Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Harrington of Watford Excerpts
Wednesday 8th June 2011

(12 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Harrington of Watford Portrait Richard Harrington (Watford) (Con)
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Q3. Will my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister advise me on whom to listen to on the UK’s economic policy? Should it be the experts in the International Monetary Fund or the letters page of The Guardian? [Interruption.]

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton Portrait The Prime Minister
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My hon. Friend was being shouted down because the Labour party does not want to hear what the International Monetary Fund said about the British economy. It said:

“Strong fiscal consolidation is underway and remains essential to achieve a more sustainable budgetary position”—

[Interruption.] Members ask me to read the rest, and I will read the rest. The IMF put the question specifically:

“This raises the question whether it is time to adjust macroeconomic policies”—

the question put by the Labour party—and it said this: “The answer is no”. The IMF could not be more clear in backing the policies that we are pursuing to get this country back on track.