might find that hard to hear from a former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister, but they might want to listen to the Resolution Foundation, which has been saying…26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsI do not want to leave the hon. Lady out, but I promise that this will be my last intervention.26 Nov 2025HANSARD Budget ResolutionsI am proud that I dealt with a real black hole of £72 billion, not a fake one of £22 billion, in my fiscal events, and I met the fiscal rules every time. If the hon. Lady is…26 Nov 2025