Clegg and Webb quiz Brown (Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats)

Clegg and Webb quiz Brown

May 7, 2009 10:40 AM

Nick Clegg MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats • Mr. Nick Clegg: ' . . THERE comes a point when stubbornness is not leadership; it is stupidity. [ Interruption. ] At least I say it to the Prime Minister's face; Labour Members say it behind his back . . '

Yesterday, the Prime Minister gave a speech on education and young people. It was his big chance to show that he still has some big ideas for the country: to explain why one in three 11-year-olds still cannot read or write properly; to explain why we have more young people than ever before in prison, in debt or on anti-depressants; and to explain why under his Government we have the unhappiest children in the developed world and a care system in crisis. So, how is a bit of tinkering with the schools complaints procedure going to fix any of that?

The Prime Minister: Let us deal with the right hon. Gentleman's first point, about children and reading. Far more, and a far higher percentage of, children are able to read and write at 11 as a result of the decisions that we have taken as a Government. There are 30,000 children who now get personal tuition to be able to read, and another 30,000 who get personal tuition to be able to write. No Government have invested more in reading, literacy and counting for children, and we have doubled our expenditure on the education of every child over the past 10 years. Of course, there is a great deal more to do and, of course, we are worried about instances of children in care, where there has to be reform. But, we have doubled investment in education over 10 years. It could not have happened under a Liberal or Conservative Government.

• Mr. Clegg: There comes a point when stubbornness is not leadership; it is stupidity. [ Interruption. ] At least I say it to the Prime Minister's face; Labour Members say it behind his back. For the past 12 years, this Government have vilified and criminalised young people and abandoned a whole generation, and all the Prime Minister can do is spin a vacuous speech to keep his own party off his back. Is it not now obvious that he does not really care about what is right for the country? All he really cares about is saving his own skin.

The Prime Minister: I am sorry that the right hon. Gentleman prepared his answer to the second question before he got the answer from me. The truth is that we are doing more than ever before to help children realise their potential. Sure Start did not exist until there was a Labour Government; nursery education until age three did not exist until there was a Labour Government; and all the programmes that have doubled expenditure and raised standards in primary schools did not exist until there was a Labour Government. Of course, we have more to do, but it would be better if he supported us in doing the right things, rather than attacking us when we are doing the right things.

• . . Steve Webb (Northavon) (LD): My constituents who have worked hard and saved hard now feel betrayed, because the value of their savings has slumped and interest rates have plunged close to zero. Indeed, the banks that those constituents' taxes have helped to bail out are the very ones offering them virtually nothing for their savings. What message does the Prime Minister have for my constituents who now wonder why they bothered to save?

The Prime Minister: As the hon. Gentleman knows, the worst thing that could happen to savers would be rampant inflation wiping out the value of their savings. We have kept inflation low during the past 11 and 12 years. The second thing that we have tried to do in the Budget-particularly for elderly savers-is to increase the amount of money that can be invested in individual savings accounts. Soon that will be £10,000 a year. We are aware that low interest rates put additional pressures on savers. We have taken action in the Budget to help them, and I hope that the hon. Gentleman will support that.

Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats: