Eurozone Crisis

Debate between Helen Jones and Mark Hoban

Thursday 3rd November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hoban]

My hon. Friend’s question highlights some of the challenges that are being faced in the eurozone. Wherever the summit is being held—in Cannes or in Versailles—what is important is action arising from it that will put eurozone economies back on the right path.

[Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab)]

The Minister has signally failed to answer the questions put to him about the plan for jobs and growth. Will he now tell us exactly how the Government propose to ensure that we get demand back into the economy and tackle unemployment, which is the only real way out of this crisis, and how we are to exercise influence in Europe to secure a similar euro-wide plan?

[Mr Hoban]

One of the best ways of putting more money in the pockets of families and giving business men more money to invest in their businesses is to keep interest rates low. Borrowing more, which is the Labour party’s prescription, would simply put our interest rates at risk, so that households would have less money in their budgets and businesses would be strapped for cash. We will take no lessons in how to handle our economy from a party that doubled the national debt.