Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

Kelvin Hopkins Excerpts

Tuesday 1st November 2011 Commons Chamber

[John McDonnell]

I will come to that, because we need to learn lessons across the House about the appropriateness of how we have legislated in recent years. I have sat in this place and seen bad law produced as a result of rushing things—it happened under the last Government and it is happening under this one—and a lack of judgment about how much consideration each piece of legislation needs.

[Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) (Lab)]

Will my hon. Friend give way?

[John McDonnell]

I will, but I would like to press on, because others want to speak.

[Kelvin Hopkins]

Is there not a hint of short-term populism in what the Government are doing? Does my hon. Friend think that even the Government might come to regret it if they press their case?

[John McDonnell]

I went through 13 years of new Labour, so commenting on short-term populism might not be the most appropriate thing. I would not say: “A plague on all your houses!”, but let us all learn a few lessons.