Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Treasury)
Liberal DemocratMP for St Albans
“I'm grateful to the honourable member for giving way. As an opposition MP, myself, myself and my party have been critical of the handover of power that had taken place in the Labour Party. But at this particular moment in time, at third rea…”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Liberal Democrat administration at Hertfordshire County Council has made huge strides forward in improving special educational needs and disabilities, and we were delighted when the government lifted the improvem…”
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May I associate myself and my party with the Deputy Prime Minister's tribute to Sir George Howarth, his remarks about the seven seven bombings and all those who live with the consequences of that terrible day, and wi…”
“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Liberal Democrats have supported this bill and the three measures in it. we tabled our three amendments at committee stage and I was grateful for the assurances that the minister gave at the despatch box, th…”
“It was recently reported that the newly elected honourable Member for Makerfield had pledged that he would cut business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues by 20% if he became Prime Minister. Given that the honourable Member is facing th…”
“I extend my thanks to the emergency services, railway staff, the NHS and community volunteers, who showed enormous bravery and humanity. My thoughts are with the family of Shaun Burton and all those who are injured. My constituents are shoc…”
“May I associate myself and my party with the Deputy Prime Minister’s tribute to Jo Cox? We extend our condolences to her friends and family, and to those of Roy Hattersley as well. I also join the Deputy Prime Minister in remembering the ho…”
“A few months ago I met farmers in Merthyr Cynog, in Brecon and Radnorshire, who warned me about the growing pressures that they were facing. Since then, Trump’s reckless war with Iran has sent fertiliser prices soaring by up to 45% and red …”
“I feel as though we are slightly through the looking glass. For six months, we Liberal Democrats have been calling for an emergency temporary VAT cut for hospitality, leisure and attractions, and our pledge was fully funded. For weeks, we h…”
“Like so many Labour Government announcements, the announcement to extend fuel duty relief later this year is too little, too late. When we look around the world, we see other countries acting now. Other countries are cutting fuel duty now. …”
“For too many people, the promise that hard work would help them get on in life is broken. The promise that each generation would do better than the last is broken. The expectation that big corporations would be made to play by the rules and…”
“Australia, Italy, India and more have all slashed fuel duty in response to Trump’s idiotic war in Iran. We Liberal Democrats are calling for fuel duty to be cut by 12p per litre here. Last week, the Chancellor claimed that anyone calling fo…”
“I thank the Chancellor for advance sight of her statement. The Chancellor should have come here today to explain how she was going to use the £20 million extra that the Treasury is pulling in every single day through higher VAT, a higher en…”
“I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. Our country is in a very fragile state. We cannot defend ourselves, we cannot feed ourselves and we cannot power ourselves. Our national security, our food security and our …”
“I thank the Chancellor for advance sight of her statement. Our thoughts are with our brave armed forces at this time. I agree that the last Government’s failure to invest in energy was a failure to protect our country. Today we face the sta…”
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but the Federation of Small Businesses is warning that they will face a cost cliff edge in April because of the cumulative impact of all the new taxes and responsibilities put on them at the…”
“I am grateful to the Chancellor for advance sight of her statement, but it does not include a single concrete announcement, and in itself will not provide the reassurance that householders and businesses are looking for as they hear reports…”
“The country is paying the price for two anti-growth Labour Budgets. Growth has flatlined, youth unemployment is up, and the cost of living crisis grinds on, pushing people and businesses to the brink. So we plead with the Chancellor: please…”
“Will the Minister give way?…”
“On behalf of my party, may I join the Deputy Prime Minister in marking Holocaust Memorial Day? We will not forget. We also honour the service of Captain Philip Gilbert Muldowney, who died on Sunday. While the Chinese regime still holds Brit…”
“If the Government are serious about saving the high street, then these measures can only be the start. Since the Government’s first Budget, we Liberal Democrats have been warning that high streets were at risk if the Government did not make…”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I wish you a speedy recovery. We know that pubs have been badly hit by these business rates changes, but businesses right across retail, hospitality and leisure have made investment and hiring decisions based on t…”
“These business rates changes will hammer high streets, and with the jobs tax on top, many businesses have already decided to shut up shop. Getting data out of the Government has been like getting blood from a stone; every question I am abou…”
“This is a retrospective tax without transitional protection. It upends plans for those who have already made sacrifices to build up their pensions, undermines confidence in pensions planning, reduces long-term investment and causes people t…”
“I will speak to clauses 1 to 8 and schedules 1 and 2. Overall, the tax changes increase complexity, raise the tax burden on small businesses and savers, and raise the risk of serious unintended consequences on the property market. They all …”
“On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Can you advise me on how I might elicit satisfactory responses to a series of written questions I have tabled to the Treasury on the impact of business rates on retail, hospitality and leisure busi…”
“President Trump’s actions are not about drugs; they are about oil. They are not about regional stability; they are about regional dominance. They are not about upholding the law; they are about breaking it. The Foreign Secretary has said th…”
“Happy new year to you, Mr Speaker, and to House staff and all Members in the Chamber. This policy was a disaster from the get-go. It came with no warning, no consultation and no clue. The Liberal Democrats were the first party to point out …”
“If this Finance Bill represents anything, I am sorry to say that it represents the fact that the Government know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. We Liberal Democrats have tabled a reasoned amendment against this Bill, setti…”
“It is a real delight to speak in this debate, because I honestly thought that I would not get the chance. There was a risk, I thought, that the shadow Chancellor might even filibuster in his own Opposition day debate, much as I enjoy his po…”
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