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Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
Clegg and Smith quiz Brown
May 3, 2008 2:03 PM
[Apr 30] Nicholas Clegg (Party Leader; Sheffield, Hallam, Liberal Democrat): If someone - [ Interruption. ]
Michael Martin (Speaker): Order. Remember what I have said to the House. It is unfair to the right hon. Gentleman, and he should be able to put his two questions.
Nicholas Clegg (Party Leader; Sheffield, Hallam, Liberal Democrat): It is obvious why someone who is a low earner in Britain today would not support the Conservatives tomorrow. However, after doubling the tax rate for the poor, leaving more than 4.5 million people in fuel poverty and closing thousands of post offices, can the Prime Minister explain why any low earner should support his Government?
Gordon Brown (Prime Minister; Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath, Labour): Because we have taken a million pensioners out of poverty. Because we are on the road to taking a million children out of poverty. Because we introduced the new deal to get people in work-opposed by the Liberal party. Because we have introduced child tax credits and raised child benefit, and child tax credits were opposed by the Liberal party. The reason why people should support Labour is that our policies for social justice are not only taking people out of poverty, but giving people the chance of work.
Nicholas Clegg (Party Leader; Sheffield, Hallam, Liberal Democrat): The Prime Minister is living in denial. If he wants people to believe that he cares for the poor, he should act as though he does. Is he not ashamed of the "grotesque chaos", to quote Neil Kinnock, of a Labour Government scuttling around the country handing out closure notices to more than 5,000 local post offices? This morning, the Prime Minister said that he wants to be a listening Prime Minister. Let him prove it. Will he stop all further post office closures, right now?
Gordon Brown (Prime Minister; Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath, Labour): Four million fewer people are using our post offices than did so a few years ago. We have put £1.7 billion into helping the post office network. Once again, the Liberal party is proposing spending huge sums of extra money without having any recognisable means of paying for it. That is why the hon. Gentleman's shadow Home Secretary called him "Calamity Clegg".
Robert Smith (Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons; Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine, Liberal Democrat): Will the Prime Minister give an undertaking to the House that by the Report stage of the Finance Bill, we will see detailed and concrete proposals on exactly how his Government plan to compensate the 5.3 million low earners who lost out when he doubled the 10p tax rate?
Gordon Brown (Prime Minister; Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath, Labour): The Chancellor has sent a letter to the Treasury Committee Chairman and made it absolutely clear what the Government are ready to do and the action that we are taking to help 60 to 65-year-olds and people who are low paid, and that is what we will do.
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