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National Insurance Contributions Bill

I share my hon. Friend’s reservations. He and I must chide our Front-Bench spokesmen a little—I do that from time to time—because we are being sucked into this modern idea of consensus. We are being asked to sign up to the idea that the more Bills and Government measures to which we agree, the more popular we will somehow be outside the House. I plead guilty to the fact that I regard the proper work of the Chamber as that which is being exemplified today. Our proper job is to assume the worst of the Government until they prove otherwise, not the reverse. We should not assume that the Government are doing—