Supporting High Streets

Debate between Tim Farron and Miatta Fahnbulleh

Tuesday 4th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We know that there is a fundamental link between public services that work and can support people across the economy and how well the economy does. This Labour Government have made the decision that it is right for us to invest in our public services, and right for us to invest in our NHS, because it is good for people, but also good for the economy. We do not resile from that decision.

[Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)]

I strongly empathise with the Minister’s articulate fury at the previous Government and the damage they did to our village and town centres. But will she acknowledge the fact that Cumbria Tourism, which represents the employers of 60,000 people in Cumbria, reports that the national insurance rise has seen 37% of those businesses cutting staff, 34% freezing pay and 33% halting recruitment? Is that not likely to reduce the tax take—as well as damaging businesses generally—and reduce our ability to support the public services that she says she is so passionate about?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

We understand that businesses across all sectors are under pressure. We are working with the tourism sector, because it is absolutely vital to the growth of the wider economy, and with all sectors. This requires a whole set of interventions, whether that is what we are talking about today, in terms of our high streets, the action we are taking to support training and skills for the workforce, or the investment we are putting into the economy.

We recognise the pressure, but I come back to the fact that that pressure did not come overnight. If you decimate and under-invest in the economy for 14 years, you end up where we are now. The choice for this Labour Government is that we can now do the job of renewal. It takes time, and we recognise that, but that is a journey that we are determined to go alongside business on.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Tim Farron and Miatta Fahnbulleh

Tuesday 4th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)]

T7. Will the Minister agree to meet the wonderful Cumbria Action for Sustainability and me to address some of the imperfections in the Government home insulation programme? It does not properly support older rural-community properties that are single-skinned, not so easy to insulate, and therefore not so easy to keep heated cheaply.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Miatta Fahnbulleh)]

I am happy to meet the hon. Gentleman. We know that we have a job to do to ensure that all insulation is up to standard and that we have the right measures for every type of household. I am keen to engage with him and Members across the House.