Richard Thomson
Main Page: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)Department Debates - View all Richard Thomson's debates with the HM Treasury
(1 year, 7 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Kwasi Kwarteng
It is nice to see the hon. Gentleman in his place on the Opposition Benches, in splendid isolation. I remind him that the measures relating to national insurance and the basic rate help the vast number of constituents of Members on both sides of the House.
Richard Thomson (Gordon) (SNP)
I wonder what it says about the Government that at the height of a cost of living crisis we appear to have a Chancellor putting pressure on the Governor of the Bank of England to increase interest rates—presumably on the basis that he considers that there are too many people right now with too much money in their pockets. What does it say about the Government’s priorities, I wonder, that of all the groups they have rushed furthest to help it is bankers suffering the indignity and privations of only being able to qualify for bonuses that are double their salary? We have an economic historian for a Chancellor; will the legacy of today’s statement not be that for tens of millions of households the length and breadth of the UK any notion of a fair economy will be history?
Kwasi Kwarteng
Any cursory look at the history of this country shows that the way to deal with debt and cost of living issues is to grow the economy. That is why we are 100% focused on that.